Heartbeat
Childish Gambino Lyrics


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I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak

I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak

I know what your boy like
Skinny tie and a cuff type
He go and make breakfast
You walk around naked
I might just text you
Turn your phone over, when it's all over
No settlin' down, my text go to your screen
You know better than that
I come around when you least expect me
I'm sittin' at the bar when your glass is empty
You thinkin' that this song's comin' on to tempt me
I need to be alone like the way you left me
You start callin', you start cryin'
I come over, I'm inside you
I can't find you
The girl that I once had
But the sex that we have isn't half bad
Text say, "That it's not fair"
That's code for "He's not here"
And I'ma flirt with this new girl
And I'ma call if it don't work
So we fuck 'til it come to conclusions
All the things that we thought we were losin'
I'm a ghost and you know this
That's why we broke up in the first place
'Cause

I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak

I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak

It's late night Thursday
I know that you heard me
But you don't want the same thing
Well two can play that game
So I'm chillin' with my girlfriend
But she not my real girlfriend
She got a key to my place but
She not my real girlfriend
Stupid, so dummy
Say the wrong thing and wrong girls come runnin'
I'm paranoid that these girls want something from me
And it's hard to make a dime go one hundred
And my dude freakin' out over a worse fate
She on time but she late for they first date
'Cause he went and tried out a new condom
Slipped off in a threesome, good problems?
Right? Wrong
Askin' him if she'd wanna play games
We the Super Smash Brothers, but none of 'em you
I miss the sex when you kiss whenever you through
69 is the only dinner for two
I was wrong, but would you have listened to you?
Uh, you were crazy
I got a heart, but the art of choking's
Only thing girls want when you in that smoke and light

I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak

I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak

So we're done? This the real shit?
We used to hold hands like field trips
I'm a jerk, but your dude is a real dick
I read his post on your wall and I feel sick
He ain't cool, he ball and all that
But he just a fake nigga who blog in all caps
You couldn't wait to date
I'm goin' straight for your thighs like the cake you ate
I give a fuck about the niggas that you say you ate
You know that I'm the best when I'm affectionate
I'm the best that you had, face it
J and Keyshia are related, racist
I give you money, then you Bernie then you made off
She ain't a killer, but she'd fuckin' blow your head off
I know he wonderin', "What the fuck you hidin'?"
That we dated like raps about Bin Laden
Ayo, fuck this
Are we datin'? Are we fuckin'?
Are we best friends? Are we something in between that?
I wish we never fucked, and I mean that





(But not really, you say the nastiest shit in bed and it's fuckin' awesome)

Overall Meaning

In "Heartbeat," Childish Gambino is wrestling with the complicated emotions that arise from a frustrated love affair with a woman who has moved on to another man. In the first verse, he reveals that his heart is still aching for her and that being in her presence causes him to feel speechless. In the second verse, he describes his mixed feelings of jealousy and desire for her, even as he tries to move on and date other women. He confesses to obsessing over her social media and comparing himself to her new boyfriend. He also admits to using sex with another woman as a way to feel better about the situation. The final verses reveal a sense of desperation and regret, as he reflects on how they used to be close and imagines a world where they are still together.


Line by Line Meaning

I wanted you to know That I am ready to go, heartbeat My heartbeat
The singer wants the other person to know that he is ready to leave and his pulse quickens when he thinks about it.


I wanted you to know Whenever you are around, can't speak I can't speak
The singer is so overwhelmed by the other person's presence that he can't talk when she is around.


I know what your boy like Skinny tie and a cuff type He go and make breakfast You walk around naked
The singer is intimately familiar with the other person's boyfriend and what he likes, including her walking around naked.


I might just text you Turn your phone over, when it's all over No settlin' down, my text go to your screen You know better than that
The artist may send a text message, but he won't settle down and he knows the other person knows that.


I come around when you least expect me I'm sittin' at the bar when your glass is empty You thinkin' that this song's comin' on to tempt me I need to be alone like the way you left me
The artist comes around when the other person least expects him, and she thinks that he came to use this song to seduce her. However, he needs to be alone like he was after she left him.


You start callin', you start cryin' I come over, I'm inside you I can't find you The girl that I once had But the sex that we have isn't half bad
The other person calls and cries, and the singer comes over, sleeps with her, but can't find the girl that he used to know. The physical relationship is good, though.


Text say, "That it's not fair" That's code for "He's not here" And I'ma flirt with this new girl And I'ma call if it don't work
When the other person texts that things aren't fair, what she really means is that her boyfriend isn't around to hear it. The singer will flirt with a new girl and call the other person if it doesn't work out.


So we fuck 'til it come to conclusions All the things that we thought we were losin' I'm a ghost and you know this That's why we broke up in the first place 'Cause
The artist and the other person sleep together until they come to a resolution about all of the things that they thought they were losing. They broke up in the first place because the artist was always a ghost, and the other person knows that.


It's late night Thursday I know that you heard me But you don't want the same thing Well two can play that game
The artist is talking to the other person on a late-night Thursday, and knows she heard him but doesn't want the same thing. He's resigned to playing the same game as her.


So I'm chillin' with my girlfriend But she not my real girlfriend She got a key to my place but She's not my real girlfriend
The artist is hanging out with his girlfriend, but she's not his real girlfriend. Despite having a key to his place, she's not the one he really wants.


Stupid, so dummy Say the wrong thing and wrong girls come runnin' I'm paranoid that these girls want something from me And it's hard to make a dime go one hundred And my dude freakin' out over a worse fate She on time but she late for they first date 'Cause he went and tried out a new condom Slipped off in a threesome, good problems?
The singer calls himself stupid and paranoid for saying the wrong thing and attracting the wrong girls. He worries that women want something from him, and it's hard to make a lot of money. His friend is worried because his date is late, and she had a threesome with him and someone else.


Right? Wrong Askin' him if she wanna play games With the Super Smash Brothers, but none of 'em you I miss the sex when you kiss whenever you through 69 is the only dinner for two I was wrong, but would you have listened to you?
The artist wonders if he was right or wrong for breaking up with the other person. He recalls a time when his friend asked her if she wanted to play video games with him instead of the artist. The artist misses the physical aspect of their relationship. He wonders if she would have listened to his advice if the situation was reversed.


Uh, you were crazy I got a heart, but the artichoke Is only thing girls want when you in that smoke and light
The singer thinks the other person was crazy. He has a heart, but girls only seem to like him when he's in the right setting.


So we're done? This the real shit? We used to hold hands like field trips I'm a jerk, but your dude is a real dick I read his post on your wall and I feel sick
The singer questions if they're really done for good. He remembers when they used to hold hands like on field trips. He admits he's a jerk, but the other person's current boyfriend is a bigger jerk. He read something that the boyfriend posted on her wall and it made him feel sick.


He ain't cool, he ball and all that But he just a fake nigga who blog in all caps You couldn't wait to date I'm goin' straight for your thighs like the cake you ate I give a fuck about the niggas that you say you hate You know that I'm the best when I'm a-fake-tionate I'm the best that you had, face it J and Keyshia are related, racist I give you money, then you Bernie then you made off She ain't a killer, but she'd fuckin' blow your head off I know he wonderin', "What the fuck you hidin'?" That we dated like raps about Bin Laden Ayo, fuck this Are we datin'? Are we fuckin'? Are we best friends? Are we something in between that? I wish we never fucked, and I mean that (But not really, you say the nastiest shit in bed and it's fuckin' awesome)
The singer criticizes the other person's boyfriend for being a fake person. He also tells her that she couldn't wait to date him, and he goes straight for her thighs. He doesn't care about the other men she says she hates. He knows he's the best when he's affectionate. He admits that he wishes they never slept together, but he really enjoyed the intimacy they shared. He wonders if they're just friends or something more, and says he wishes they never slept together, but he loved what they did in bed together.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Donald McKinley II Glover

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

@benjaminmatheny6472

This video --
1. He starts talking to her again after a break up, she has rebound sex with him.
2. They continue but he's unsure (doesn't speak when she is around)
3. He is sure and they get back together and have sex
4. Her sex is like a drug to him, so he stays
5. She "leaves the backseat and gets into the driver's seat" of the relationship
6. He is now trapped in her web and is now her side guy.
7. He escapes & breaks up whatever they had going.
8. Repeat



All comments from YouTube:

@jmwFILMS

I remember i used to hate this guy, then I heard this song recently, now I just love him.

@okseem.

hi how are you

@qarcon3247

I’m not kidding this is the first time I’ve ever heard someone say they hate Donald glover

@chaxi155

@@qarcon3247 i didn’t think it was possible

@ThatNerdKenny

@@chaxi155 me neither

@danbobway5656

How tf would you hate him? Dude is the definition of likeable and loveable and is talented in so many ways lol. The only people I can see hating him is racists....like straight up

69 More Replies...

@IsmaelEscobedo

Bro it's crazy this was nine years ago. This song still sounds so fresh.

@xe2014

Music is timeless :)

@andrewonb

@@xe2014 huh

@xe2014

FaZe Fazse do you not understand what I mean?

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