Hard Habit To Break
Chicago Lyrics


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I guess I thought you'd be here forever
Another illusion I chose to create
You don't know what you got until it's gone
And I found out a little too late
I was acting as if you were lucky to have me
Doin' you a favor, I hardly knew you were there
But then you were gone, and it all was wrong
Had no idea how much I cared

Now being without you takes a lot of getting used to
Should learn to live with it but I don't want to
Being without you is all a big mistake
Instead of getting easier, it's the hardest thing to take
I'm addicted to you babe, you're a hard habit to break

You found someone else you had every reason
You know I can't blame you for runnin' to him
Two people together but livin' alone
I was spreading my love too thin
After all of these years I'm still tryin' to shake it
Doin' much better, they say that it just takes time
But deep in the night, it's an endless fight
I can't get you out of my mind

Now being without you takes a lot of getting used to
Should learn to live with it but I don't want to
Being without you is all a big mistake
Instead of getting any easier, it's the hardest thing to take
I'm addicted to you babe, you're a hard habit to break

Can't go on, just can't go on, on
Can't go on, just can't go on, on

Now being without you takes a lot of getting used to
Should learn to live with it but I don't want to
Being without you is all a big mistake
Instead of getting any easier, it's the hardest thing to take
I'm addicted to you

You're a hard habit to break (you're a hard habit to break) (just can't go on)
Such a hard habit to break (such a hard habit to break) (just can't go on)
I'm addicted to you
You're a hard habit to break (you're a hard habit to break) (just can't go on)




Such a hard habit to break (such a hard habit to break) (just can't go on)
I'm addicted to you baby

Overall Meaning

In this song, Chicago conveys a sense of regret for taking someone for granted and underestimating the impact they had. The opening lines imply a feeling of permanence, an expectation that the person would always be there, but that is shattered with the realization that they are gone. The singer acknowledges their own fault in not recognizing the importance of the person earlier, taking them for granted and thinking they were doing the other a favor. There seems to be a sense of self-pity in the way that the singer is feeling, like they have been wronged, when really they were the one who didn't value the other enough.


As the song progresses, the singer struggles to come to terms with being without the person. There are hints that the other party has moved on, found someone else, and that adds to the realization that they are no longer together. The chorus repeats the line "now being without you takes a lot of getting used to," emphasizing the struggle to come to terms with the loss. The addictive quality of the relationship is brought up, that it was a "hard habit to break," a force of habit that is hard to let go of. The final lines of the song repeat this phrase multiple times, indicating that the singer is still grappling with the aftermath of the end of the relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

I guess I thought you'd be here forever
I had the illusion that you would be with me forever


Another illusion I chose to create
I created another illusion in my mind


You don't know what you got until it's gone
I didn't realize what I had until I lost it


And I found out a little too late
I discovered this far too late


I was acting as if you were lucky to have me
I was pretending that you were lucky to be with me


Doin' you a favor, I hardly knew you were there
I thought I was doing you a favor, but I barely noticed you


But then you were gone, and it all was wrong
Then you left, and everything was wrong


Had no idea how much I cared
I didn't know how much I cared about you


Now being without you takes a lot of getting used to
Now that you're gone, it's taking me a while to adjust


Should learn to live with it but I don't want to
People say I should get used to it, but I don't want to


Being without you is all a big mistake
Being without you feels like a huge mistake


Instead of getting easier, it's the hardest thing to take
It's not getting any easier, it's still really hard to accept


I'm addicted to you babe, you're a hard habit to break
I'm addicted to you, you're a difficult pattern to break


You found someone else you had every reason
You found someone else, and you had every reason to do so


You know I can't blame you for runnin' to him
I can't blame you for leaving me to be with him


Two people together but livin' alone
We were together but not really together, living separately


I was spreading my love too thin
I was giving my love to too many people and not focusing on you


After all of these years I'm still tryin' to shake it
Even after all these years, I'm still trying to move on from you


Doin' much better, they say that it just takes time
People say I'm doing better, but it takes time


But deep in the night, it's an endless fight
But at night, I'm still struggling and it feels endless


I can't get you out of my mind
I can't stop thinking about you


Can't go on, just can't go on, on
I can't continue, I just can't go on


You're a hard habit to break (you're a hard habit to break) (just can't go on)
You're a difficult pattern to break, I can't continue like this


Such a hard habit to break (such a hard habit to break) (just can't go on)
You're such a difficult pattern to break, I can't go on like this


I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you


You're a hard habit to break (you're a hard habit to break) (just can't go on)
You're such a difficult pattern to break, I can't continue like this


Such a hard habit to break (such a hard habit to break) (just can't go on)
You're such a difficult pattern to break, I can't go on like this


I'm addicted to you baby
I'm addicted to you, baby




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stephen Alan Kipner, John Lewis Parker

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@rhino

'Hard Habit To Break' was nominated for 4 Grammy awards and took home the prize for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals in 1985 🏆

@Supersweetguy

@RHINO: "Hard Habit to Break" is a song written by Steve Kipner and John Lewis Parker, produced and arranged by David Foster and recorded by the group Chicago for their 1984 album Chicago 17, with Bill Champlin and Peter Cetera sharing lead vocals. Released as the second single from the album, it reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100[2] and was prevented from any more chart movement by "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" by Billy Ocean and "I Just Called To Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder. "Hard Habit to Break" also peaked at No. 3 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[3][4] Overseas it peaked at No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart. 😃

@waltersimmons946

@@Supersweetguy Steve Kipner and John L. Parker back in the 70s (1974) came to America from England with an unknown GUITARIST/SINGER. named Peter Beckett , J.C Crowley a Texas country music musician met Beckett and for a while Beckett, Crowley, Kipner and Lewis had a group organized and I cant remember the name of the group but soon after, Kipner and Lewis dropped out of the band . In 1976 Beckett, Crowley brought in Ronn Moss(ex Ridge Forester on "Bold and the Beautiful") and Moss's friend from High school drummer John Frieson . Becckett/Crowley wrote the first number one Billboard song of 1978 "BABY COME BACK" number one for 3 weeks. And the band was called PLAYER. On Players debut album, Kipner and Lewis co wrote "Cancellation" "Movin up" and "Love is where you find it" with Beckett. Beckett lead sings "Baby Come Back" Crowley sang on "This time Im in it for love". Player broke up after their 4th album in 1982. Kipner/Beckett had a duo group called "Think out Loud" (1988) and that album can be heard on YouTube. I mentioned all this because I bought Players albums as they came out and when CHICAGO 17 came out in 1984, I looked at the credits on the songs and the names Steve Kipner/ J.L Parker , I instantly recognized those two but I never saw their faces but I knew they were connected to Player and lol I was right.

@VIRODAY

The intro is played by the greatest electronic instrument Yamaha DX7, released in 1983, the sounds of which were used by Queen, Whitney Houston, Europe, Toto and others. Preset called E.PIANO 1

@acerkao

It's the hardest habit to press the down thumb in this song .

@dannyballsy8596

Who cares.!!

24 More Replies...

@mikelund57

In 85 , I was 10. I'm 46 and this is still golden

@goose1467

Isn’t though pure gold love this song

@tanyarolke1757

Yup me too every word you just wrote
46

@Leslie19986

I was 6 and it’s still burned in brain.

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