Joan Armatrading MBE (born Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading in Basseterre, Sa… Read Full Bio ↴Joan Armatrading MBE (born Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading in Basseterre, Saint Kitts on 9 December 1950) and brought up in Birmingham, England, is a British singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

Armatrading has mixed eclectic musical styles over decades of recording and performing. She has had several British hit singles, the biggest of which were "Love & Affection", "Me Myself I", and "Drop the Pilot". Her music is generally pop, with forays into rock, folk, jazz, and even reggae. Her popularity is primarily as an album artist.

She gained a new audience following her writing and performing "The Flight of the Wild Geese", which was used during the opening and end titles for the 1978 film The Wild Geese.

Armatrading first performed in a concert at Birmingham University for her brother at the age of about 16 (circa 1966). She only knew her own songs, but her brother asked her to perform something that would be familiar to the audience; she chose "The Sound of Silence".[9] She then performed her own songs around the local area with a friend from school, and played bass and rhythm guitar at local clubs.

Can't Get Over
Joan Armatrading Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tried to do the best for you
Things I said
Were meant to last
Loved you so
I hate to go
I feel strong with you

I know I deserve this

If I could change the hands of time
Turn back the page

I can't get over
How I broke your heart
And the moment
That I lost my pride
And I can't forget
That look in your eyes
You were begging me
Don't make you cry
Loved you so
I almost said
I was home alone
But I couldn't see you more hurt
When you found out the lie

Not your fault
Not your fault
I know I've deceived you
I let my head be ruled While my conscience told me
If I get caught
Our love will end
I didn't seem to care

Now I can't get over
How I broke your heart
And the moment
That I lost my pride
And I can't forget
That look in your eyes
You were begging me
Don't make you cry
Now I can't get over
How I tore my whole world apart

I can't get over
How I broke your heart
And the moment
And I can't forget
That look in your eyes
You were begging me

Love you so I always will
Though you're miles from me
And I can't get over
How I tore my whole world apart

I can get over
How I broke your heart
And the moment
And I can't forget
That look in your eyes
You were begging me

I can get over
How I broke your heart
And the moment
That I lost my pride
And I can't forget
That look in your eyes

You were begging me
Don't make you cry

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Joan Armatrading's song Can't Get Over are about regret, remorse, and a longing to make things right after a devastating mistake. The singer is confessing to having deceived and hurt their lover, who they loved deeply. They acknowledge that they were wrong and that their actions have caused irreparable damage to the relationship. They express their sorrow for causing their lover pain and try to express their love for them despite the distance that separates them. The lyrics are a deeply emotional lament that speaks to the pain of letting someone down and living with the consequences.

In the song, the singer has betrayed their lover's trust by lying to them, and this has caused a rupture in their relationship. The lyrics speak to the singer's guilt and remorse for their actions and the price they have paid for their mistake. They cannot forget the look in their lover's eyes when they found out the truth and the pain they caused. The lyrics are a heartfelt plea to their lover to forgive them and an acknowledgment that they do not deserve their forgiveness. The song is a powerful reflection on the complexity of human relationships and the fragility of trust.

Overall, Can't Get Over is a hauntingly beautiful song that speaks to the human experience of regret, remorse, and the desire to make things right. The lyrics are deeply emotional, and the melody and arrangement convey the heartfelt longing at the core of the song. This song is a reminder of the transformative power of music and its ability to express universal emotions that we all share.

Line by Line Meaning

Tried to do the best for you
I attempted to give my all to you

Things I said
What I uttered

Were meant to last
What I articulated was intended to be enduring

Loved you so
I cherished you excessively

I hate to go
I dislike departing

I feel strong with you
In your company, I sense robust

I know I deserve this
I am aware that I merit this outcome

If I could change the hands of time
If I had the ability to manipulate time

Turn back the page
I would go back to the past

I can't get over
I cannot let go of

How I broke your heart
How I caused you heartache

And the moment
At that particular time

That I lost my pride
When I allowed my ego to take over my actions

And I can't forget
It is unforgettable to me

That look in your eyes
The expression on your face

You were begging me
You were imploring me

Don't make you cry
Not to cause you sorrow

Loved you so
I adored you excessively

I almost said
I was about to say

I was home alone
That I was alone at home

But I couldn't see you more hurt
But I could not bear to see you in more pain

When you found out the lie
When you discovered the falsehood

Not your fault
It was not your responsibility

I know I've deceived you
I recognize that I misled you

I let my head be ruled While my conscience told me
I permitted my intellect to dominate me when my inner voice was cautioning me

If I get caught Our love will end
If my misbehavior gets exposed, our relationship will conclude

I didn't seem to care
I appeared to be unconcerned

Now I can't get over
Currently, I cannot stop thinking about

How I tore my whole world apart
How I dismantled my entire life

Love you so I always will
I will love you excessively forever

Though you're miles from me
Even though you are far from me

I can get over
I can move past

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JOAN ARMATRADING

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Lebohang Mothapo

8y↑4

Timeless classic, I can listen to this for hours.

WMW

5y↑6

every time I listen to a Joan Armatrading track … which is quite often … it always sounds fresh and brand new … her music stands the tests of time … Joan is truly a remarkable artist / performer … she was definitely blessed with something special