You Beat Me To The Punch
Charity Brown Lyrics


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That day, I first saw you
Whoa-oh, passin' by
I wanted to know your name but I,
I was much too shy
But I was lookin' at you so hard
Until you must have had a hunch
So you came up to me
And asked me my name

You beat me to the punch
That time
You beat me to the punch
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
You beat me to the punch

Oh, oh, oh

After I had known you for what seems
Like a long, long time
I wanted, wanted to ask you would you
Please, please be mine
Whenever you came around, my heart would pound
So you must have had a hunch
So you came up to me
And asked me to be yours

You beat me to the punch
One more time
You beat me to the punch
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
You beat me to the punch, yeah

Since I loved you
I thought you would be true
And love me tender
So I let my heart surrender to you, yes I did

But I found out
Beyond a doubt
One day boy, you were a playboy
Who'd go away and leave me blue

So I ain't gonna wait around
For you to put me down
Ah, this time I'm gonna play my hunch
And walk away this very day

And beat you to the punch
This time
I'll beat you to the punch
Yes I will

Let me know just how it feels
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
I'll beat you to the punch...





Fade

Overall Meaning

In "You Beat Me to the Punch," Charity Brown sings about a love story that unfolds in distinct phases. In the beginning, the singer sees someone she's interested in but is too shy to approach. Her admirer, however, appears to notice the singer's interest and takes the initiative to introduce himself. Later on, the singer finally builds up the courage to express her feelings after getting to know her admirer, and he reciprocates her affections. However, the story takes a turn, and the singer discovers that her lover has been unfaithful. In response, she decides to walk away and end the relationship before he gets the chance to hurt her, thus "beating him to the punch."


Brown's lyrics are straightforward, although the tender melody and heartfelt delivery make the story powerfully emotive. The repetition of the phrase "you beat me to the punch" serves as the chorus, portraying how the singer feels like she's lagging behind in the relationship compared to her lover, who always seems to be one step ahead. Still, in the end, the chorus becomes a defiant statement as the singer decides to take control and leave before being hurt any further. Overall, Brown's "You Beat Me to the Punch" is a classic love story with a twist and a strong, empowering message.


Line by Line Meaning

That day, I first saw you
The day I first saw you


Whoa-oh, passin' by
You were casually passing by


I wanted to know your name but I,
I had an urge to know your name but,


I was much too shy
I was too shy to approach you


But I was lookin' at you so hard
I was intently looking at you


Until you must have had a hunch
You may have sensed my gaze


So you came up to me
You approached me


And asked me my name
You inquired about my name


You beat me to the punch
You acted before me


That time
On that occasion


Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh


After I had known you for what seems
After a while of knowing you


Like a long, long time
Felt like a long time


I wanted, wanted to ask you would you
I had a desire to ask you if you would


Please, please be mine
To be my partner


Whenever you came around, my heart would pound
My heart would beat fast when you're around


So you must have had a hunch
You may have sensed my feelings


And asked me to be yours
You asked me to be your partner


One more time
Once again


Since I loved you
As I was in love with you


I thought you would be true
I thought you would be faithful


And love me tender
To love me with care


So I let my heart surrender to you, yes I did
I submitted my heart to you


But I found out
However, I discovered


Beyond a doubt
With certainty


One day boy, you were a playboy
One day you were unfaithful


Who'd go away and leave me blue
Left me feeling sad and abandoned


So I ain't gonna wait around
So I won't hesitate


For you to put me down
Until you reject me


Ah, this time I'm gonna play my hunch
This time, I'll follow my intuition


And walk away this very day
And walk away now


This time
On this occasion


I'll beat you to the punch
I'll act before you do


Yes I will


Let me know just how it feels
I want to feel how it's like


Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh


I'll beat you to the punch
I'll act before you do




Contributed by Jonathan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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