Although the King's Singers are almost exclusively acappella in their live performances, they sometimes use one or two musical instruments to provide minimal accompaniment in their studio recordings.
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
The King's Singers 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 King's Singers's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a song about a man who has just found out that his lover is planning to leave him for someone else. The opening lines of the song emphasize the singer's uncanny ability to find out the truth about his lover's plans. He reveals that he had heard about his lover's plan to leave him for someone else and that the news came as a surprise to him. The fact that the singer found out about his lover's plans through gossip suggests that he feels isolated from his lover.
The song then goes on to reveal the singer's feelings of hurt and betrayal. The singer knows that he is not supposed to cry, but he can't help it because losing his lover would be the end of his life. He laments the fact that his lover did not choose to tell him about her plans to leave him herself, but rather he had to hear about it through the grapevine. The repetition of the phrase "Not much longer would you be mine" throughout the song emphasizes the singer's sense of loss and desperation.
Overall, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a powerful song about love, loss, and betrayal. The singer's feelings of isolation and desperation make the song relatable to anyone who has experienced heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
I bet you're wonderin' how I knew
You must be curious about how I found out
'Bout your plans to make me blue
About how you wanted to upset me
With some other guy you knew before
You had another guy you had known before
Between the two of us guys
As men, together we loved you
You know I loved you more
My love for you was greater than his
It took me by surprise I must say
It came as a shock to me
When I found out yesterday
I only just heard the news yesterday
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
I heard it as a rumor or hearsay
Not much longer would you be mine
You were planning to leave me soon
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
I heard it from others before hearing it from you
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
I'm struggling to keep myself together
Honey, honey yeah.
An affectionate term to address you with
I know a man ain't supposed to cry
Society has taught us that men shouldn't cry
But these tears I can't hold inside
I can't help but cry
Losin' you would end my life you see
Losing you would be devastating for me
'Cause you mean that much to me
You are important to me
You could have told me yourself
You should have been honest with me
That you loved some one else
That you had feelings for someone else
Instead I heard it through the grapevine
But instead, I heard it from other people
People say believe half of what you see
People advise you to be wary of what you hear
Son and none of what you hear
Learn from this lesson
But I can't help but be confused
I'm still struggling to come to terms with it
If it's true please tell me dear
If it's true, please be honest with 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 guy you had feelings for previously?
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
You were looking to end our relationship soon
I'm just about to love my mind
I am almost at my breaking point
Honey, honey, yeah
An affectionate term to address you
Lyrics © Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind