I Heard It Though The Grapevine
Earl Klugh Lyrics


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I bet you're wonderin' how I knew
'Bout your plans to make me blue
With some other guy you knew before
Between the two of us guys
You know I loved you more
It took me by surprise I must say
When I found out yesterday
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind

Honey, honey yeah.
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine baby

I know a man ain't supposed to cry
But these tears I can't hold inside
Losin' you would end my life you see
'Cause you mean that much to me
You could have told me yourself
That you loved some one else
Instead I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine
Oh, I heard it through the grapevine
And I'm just about to lose my mind

Honey, honey yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine, baby

People say believe half of what you see
Son and none of what you hear
But I can't help but be confused
If it's true please tell me dear
Do you plan to let me go
For the other guy you loved before?

Don't you know I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
I'm just about to love my mind
Honey, honey, yeah




I heard it through the grapevine,
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah

Overall Meaning

The song "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Earl Klugh is a soulful rendition of the 1966 song originally written by the Motown songwriting team Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, popularized by Marvin Gaye. Through the lyrics of the song, Klugh conveys the pain and heartbreak of discovering through rumors and word of mouth that his lover is leaving him for someone she knew before. He expresses his love for her and the heartache he feels about losing her, emphasizing that he would have preferred to hear the truth from his lover's lips rather than by chance.


The imagery of the "grapevine" in the lyrics is a metaphor for the telephone game of gossip where whispers and rumors travel from person to person until it reaches its destination, in this case, Klugh's ears. He also makes a reference to the common phrase "believe half of what you see and none of what you hear," which further emphasizes the theme of rumors and mistrust. The repetition of the phrase "Not much longer would you be mine, baby" drives home the impending loss and creates a sense of urgency and desperation.


Overall, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" is a timeless classic that tells a story of heartbreak and betrayal through soulful music and poignant lyrics.


Line by Line Meaning

I bet you're wonderin' how I knew
You might be wondering how I found out.


'Bout your plans to make me blue
About your intentions to make me sad.


With some other guy you knew before
You are spending time with another guy from your past.


Between the two of us guys
Between you and me.


You know I loved you more
I loved you more than the other guy.


It took me by surprise I must say
It came as a surprise to me.


When I found out yesterday
When I learned about it yesterday.


Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
I heard this information from a source other than you.


Not much longer would you be mine
You will not be mine for much longer.


Oh I heard it through the grapevine
I learned of this through hearsay.


Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
I am going crazy thinking about it.


I know a man ain't supposed to cry
I am aware that men are not expected to cry.


But these tears I can't hold inside
But I cannot help but cry about this.


Losin' you would end my life you see
Losing you would be devastating for me.


'Cause you mean that much to me
Because you are very important to me.


You could have told me yourself
You should have told me directly.


That you loved some one else
That you have feelings for someone else.


Instead I heard it through the grapevine
Instead, I heard about it from someone else.


And I'm just about to lose my mind
I am feeling overwhelmed and upset.


People say believe half of what you see
People suggest only believing partial information.


Son and none of what you hear
And disregarding rumors.


But I can't help but be confused
But I am still feeling unsure.


If it's true please tell me dear
If it is true, please tell me directly.


Do you plan to let me go
Are you planning on breaking up with me?


For the other guy you loved before?
For the guy that you had feelings for previously?


Honey, honey yeah
A term of endearment.


Not much longer would you be mine, baby
You will not be mine for much longer.


I'm just about to love my mind
I am feeling very upset and overwhelmed.


I heard it through the grapevine
I learned of this through hearsay.




Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Thomas Mokoena


on Across the Sand

When I first heard this in 1994 I was in school on the radio by non other than ausi Makgotso (aka Mamontha Modise) will make sure that as the program starts I've tuned in and waiting for her to introduce herself, still my favorite.

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