One More Heartache
Marvin Gaye Lyrics


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Oh, one more heartache, I can't take it
My heart is carrying such a heavy load
One more ache would break it
Just like a camel with a heavy pack
One last straw was added
Said it broke the camel's back
Aaah, aaah (aah, aah)
I can't take it

One more heartache
It would turn me right around
First you build my hopes up high
And then let me down
Like the house you built with toothpicks
Stacked upon the kitchen table
One more toothpick tore it down
The foundation was not able
Aaah, aaah (aah, aah)
I can't stand it
No, baby
Oh, believe me

One more heartache
Is too much load
I'm fed up with the heartache
One more and I'll explode
Like a toy balloon that's filled
With as much air as it can take
One more puff of air and that balloon has got to break
Aaah, aaah (aah, aah)
I can't stand it
I can't take it
Oh, baby




Don't do it
Oh, honey, ooh, baby

Overall Meaning

In Marvin Gaye's song One More Heartache, the singer is expressing his frustration over yet another heartbreak. He sings of the heaviness on his heart already and how one more heartache would be the breaking point. The lyrics are filled with imagery, such as comparing his heart to a camel carrying a heavy pack, with one last straw added to break it. He then compares the situation to a house built with toothpicks, where one more toothpick could tear it down, highlighting the fragility of his emotional state.


The metaphor of a toy balloon that's filled with air as much as it can take, but with one more puff of air is bound to break serves as a warning to his love interest to not break his heart again. The repetition of the phrase 'aaah, aaah' throughout the song highlights his pain and frustration. As a listener, we can feel the raw emotions pouring out of the singer and empathize with his heartbreak.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, one more heartache, I can't take it
My heart is already carrying a heavy load and one more heartache would break it


One more ache would break it
My heart is fragile and cannot handle any more pain


Just like a camel with a heavy pack
My heart is like a camel carrying a heavy pack of emotions


One last straw was added
One more heartache was the last straw that broke me


Said it broke the camel's back
That one last heartache was all it took to break me down completely


One more heartache
One more heartache would be the tipping point for me


It would turn me right around
It would cause me to give up completely


First you build my hopes up high
You give me hope and I start to feel optimistic


And then let me down
But then you disappoint me and crush my hopes


Like the house you built with toothpicks
My heart is like a fragile house built with toothpicks


Stacked upon the kitchen table
My heart is vulnerable and exposed, like a house on a table


One more toothpick tore it down
One more disappointment would completely destroy my fragile heart


The foundation was not able
My heart's foundation is weak and cannot withstand any more heartache


One more heartache is too much load
One more heartache would be too much for me to bear


I'm fed up with the heartache
I'm tired of feeling hurt and disappointed


One more and I'll explode
One more heartache would cause me to completely fall apart


Like a toy balloon that's filled
My heart is like a balloon that can only take so much pressure


With as much air as it can take
My heart can only handle so much before it bursts


One more puff of air and that balloon has got to break
One more heartache would be the final straw that causes my heart to break completely


Oh, believe me
Please understand the weight of my emotions and the fragility of my heart


No, baby
I can't handle any more heartache


Don't do it
Please don't hurt me anymore


Oh, honey, ooh, baby
I am hurting and need your love and support




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARVIN TARPLIN, ROBERT ROGERS, RONALD WHITE, SMOKEY ROBINSON, WARREN MOORE, WILLIAM ROBINSON JR.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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