I'm Gonna Lock My Heart
Billie Holiday & Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra Lyrics

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I'm gonna lock my heart
And throw away the key
I'm wise to all those tricks you played on me
I'm gonna turn my back on love
Gonna snob the moon above
Seal all my windows up with tin
So the love bug can't get in
Park my romance right alone the curb

Hang a sign upon my heart
"Please don't disturb"
And if I never fall in love again
That's soon enough for me
I'm gonna lock my heart
And throw the key

And it I never tall in love again
That's soon enough for me
I!m gonna lock my heart
And throw away the key

I'll never fall in love again

I'm gonna lock my heart
And throw away the key

Overall Meaning

In the song, Billie Holiday expresses her decision to guard her heart against love because of the past hurts she has experienced. She decides to lock it away and throw away the key to prevent anyone from coming in and causing her any more hurt. She acknowledges that she has been played before and is determined to be more careful in the future. She is willing to turn her back on love completely and ignore the moon above, which often symbolizes love and romance. She even plans to seal her windows with tin to ensure that the love bug cannot get in and affect her. Her decision is final and she is determined to park her romance right along the curb, indicating that she is done with it. She even hangs a sign upon her heart begging people not to disturb it.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm gonna lock my heart
I will close my heart to love and relationships

And throw away the key
I will get rid of the key so that no one can access my heart

I'm wise to all those tricks you played on me
I am aware of all the deceptive things you did to me

I'm gonna turn my back on love
I will reject love and all its complexities

Gonna snob the moon above
I will not romanticize the moon or associate it with love

Seal all my windows up with tin
I will shut out any possibility of love coming through my windows

So the love bug can't get in
I will protect myself from falling in love again

Park my romance right alone the curb
I will abandon my romantic feelings and leave them behind

Hang a sign upon my heart
I will communicate to others that I am not interested in love

"Please don't disturb"
I am requesting to be left alone in my current emotional state

And if I never fall in love again
I am willing to live without love for the rest of my life