"Anyone Who Had a Heart" is a song written by Burt Bacharach (music) and Ha… Read Full Bio ↴"Anyone Who Had a Heart" is a song written by Burt Bacharach (music) and Hal David (lyrics) for Dionne Warwick in 1963.

In the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand, Warwick's recording lost out to a cover version by Cilla Black. Black's version was a UK number-one hit for three weeks in February/March 1964 and was also the fourth best-selling single of 1964 in the UK, with sales of around 950,000 copies.

Dusty Springfield, who was a devotee of Warwick's records, cut a version of the song which may predate Cilla Black's: Springfield cut her version at Olympic Studios on January 21, 1964. It was included on her debut album A Girl Called Dusty. The Breakaways – who sang on Cilla Black's "Anyone Who Had a Heart" - also sing on Springfield's recording.

Anyone Who Had A Heart
Dusty Springfield Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Anyone who ever loved
Could look at me
And know that I love you
Anyone who ever dreamed
Could look at me
And know I dream of you
Knowing I love you so

Anyone who had a heart
Would take me in his arms and love me too
You couldn't really have a heart
And hurt me like you hurt me
And be so untrue
What am I to do?

Every time you go away
I always say this time it's goodbye, dear
Loving you the way I do, I take you back
Without you I'd die, dear
Knowing I love you so

Anyone who had a heart
Would take me in his arms and love me too
You couldn't really have a heart
And hurt me like you hurt me
And be so untrue
What am I to do?

Knowing I love you so
Anyone who had a heart
Would take me in his arms and love me too
You couldn't really have a heart
And hurt me like you hurt me
And be so untrue

Anyone who had a heart could love me too
Anyone who had a heart would surely take me
In his arms and always love me
Why won't you?

Anyone who had a heart would love me too, yeah
Anyone who had a heart would simply take me
In his arms and always love me
Why won't you?

Anyone who had a heart would love me too

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Dusty Springfield's song "Anyone Who Had a Heart" speak to the universal desire for love and connection. In the first verse, she suggests that anyone who has ever loved or dreamed of being loved can see that she loves the person she is singing to. In the chorus, she implores the person to love her back, stating that anyone with a heart would do so. She laments the pain of being hurt by someone who claims to love her, and wonders what she can do about it.

Throughout the song, there is a sense of intensity and urgency, as if Springfield is pleading with the person to see how much she loves them and to reciprocate that love. The repeated line about anyone who had a heart drives home the idea that love should be a given, that anyone who is capable of feeling love should be able to recognize it and act on it.

The lyrics are simple and direct, but the emotion behind them is palpable. Springfield's voice conveys a raw vulnerability that draws the listener in and makes them feel her pain and longing. The song speaks to the human experience of trying to find love and connection in a world that can be cold and unfeeling. It is a poignant reminder that love should be cherished and celebrated whenever it is found.

Line by Line Meaning

Anyone who ever loved
If someone understands the concept of love, they would understand how I feel for you

Could look at me
You can see it in my eyes and in my actions

And know that I love you
I am absolutely in love with you

Anyone who ever dreamed
If someone understands the capacity to dream, they would understand what I see when I look at you

Could look at me
You can see it in my eyes and in my actions

And know I dream of you
I constantly think about us together, and it's all I ever really dream of

Knowing I love you so
It should be obvious how much I love you

Anyone who had a heart
A person who has the ability to truly love someone without selfishness or deceit

Would take me in his arms and love me too
They would embrace me and never let go, showing me just as much love as I do to them

You couldn't really have a heart
Your actions prove otherwise, as someone with a heart wouldn't treat me this way

And hurt me like you hurt me
The pain you've caused me should have been impossible for someone who genuinely loves me

And be so untrue
You have lied, betrayed, and let me down, proving that you're not genuine in your affection for me

What am I to do?
I am at a loss as to how to handle this situation and what to do next

Every time you go away
When you leave my sight, even for a little while

I always say this time it's goodbye, dear
I always tell myself that it's over between us, and that I won't forgive you again

Loving you the way I do, I take you back
But I love you so much that I can't resist you, and I always take you back despite everything

Without you I'd die, dear
I can't picture a life without you in it, even though I know it's not good for me