The group never had a t… Read Full Bio ↴The Harptones was an American doo-wop group.
The group never had a top forty pop hit, or even a record on the national R&B charts, yet they are still considered one of the most influential doo-wop groups, both for their lead singer, Willie Winfield and their pianist/arranger, Raoul Cita. The Harptones may have been the first doo-wop group to number a full-time arranger among their members, and Cita knew how to work to Winfield's strengths. Their best-known recordings include Life Is But A Dream, Sunday Kind of Love and The Shrine of St. Cecilia. The song Life Is But A Dream is featured in the movie Goodfellas during Karen and Henry's wedding. The song can be found on the film's soundtrack. Sunday Kind Of Love by the Harptones was one of the must songs in every street corner dop wop group's songlist.
What Will I Tell My Heart
The Harptones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The reason we two are apart
I know what to tell our friends dear
But what will i tell my heart?
Its easy to say to strangers that we played a game from the start
Its easy to lie to strangers
But what will i tell my heart?
When i smile tonight
What an ache it will bring
Then ill wander home
to a telephone
That forgot, that forgot how to ring
i say now i could say youll soon be back dear
To fool the whole town may be smart
Ill simply tell them youll soon be back dear
But what will i tell my heart?
I say What? What will I tell my heart?
The Harptones' song "What Will I Tell My Heart" explores the pain and difficulty of a breakup. The singer is struggling with the question of what to tell their heart about the situation. They know what to say to friends and strangers, that they played a game from the start, but it's not that simple. The singer is trying to come to terms with their feelings and the reality that their relationship is over.
The song expresses the inner turmoil that the singer is experiencing. They are smiling on the outside, but are feeling a deep ache inside. They feel lost and alone, wandering home to a telephone that has forgotten how to ring. The singer is trying to find a way to cope with their emotions and manage the expectations of others. They are torn between wanting to pretend that everything is okay, and wanting to be honest with their heart.
"What Will I Tell My Heart" is a poignant and relatable song about the pain of heartbreak. It acknowledges the complexity of emotions and the difficulty of finding the right words to express them. The song invites us to explore our own feelings and the ways in which we cope with loss and disappointment.
Line by Line Meaning
Ill try to explain to friends dear
I will attempt to clarify to my friends, my reasons for being separated from you.
The reason we two are apart
The cause of our separation.
I know what to tell our friends dear
I have already resolved what to inform our mutual friends.
But what will i tell my heart?
However, I am at a loss as to what to tell my heart about why we have to be apart.
Its easy to say to strangers that we played a game from the start
It is simple to deceive people who are not familiar with our relationship by telling them that we were never serious about each other.
Its easy to lie to strangers
It is not difficult to deceive outsiders.
But what will i tell my heart?
However, I cannot lie to my heart about the reality regarding our separation.
When i smile tonight
When I put on a happy face later in the evening,
All the tears inside
In spite of all my hidden tears.
What an ache it will bring
It is going to cause me intolerable pain.
Then ill wander home
Afterward, I will aimlessly make my way home.
to a telephone
To the telephone that used to be a source of constant contact between us.
That forgot, that forgot how to ring
That now seems to be broken and silent, no longer able to connect us.
i say now i could say youll soon be back dear
To mislead the whole town, I could state that you will soon return, my dear.
To fool the whole town may be smart
Lying to deceive the entire town might be a clever idea.
Ill simply tell them youll soon be back dear
I will only tell them that you will come back very soon, my dear.
But what will i tell my heart?
However, my heart continues to question me about what explanation I have for it regarding our separation.
I say What? What will I tell my heart?
I keep asking myself, what can I possibly say to my heart that will ease its pain and questions regarding our separation.
Contributed by Jasmine I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Darryl C Preston
One of the greatest doo wop groups ever. They had an large, loyal following from hard core doo wop fans, but little support from the general public. The general public missed out.
Jimmy TEDESCO
GREAT