Heads Up
Sam Tsui Lyrics


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The sky looked blue to me
Guess I just couldnt see
The writing on the wall, how could I know
I was about to fall, well here I go
Your smile was just a poker face
Said I could never be replaced
I guess you told a lie, said wed always be
Together, you and I, but suddenly
You say theres a tear
Caught me unprepared
Next time warn me before
I find my heart of the floor
Should have known that I dont like surprises, baby
Cause Im still feeling it hard
Caught me way off guard
Why am I the last to know,
When baby all Im asking for is
Gimme a heads up, wont you, wont you
Gimme a heads up, oh
Gimme a heads up, gimme a heads up
Before you tear me down

Too late, it isnt fair
Came straight from out of nowhere
Dont even get the chance to play my part
Come from behind and smash my fragile heart
You say its for the best
That way you get it over fast
Its just a little rip when you catch me blind
You pull the band-aid quick but baby I
Still dont see the tear
But youre sure its there
Next time warn me before
I find my heart of the floor
Should have known that I dont like surprises, baby
Cause Im still feeling it hard
Caught me way off guard
Why am I the last to know,
When baby all Im asking for is
Gimme a heads up, wont you, wont you
Gimme a heads up, oh
Gimme a heads up, gimme a heads up
Before you tear me down

You thought itd be easy, you thought itd be clean
Snap me awake while Im still dreaming my dream

Escape on your own terms, just start moving on
Youre miles away, here I am thinking nothing is wrong

Yeah
Next time warn me before
I find my heart of the floor
Should have known that I dont like surprises, baby
Cause Im still feeling it hard
Caught me way off guard
Why am I the last to know,
When baby all Im asking for is
Gimme a heads up, wont you, wont you
Gimme a heads up, oh
Gimme a heads up, gimme a heads up
Before you tear me down
Gimme a heads up, gimme a heads up





Gimme a heads up, gimme a heads up
Before you tear me down

Overall Meaning

The song "Heads Up" by Sam Tsui is a reflection on a painful experience in a relationship where one partner was blindsided by an unexpected breakup. The singer expresses their feelings of betrayal and disappointment at not being given any warnings that their significant other was going to leave. The first verse talks about how the singer couldn't see the signs that their partner was about to leave, with the use of the metaphorical 'writing on the wall', suggesting that there were things that were there, but the singer failed to notice. In the chorus, the singer pleads with the partner to give them a warning before they break things off. The second verse reveals that the breakup was sudden and unfair, with the singer not even getting a chance to play their part in what now seems like a one-sided relationship. The singer still doesn't see the reason for the breakup, and desires a warning before being torn down again.


Line by Line Meaning

The sky looked blue to me
I was deceived by the appearance of things


Guess I just couldnt see
I failed to see the truth that was right in front of me


The writing on the wall, how could I know
I couldn't have predicted what was going to happen


I was about to fall, well here I go
I was on the verge of getting hurt


Your smile was just a poker face
The smile you showed me was just a front


Said I could never be replaced
You made me believe that our relationship was secure and everlasting


I guess you told a lie, said wed always be
You lied to me by making false promises that our relationship would last forever


Together, you and I, but suddenly
Our relationship that seemed solid and strong suddenly crumbled


You say theres a tear
You tell me that something is wrong


Caught me unprepared
I was taken by surprise


Next time warn me before
I want to be aware of any potential problems in advance


I find my heart of the floor
I don't want to be emotionally hurt and brokenhearted


Should have known that I dont like surprises, baby
I don't like unexpected and unpleasant surprises


Cause Im still feeling it hard
I am still feeling the emotional pain and hurt


Caught me way off guard
I was completely caught by surprise and unprepared


Why am I the last to know, When baby all Im asking for is
I don't understand why I am always the last person to be informed of the truth


Gimme a heads up, wont you, wont you
I want you to give me an advance warning so I won't be surprised


Gimme a heads up, oh
I really need you to give me a warning


Before you tear me down
I don't want to be hurt and destroyed emotionally


Too late, it isnt fair
It's too late to prevent the damage


Came straight from out of nowhere
The hurt came unexpectedly


Dont even get the chance to play my part
I didn't even have a chance to participate in this situation


Come from behind and smash my fragile heart
You surprised me and completely broke my heart


You say its for the best
You claim that the hurt is for my own good


That way you get it over fast
You just want to get over the hurt quickly


Its just a little rip when you catch me blind
You think that the emotional pain is minor and insignificant


You pull the band-aid quick but baby I
You try to quickly solve the problem, but it doesn't work for me


Still dont see the tear
I am still unaware that anything is wrong


But youre sure its there
You know that something is wrong and that it could hurt me


You thought itd be easy, you thought itd be clean
You thought the situation would be simple and easy to handle


Snap me awake while Im still dreaming my dream
You suddenly destroyed my dreams and hopes


Escape on your own terms, just start moving on
You want to leave the situation on your own terms and move on with your life


Youre miles away, here I am thinking nothing is wrong
You are already gone and I am still not aware that anything is wrong


Gimme a heads up, gimme a heads up
I really need you to warn me in advance




Contributed by Bentley L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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