Careless Whisper
23. Wham! Lyrics


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Time can never mend
The careless whispers of a good friend
To the heart and mind
If your answer's kind
If there's no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you'll find

Should've known better, yeah

Oh-oh-oh, oh, oh
Mm-mm

I feel so unsure
As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor
As the music dies
Something in your eyes
Calls to mind a silver screen
And all its sad goodbyes

I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool
I should've known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I'd been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you, oh

Time can never mend
The careless whispers of a good friend
To the heart and mind
If your answer's kind
There's no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you'll find

I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool
I should've known better than to cheat a friend (should've known better, yeah)
And waste the chance that I'd been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you, oh

Never without your love

Tonight the music seems so loud
I wish that we could lose this crowd
Maybe it's better this way
We'd hurt each other with the things we want to say

We could have been so good together
We could have lived this dance forever
But now who's gonna dance with me?
Please stay

And I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool
I should've known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I'd been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you, oh

(Now that you're gone) now that you're gone




(Now that you're gone) was what I did so wrong, so wrong
That you had to leave me alone?

Overall Meaning

In "Careless Whisper," George Michael sings about the pain he feels after deceiving a friend and losing the love of his life. He acknowledges that "Time can never mend the careless whispers of a good friend." Michael regrets his actions and understands that he has caused irreparable harm to his relationship. He admits to his guilt by noting that "Guilty feet have got no rhythm," indicating he is taking responsibility for his actions. Michael expresses his sorrow over the lost love, the deep friendship, and how he will never dance again the way he did with this person. He concludes the song with the line "Now that you're gone, what did I do so wrong, so wrong, that you had to leave me alone?" revealing his regret over the situation.


Line by Line Meaning

Time can never mend
It is impossible to fix or restore the friendship that has been damaged.


The careless whispers of a good friend
The secrets or conversations that were shared carelessly between two good friends.


To the heart and mind
It affects the emotions and thoughts of a person deeply.


If your answer's kind
If the response given to the confession or truth is sympathetic or understanding.


If there's no comfort in the truth
If the truth does not bring any relief or comfort to someone feeling betrayed or hurt.


Pain is all you'll find
Only suffering and misery will be left for the person who trusted and got hurt.


Should've known better, yeah
Should have made a wiser decision and not acted in a way that would harm or disappoint someone else.


I feel so unsure
Being apprehensive or uncertain about the situation or decision made.


As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor
As I accompany you to the dance floor and start dancing with you.


As the music dies
As the song ends and the music starts fading away.


Something in your eyes
There is a certain look or expression on your face that reveals your emotions or thoughts.


Calls to mind a silver screen
The expression on your face reminds me of a movie scene.


And all its sad goodbyes
And all the partings in the movie that end with sadness and heartbreak.


I'm never gonna dance again
I am never going to enjoy dancing again. The joy of dancing has been lost with the betrayal of trust.


Guilty feet have got no rhythm
It is hard to enjoy or feel good while dancing when you are guilty or feeling remorseful.


Though it's easy to pretend
Although pretending to enjoy dancing may seem like an easy option, deep down, it is impossible to forget the act of betrayal.


I know you're not a fool
I know that you are not naive and understood the consequences of our actions.


I should've known better than to cheat a friend
I should have been wise enough not to betray the trust of a good friend.


And waste the chance that I'd been given
I lost the opportunity to maintain a good friendship due to my foolish actions.


So I'm never gonna dance again
The act of betrayal has left a scar that will never allow me to enjoy dancing again.


The way I danced with you, oh
The way I danced with you will always remain a reminder of the betrayal and the lost friendship.


Never without your love
The love and trust shared between us are forever lost due to our actions.


Tonight the music seems so loud
The music tonight sounds louder and unpleasant, reminding me of the past.


I wish that we could lose this crowd
I wish we could be alone and talk about how everything went wrong.


Maybe it's better this way
Perhaps it is better to maintain distance and avoid any more hurt or damage to the friendship.


We'd hurt each other with the things we want to say
The things we want to say will only bring more hurt and pain, leading to a further breakdown of the friendship.


We could have been so good together
We had the potential to be a great pair and maintain a deep friendship.


We could have lived this dance forever
We could have maintained this friendship and enjoyed music and dancing together for a long time.


But now who's gonna dance with me?
But now that the friendship is broken, who shall stand by me and dance with me?


Please stay
Please do not go away and break this relationship completely.


(Now that you're gone) now that you're gone
Now that you are gone, the pain of our lost friendship is more than I can bear.


(Now that you're gone) was what I did so wrong, so wrong
Now that you have left, I realize the gravity of my wrongdoings and regret them deeply.


That you had to leave me alone?
Did it have to come to this? Did you have to leave me alone and walk away from our friendship?




Lyrics © Piranha Arts AG, BMG Rights Management, Broma 16, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andrew J. Ridgeley, George Michael

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@unemployicus

I feel so unsure
As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor
As the music dies, something in your eyes
Calls to mind a silver screen
And all its sad good-byes
I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool
I should've known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I'd been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you, oh
Time can never mend
The careless whispers of a good friend
To the heart and mind
Ignorance is kind
There's no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you'll find
I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool
I should've known better than to cheat a friend (should've known better, yeah)
And waste the chance that I'd been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you, oh
Never without your love
Tonight the music seems so loud
I wish that we could lose this crowd
Maybe it's better this way
We'd hurt each other with the things we'd want to say
We could have been so good together
We could have lived this dance forever
But now, who's gonna dance with me?
Please stay
And I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool
I should've known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I'd been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you, oh
now that you're gone
(Now that you're gone) was what I did so wrong, so wrong
That you had to leave me alone?



All comments from YouTube:

@peachykeen1409

The funny thing is, is that this song is about cheating on someone and regretting it.
Everyone's interpretation : the romance song

@jaycinthmassey2354

Exactly

@Setsotama

It's the saxophone. The instrument of the giggity

@mikasolae

Lol 😂

@kamziekat

Oh my gosh, me and my boyfriend kissed to this song yesterday while having a picnic. Now I'm sitting in my room, watching it and I'm like, hol up, is this guy a cheater? And welp, I got my answer. I can't believe we kissed to thisXD.

@kamziekat

and I looked up romance songs to joke around and this comes up.

56 More Replies...

@KSF-fc1tc

Song : sad
Melody : seductive & romantic

@user-tt2mh3bb9e

I think that the point, and also why George Michael insisted that the saxophone be prefected to create a very romantic yet sorrowful vibe.

@joshuatobanus3223

I know right haha. Been thinking about this for a long time.

@m.boirabaev6401

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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