22-20s were a band from Lincolnshire with indie, blues and folk influences.… Read Full Bio ↴22-20s were a band from Lincolnshire with indie, blues and folk influences. They formed in 2003 and released their self-titled debut album (22-20s) the following year. The band's name comes from the Skip James song '22-20 Blues'.

The success of the single 'Shoot Your Gun' and the track 'Devil In Me' shot the band to prominence after its use in a Vauxhall commercial.

In early 2006, after four years together touring, with difficulties recording their follow-up album and a desire to change musical direction, the band mutually agreed to split up.

The band reformed in 2008 and released Shake/Shiver/Moan in 2010 and Got It If You Want It in 2012.

On 3 May, 2012, the band announced on Twitter that guitarist Dan Hare decided to leave the band.

22-20s quietly split for a second time in 2013.

Heart On A String
22-20s Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Taking the thick and the thin
Afraid to complain, no use complaining
You know your heart's on a string
Hiding the feelings away
Scared to offend, dreading the ending
You know your heart's on a string

Try to pretend, try to pretend, you're in control

Try to deny, try to deny, you're under control

Waiting patiently through, the lack of affection returning the silence
Don't show your heart's on a string
Staying alone in the evening, waiting for fate & hating the weakness
Don't show your hearts on a string

Try to pretend, try to pretend, you're in control
Try to deny, try to deny, you're under control

Heart on a string taking care not to break it
Heart on a string taking care not to shake it
Heart on a string just a twist it could tear you apart

Heart on a string taking care not to break it
Heart on a string so aware not to shake it
Heart on a string just a twist it could tear it apart

You won't complain
You won't complain
You won't complain

You'll take, you'll take the thick and the thin
You'll take, you'll take the thick and the thin
It's only a twist, only a twist and it's gone
Only a twist, only a twist, only a twist, only a twist and you're gone

Heart on a string so aware not to break it
Heart on a string so aware not to shake it
Heart on a string just a twist it could tear you apart

Heart on a string taking care not to break it
Heart on a string so aware not to shake it

Heart on a string just a twist it could tear you apart
Just a twist it could tear it apart

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Heart On A String by 22-20s displays the fear of vulnerability and the struggle to maintain control over one's feelings. The song paints a picture of someone who is afraid to express themselves and get hurt, hence, keeping their "heart on a string," meaning they are being careful not to let their emotions explode. The lines "Hiding the feelings away, Scared to offend, dreading the ending" suggests that the person in question is trying to avoid rejection and is perhaps in a one-sided relationship where they are giving more than they are receiving. The character in the song is depicted as an individual in control, refusing to complain about the situation, even though it is not ideal, trying to pretend that everything is alright and trying to maintain composure.

Furthermore, the lyrics suggest an awareness of the individual's emotional stability, demonstrated by the lines "Heart on a string taking care not to break it." They are aware that their emotions are delicate, and one "twist" could send everything crashing down. It is evident that the person is trying to protect themselves from getting hurt, but in doing so, they are also caging themselves from experiencing meaningful relationships. The song's repetitive lines, "Heart on a string taking care not to break it, so aware not to shake it," suggest that this struggle for control is ongoing and that the person is continually cautious about not allowing their emotions to show. The song concludes with a repetition of the phrase, "Only a twist and you're gone," which reinforces the idea that the character's emotional stability is hanging by a thread.

Line by Line Meaning

Taking the thick and the thin
Enduring the ups and downs of the relationship

Afraid to complain, no use complaining
Suppressing negative emotions because it won't improve the situation

You know your heart's on a string
Feeling vulnerable and exposed in the relationship

Hiding the feelings away
Burying deep-seated emotions to avoid conflicts or confrontations

Scared to offend, dreading the ending
Fearing that expressing oneself will lead to a breakup

Try to pretend, try to pretend, you're in control
Putting on a facade of emotional stability

Try to deny, try to deny, you're under control
Disavowing the emotional grip that the relationship has on you

Waiting patiently through, the lack of affection returning the silence
Tolerating emotional neglect and the absence of communication

Don't show your heart's on a string
Hiding one's vulnerability to prevent getting hurt

Staying alone in the evening, waiting for fate & hating the weakness
Spending a lot of time alone, waiting for something to happen, and resenting oneself for being so passive

Heart on a string taking care not to break it
Being protective of one's emotions and not letting them be destroyed by external conditions

Heart on a string taking care not to shake it
Being mindful of the things that could disturb one's emotional equilibrium

Heart on a string just a twist it could tear you apart
Emphasizing how fragile the emotional state is and how easily it can be destroyed

You won't complain
Preferring to endure silently than to express your emotions

You'll take, you'll take the thick and the thin
Enduring the ups and downs of the relationship

It's only a twist, only a twist and it's gone
Stressing how delicate the emotional state is, and how a small event can have a significant effect

Heart on a string so aware not to break it
Being careful not to let external factors damage one's emotional well-being

Heart on a string so aware not to shake it
Being conscious of the things that could cause emotional instability

Just a twist it could tear it apart
Highlighting how fragile the emotional state is and how easily it can be destroyed

Contributed by Jayden M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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