I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Fourplay Michael McDonald 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" is a classic soul track that is about the betrayal of a lover. The song talks about the singer learning of his lover's plans to leave him with someone else. The opening lines indicate that the singer had heard rumors and was able to verify that his partner was, indeed, seeing someone else. He had trusted her and had been faithful to her, but now he was hurt and betrayed. The chorus, featuring the lyrics "Not much longer would you be mine, oh I heard it through the grapevine," tells us that the separation was imminent and that the singer's relationship was on the brink of falling apart.


The singer seems to be confused by the rumours and is not sure whether he should believe them or not. He is pleading with his partner to tell him the truth, rather than hearing about it through the grapevine. He is also expressing his love for her and his inability to cope with the thought of losing her. The bridge of the song reminds us that sometimes one can only trust what they see and not what they hear from others.


Line by Line Meaning

I bet you're wonderin' how I knew
I can tell that you're wondering how I found out about your plans to leave me.


'Bout your plans to make me blue
I found out about your plans to leave me and it's making me feel sad and upset.


With some other guy you knew before
You're leaving me for another guy you've known before.


Between the two of us guys
Between me and the other guy you're leaving me for.


You know I loved you more
I loved you more than the other guy you're leaving me for.


It took me by surprise I must say
I was shocked to find out about your plans to leave me.


When I found out yesterday
I found out about your plans to leave me yesterday.


Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
I found out about your plans to leave me through rumors and gossip.


Not much longer would you be mine
You won't be mine for much longer as you're planning to leave me.


Oh I heard it through the grapevine
I found out through rumors and gossip that you're planning to leave me.


Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
I'm going crazy thinking about you leaving me.


Honey, honey yeah.
Term of endearment used to address a loved one.


I know a man ain't supposed to cry
Men are not supposed to cry in society's norms.


But these tears I can't hold inside
I can't help but cry about the thought of you leaving me.


Losin' you would end my life you see
Losing you would be devastating and feel like the end of my life.


'Cause you mean that much to me
You mean a lot to me and I can't imagine life without you.


You could have told me yourself
You could have been honest with me and told me yourself about your plans to leave.


That you loved some one else
That you're in love with someone else.


People say believe half of what you see
People often tell you to not trust everything you see.


Son and none of what you hear
Same goes for rumors and hearsay. Not everything you hear is true.


But I can't help but be confused
Despite hearing these warnings, I can't help but feel confused and unsure about the truth.


If it's true please tell me dear
If what I heard is true, please be honest with me.


Do you plan to let me go
Are you planning to end our relationship?


For the other guy you loved before?
Are you leaving me for the other guy you were in love with before?




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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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