Their cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" peaked at #84 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988.
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
The California Raisins Lyrics
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'Bout your plans to make me blue
With some other guy you knew before
Between the two of us guys
You know I loved you more
It took me by surprise I must say
When I found out yesterday
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
Honey, honey yeah.
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine baby
I know a man ain't supposed to cry
But these tears I can't hold inside
Losin' you would end my life you see
'Cause you mean that much to me
You could have told me yourself
That you loved some one else
Instead I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine
Oh, I heard it through the grapevine
And I'm just about to lose my mind
Honey, honey yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine, baby
People say believe half of what you see
Son and none of what you hear
But I can't help but be confused
If it's true please tell me dear
Do you plan to let me go
For the other guy you loved before?
Don't you know I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
I'm just about to love my mind
Honey, honey, yeah
I heard it through the grapevine,
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
The California Raisins’s song “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” recounts a man’s heartbreak and devastation after he learned the news that his lover plans to leave him for another man. The song’s opening lines reveal the singer’s confusion and hurt after discovering his lover’s plans to make him blue by leaving him for someone she knew before. The singer expresses his love and devotion for his lover, revealing that he has loved her more than the other guy between the two of them. The line, “Not much longer would you be mine,” illustrates his realization that their relationship has come to an end.
The song explores the theme of trust and the difficulty of coping with betrayal. The singer is hurt and disappointed, and his pain is evident in lines such as “Losing you would end my life you see because you mean that much to me.” Despite the crushing blow of his lover’s betrayal, the singer is desperate to know the truth about his lover’s feelings towards him. He begs his lover to tell him if she plans to let him go, or if she still has feelings for him. The song concludes with the singer’s realization that his lover’s betrayal is true, leaving him just about to lose his mind.
Line by Line Meaning
I bet you're wonderin' how I knew
I know you're curious how I found out
'Bout your plans to make me blue
About your plan to upset me
With some other guy you knew before
You're with a man from your past
Between the two of us guys
Between us two men
You know I loved you more
I loved you more than he did
It took me by surprise I must say
I was shocked when I heard it
When I found out yesterday
When I heard the news yesterday
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
I heard the rumor from someone else
Not much longer would you be mine
You're leaving me soon
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Again, I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
I'm going crazy with worry
Honey, honey yeah.
Just an expression of frustration
I know a man ain't supposed to cry
Men aren't supposed to cry
But these tears I can't hold inside
But I can't help crying
Losin' you would end my life you see
Losing you would be the end of me
'Cause you mean that much to me
Because you mean everything to me
You could have told me yourself
You should have told me in person
That you loved some one else
That you love another man
Instead I heard it through the grapevine
Instead I had to hear it from someone else
And I'm just about to lose my mind
And I'm going crazy
People say believe half of what you see
People say only trust some things
Son and none of what you hear
Not everything you hear is true
But I can't help but be confused
But I'm still confused
If it's true please tell me dear
If it's true, please tell me
Do you plan to let me go
Are you going to break up with me?
For the other guy you loved before?
For the man you had feelings for previously?
Not much longer would you be mine, baby
You won't be with me for much longer
I'm just about to love my mind
I'm going to lose my sanity soon
Honey, honey, yeah
Just an expression of frustration or sadness
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind