He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s U.S. series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch. Hasselhoff also produced Baywatch for a number of seasons in the 1990s up until 2001, when the series ended with Baywatch Hawaii. Hasselhoff also crossed over to a music career during the end of the 1980s and the early 1990s. He was noted for his performance at the Berlin Wall in 1989; he enjoyed a short lived success as a singer primarily in German-speaking Europe. More recently, Hasselhoff has been involved with talent shows such as NBC's America's Got Talent from 2006-2009.
Sheltered Heart
David Hasselhoff Lyrics
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Needed a place to hide
I wanted
A fortress
So love couldn't get inside
And
I made it strong and tall
I swore I'd never see it fall
Could break through this sheltered heart
Break through this sheltered heart
Break through this sheltered heart
Oh won't you tear down the walls
I've built all around me
I wanna learn to win
I think I could love again
Break down these walls
Break down this sheltered heart
Been keeping
My distance safe
Behind this guarded wall
Concealing my feelings
Till I couldn't feel at all
And
I closed and locked the door
But maybe I've been waiting for
Someone like you
To break down this sheltered heart
In David Hasselhoff's song Sheltered Heart, the lyrics speak to the desire for love and connection, while also acknowledging the fear and self-protection that prevents it from happening. The singer sings about needing protection and a "fortress" to keep love from getting inside, all while trying to create a strong and impenetrable barrier around their heart. The repetition of "break through this sheltered heart" emphasizes the longing to be vulnerable and open to love, while the metaphor of a physical barrier speaks to the emotional walls we can build around ourselves.
The lyric "concealing my feelings till I couldn't feel at all" highlights the danger in guarding ourselves too tightly from emotional pain- we become numb to all feelings, good and bad. The acknowledgement that maybe the singer has been "waiting for someone like you to break down this sheltered heart" also suggests a turning point- the desire to take a chance on love and let someone in despite the risks.
Line by Line Meaning
I needed protection
I wanted to protect myself from the pain of love
Needed a place to hide
I wanted to hide from the risks of emotional vulnerability
I wanted / A fortress / So love couldn't get inside
I desired a fortification so strong that nothing would penetrate my emotional walls
And / I made it strong and tall / I swore I'd never see it fall / And no more at all / Could break through this sheltered heart
I constructed an emotional barrier so seemingly impregnable that I vowed it would never crumble, and that no one could ever breach its defenses
Break through this sheltered heart / Break through this sheltered heart / Oh won't you tear down the walls / I've built all around me / I wanna learn to win / I think I could love again / Break down these walls / Break down this sheltered heart
Despite my fears, I am reaching out to ask someone to help me break free from the self-imposed isolation that is consuming me so that I can learn to love again
Been keeping / My distance safe / Behind this guarded wall / Concealing my feelings / Till I couldn't feel at all / And / I closed and locked the door / But maybe I've been waiting for / Someone like you / To break down this sheltered heart
I have been keeping my distance from potential heartbreak by building walls that conceal all of my emotions, which has left me feeling numb and disconnected. However, I now realize that these walls may have prevented me from experiencing the joy of love, and I'm hopeful that someone like you can help me break them down and discover what I have been missing
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Realsongs
Written by: DIANE EVE WARREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind