Heart
Burton Cummings Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I used to sit and wish the hours away
And then I'd find it was morning,
I used to sit and be so idle with time
But that was only my warming,
Who was to say my heart was wrong?
Needed just a little more time,
Who was to say that we'd belong?
You saw me looking at you,
And now I'm crying for you...

Heart, heart,
Help me keep a hold on you now.
Heart, heart,
Praying you'll be showing me how.

I heard a story from a friend of a friend,
That you were wishing it's over,
So many others on the silvery screen
But they were walking in clover.
Who was to say my heart was wrong?
Needed just a piece of your time
Who was to tell me we'd belong?
You saw me looking at it
And now I'm singing for it

Heart, heart
Help me keep a hold on you now
Heart, heart




Praying you'll be teaching me how
Singing for you...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Burton Cummings's song Heart address a plea from the singer to their own heart, begging for guidance in their pursuit of love. The opening verses describe the singer's past tendency to waste time, wishing for something to change, and feeling uncertain about their desire for love. However, the chorus of the song shifts to a more urgent tone as the singer reaches out to their heart with a sense of desperation.


The second verse introduces the idea that the object of the singer's affections may be losing interest in them, but the singer refuses to give up hope. They cling to the possibility that their own heart and the heart of their beloved may still be able to connect, even in the face of obstacles. The repetition of the line "Who was to say my heart was wrong?" suggests a sense of defiance and a refusal to let go of what they desire most.


Overall, the lyrics of Heart convey a sense of longing and desperate hope as the singer reaches out not just to the person they love but to their own heart for guidance and courage.


Line by Line Meaning

I used to sit and wish the hours away
I previously wasted my time wishing for time to pass quickly.


And then I'd find it was morning
Despite wishing for time to pass quickly, eventually morning would come and my time was wasted.


I used to sit and be so idle with time
I was previously unproductive and didn't make the most of my time.


But that was only my warming
However, that was just the beginning stage of my understanding of the value of time.


Who was to say my heart was wrong?
Who was there to judge me for realizing the value of time and wanting to use it wisely?


Needed just a little more time
I required more time than I initially wasted to realize my true potential.


Who was to say that we'd belong?
Who could have predicted where my newfound understanding of time would lead me?


You saw me looking at you,
You noticed my interest in you.


And now I'm crying for you...
And now I am expressing my emotions for you.


Heart, heart, Help me keep a hold on you now.
I am now asking my heart to not let go of my feelings for you.


Heart, heart, Praying you'll be showing me how.
I am hoping my heart will guide me in this journey towards you.


I heard a story from a friend of a friend,
I heard a rumor about you through grapevine channels.


That you were wishing it's over,
That you were hoping for an end to something, possibly a previous relationship.


So many others on the silvery screen,
There were many other potential partners in the public eye.


But they were walking in clover.
But they were able to easily live a luxurious life despite the public scrutiny.


Who was to tell me we'd belong?
Who knew that you and I would turn out to be a perfect match?


You saw me looking at it
You noticed my interest in the possibility of a relationship with you.


And now I'm singing for it
And now I am openly expressing my emotions for you through song.


Heart, heart, Help me keep a hold on you now
I am still asking my heart to not let go of my feelings for you.


Heart, heart, Praying you'll be teaching me how
I am hoping that you will show me how to navigate and handle these strong emotions.


Singing for you...
I am continuing to express my emotions for you through song.




Contributed by Isaiah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@lonidelahuerta3439

I love Burton's voice.❤🎵🎹

@allen4659

I love this song.....I love Burton Cummings. I met him in New Jersey years ago. One of my greatest moments. He is so talented. I will never forget that until the end of days. Wow.

@claudiafarley6269

I am sooo jealous. I wish Burton & Randy would come to NJ again. I would be first in line.

@99ontguy1

These were the days when Burtons pipes were solid gold.

@santamara

Fantastic song! Thank you for sharing aristacourt! Great post, thank you setenteromusic!

@anitashelby

What An Absolutely Great Song!!! Love It! 5*s Thankyou....Anita..

@cheekygirl1972

great song, never heard this before.. Thanks for sharing.

@gqjohnny

If this song had gotten some decent airplay , it could have been a very big hit.

@GeorginaLaraBooth

setenteromusic: Cdmagz.. such a memorable artisit..So well loved and known..This footage says so much. The soundtrax is unmatched. Total quality with vocals and instrumentals.....this has been a great view. Everything the viewer could want and expect is right here. alls tars wishing a very Merry Christmas and beyond Cdm M

@DHudelson

Definitely a well-written, -arranged and -produced tune. Certainly deserved wide recognition and release, since the HEART LP was never released, and still has not made it on to CD.

More Comments

More Versions