I Heard It Through the Grapevine
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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 song “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Smokey Robinson tells a story of a man who has been cheated on and finds out through the grapevine. The singer is surprised to find out that his love interest was with another man before, but he was never told anything about it. The singer is distraught from the news and contemplates what he should do. He is hurt, sad and angry all at the same time. He expresses his emotions by pointing out that he loves her more than the other guy ever could.
The lyrics of the song are a representation of the complex emotions that can arise from infidelity. The singer loves the woman and is heartbroken at the thought of her being with someone else, especially someone she's been with before. He is also angry that he was not told the truth directly but had to hear it through the grapevine. The song has been interpreted in different ways, with some suggesting that the grapevine represents gossip and rumors, while others see it as a metaphor for communication.
Line by Line Meaning
I bet you're wonderin' how I knew
You may be curious about how I found out
'Bout your plans to make me blue
That you had intentions of making me upset
With some other guy you knew before
You were pursuing a relationship with someone else you knew in the past
Between the two of us guys
In comparison to the other man, I loved you more
You know I loved you more
I loved you more than the other man involved
It took me by surprise I must say
I was caught off guard by what I found out yesterday
When I found out yesterday
I only found out recently
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
I learned the news through hearsay
Not much longer would you be mine
That our relationship was going to end soon
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
I was informed of the news through rumors
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
I am becoming overwhelmed with emotions
I know a man ain't supposed to cry
Men are not supposed to show emotion by crying
But these tears I can't hold inside
I am unable to contain my emotions and am crying
Losin' you would end my life you see
Losing you would be devastating to me
'Cause you mean that much to me
You are very important and significant to me
You could have told me yourself
It would have been better if you had informed me directly
That you loved some one else
That you were in love with someone else
People say believe half of what you see
Others have advised me to only trust some of what I see
Son and none of what you hear
To not trust anything you hear from others
But I can't help but be confused
Despite the advice, I am still feeling uncertain and bewildered
If it's true please tell me dear
If the rumors are in fact true, please confirm it for me
Do you plan to let me go
Are you intending to end our relationship?
For the other guy you loved before?
Because you have feelings for the other man you knew in the past?
Not much longer would you be mine, baby
Our relationship is coming to an end soon
I'm just about to lose my mind
I am on the brink of losing control of my emotions
Honey, honey, yeah
An affectionate term used to address the other person
I heard it through the grapevine
I was made aware of this information through hearsay
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRETT STRONG, NORMAN WHITFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind