John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English si… Read Full Bio ↴John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of songs written by other song writers, though he composed a number of songs for most of his albums as well, often in conjunction with songwriting partner Chris Stainton.

His first album featured a recording of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends", which brought him to near-instant stardom. The song reached number one in the UK in 1968, became a staple of his many live shows (Woodstock and the Isle of Wight in 1969, the Party at the Palace in 2002) and was also known as the theme song for the late 1980s American TV series The Wonder Years. He continued his success with his second album, which included a second Beatles song: "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window". A hastily thrown together 1970 US tour led to the live double-album Mad Dogs & Englishmen, which featured an all-star band organized by Leon Russell. His 1974 recording of "You Are So Beautiful" reached number five in the US, and became his signature song. Cocker's best selling song was the US number one "Up Where We Belong", a duet with Jennifer Warnes that earned a 1983 Grammy Award. He released a total of 22 studio albums over a 43-year recording career.

In 1993, Cocker was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male. He was awarded a bronze Sheffield Legends plaque in his hometown in 2007, and received an OBE the following year for services to music. Cocker was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone's 100 greatest singers list.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Cocker

Studio albums
With a Little Help from My Friends (1969)
Joe Cocker! (1969)
Joe Cocker (1972/EU: 1973)
I Can Stand a Little Rain (1974)
Jamaica Say You Will (1975)
Stingray (1976)
Luxury You Can Afford (1978)
Sheffield Steel (1982)
Civilized Man (1984)
Cocker (1986)
Unchain My Heart (1987)
One Night of Sin (1989)
Night Calls (1991/US: 1992)
Have a Little Faith (1994)
Organic (1996)
Across from Midnight (1997)
No Ordinary World (1999/US: 2000)
Respect Yourself (2002)
Heart & Soul (2004/US: 2005)
Hymn for My Soul (2007/US: 2008)
Hard Knocks (2010/US: 2012)
Fire It Up (2012)

You Can't Have My Heart
Joe Cocker Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You can keep that diamond ring
Take it down town and find out what it will
You can ask me to give you almost anything
All except my heart

[Chorus]
You can't have my heart
I'm taking that with me

Somebody else might want it
You broke it almost constantly
So you can't have my heart

I will not be true to you
I won't wait till you decide what you're gonna do
You may change your mind, but it's too late this time
Give me back my heart

You can't have my heart
I'm taking that with me
Somebody else might want it
You broke it way too frequently

[Chorus]

I don't care any more
Why you act the way you do
I won't be there anymore
I won't even be thinking about it
I'll take the future
You can have the rest
All except my heart

[Chorus: x2]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Joe Cocker's "You Can't Have My Heart" are a powerful statement of independence and self-respect from a broken heart. In the song, the singer has been mistreated and broken by her lover, but she refuses to give up her heart to him. She is willing to give him anything else - even a diamond ring - but the one thing she will not surrender is her heart. The chorus emphasizes this point, reiterating that she is taking her heart with her and that someone else might want it, but her former lover cannot have it.

Throughout the lyrics, the singer is clear that she has had enough of this relationship, and she will not be waiting around for her lover to make up his mind. She declares that she will not be true to him and that it's too little, too late for him to change his mind. She wants her heart back, and she won't allow this person to continue to break it constantly. The final verse of the song is a statement of resignation and moving on. The singer declares that she doesn't care anymore and won't even think about this relationship. She is taking control of her future, and her ex can keep everything else - all except her heart.

Overall, "You Can't Have My Heart" is a powerful song about self-respect and moving on from a damaging relationship. Its message is a universal one that can resonate with anyone who has been hurt in love but refuses to be broken by it.

You Can't Have My HeartJoe Cocker Lyrics

Pamela Roberson

Julie Swiss

Janice Rockwell

Janice Rockwell

Julie Swiss

You Can't Have My Heart
Joe Cocker Lyrics