I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down
Graham Parker & The Rumour Lyrics

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You think you've got it all set up,
You think you've got a perfect plan
But charm any man you see,

And play with everything one that you can
But I've got news for you baby,
I hope it don't hit you too hard
One of these days when you're at play,

I'm gonna catch you off guard

CHORUS

I'm gonna tear your playhouse down, pretty soon
I'm gonna tear your playhouse down, room by room

You think love is just fun and games, trying to be a playgirl
All you do is run around, run around, putting hearts all in a whirl
You been playing my heart to every daddy around
What you gonna say when you look up one day and see your playhouse tumblin down

REPEAT CHORUS Then solo over second half of verse
then REPEAT CHORUS with variations

Overall Meaning

"I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" by Graham Parker & The Rumour is a song about a woman who thinks she can play games with men's hearts and get away with it. The singer is warning her that, one day, she will be caught off guard, and her playhouse will come crashing down. The lyrics are cleverly written to suggest that the woman is building her house with hearts, and the singer will tear it down by breaking those hearts.

The song is in the genre of rock, with a catchy beat and memorable lyrics. It features a repetitive chorus that builds up to a climax with variations in the second chorus. The singer uses his voice to convey the message of the song, and the band complements it with its emphatic playing. The lyrics are relatable to anyone who has been deceived in love and have been played around by someone whom they trusted.

The song was a commercial success, reaching number 27 on the UK singles chart in 1983. The video for the song also received heavy rotation on MTV. The track has been covered by several artists over the years, including Paul Young, who had a hit with his version in 1984. The Rumour also re-recorded the song with Parker for their 2012 album, "Three Chords Good."

Line by Line Meaning

You think you've got it all set up,
You believe that you have your life all figured out and under control.

You think you've got a perfect plan
You believe that you have a foolproof strategy in place to get what you want.

But charm any man you see,
You use your attractive personality to win over any man you meet.

And play with everything one that you can
You manipulate and take advantage of everything and everyone that comes your way.

But I've got news for you baby,
However, I have some information to share with you that you may not want to hear.

I hope it don't hit you too hard
I hope this news doesn't cause you too much pain or suffering.

One of these days when you're at play,
On one of these days when you're being careless and reckless,

I'm gonna catch you off guard
I will surprise and catch you when you least expect it.

I'm gonna tear your playhouse down, pretty soon
I will ruin your entire facade or lifestyle soon.

I'm gonna tear your playhouse down, room by room
I will gradually and systematically dismantle every aspect of your life.

You think love is just fun and games, trying to be a playgirl
You trivialize love and treat it like a game, wanting to be a womanizer.

All you do is run around, run around, putting hearts all in a whirl
You move from one romantic interest to another, leaving a trail of broken hearts in your wake.

You been playing my heart to every daddy around
You have been flirting and leading on every man you encounter, including me.

What you gonna say when you look up one day and see your playhouse tumblin down
How will you react when you suddenly realize that your carefully crafted lifestyle is falling apart?

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EARL RANDLE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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