How Insensitive
Tom Jobim feat. Paulo Ricardo Lyrics

The lyrics of Tom Jobim and Sting's How Insensitive present the feelings of the singer when he is told that a woman loves him, and his reaction to her confession, which he essentially ignores. The singer acknowledges his own insensitivity and emotional distance, recognizing his failure to reciprocate the woman's feelings for him. He seems perplexed by his own reaction, and in the chorus, he laments the end of the affair that he had not even fully acknowledged. The wistful words of the song convey the pain of lost love and the regret of not having responded to it positively when it was still possible.

The verses of the song depict the singer's gradual understanding of his blindness towards the woman's love. Initially, he admits that he must have appeared insensitive when she confessed her love to him because he did not seem moved by her words. Later, he remembers her last look, which was sad and full of heartbreak, as if conveying the sorrowful fate of their relationship. The singer feels remorseful, acknowledging that he should have responded to the woman, but he was not sure what to do or say. The lyrics are emotionally evocative, depicting the bitter-sweet feeling of a love affair that never really blossomed and ended before it even took off.