I wanted to be with you alone
And talk about the weather
But traditions I can trace against the child in your face
Won't escape my attention
You keep your distance with a system of touch
And gentle persuasion
I'm lost in admiration, could I need you this much?
Oh, you're wasting my time
You're just, just, just wasting time

Something happens and I'm head over heels
I never find out 'til I'm head over heels
Something happens and I'm head over heels
Ah, don't take my heart, don't break my heart
Don't, don't, don't throw it away

Throw it away
Throw it away

I made a fire, I'm watching it burn (yeah)
I thought of your future
With one foot in the past, now just how long will it last?
No, no, no, have you no ambition? (Mmm, what's the matter with my?)
My mother and my brothers used to breathe in clean air
(Nothing ever changes when you're acting your age)
And dreaming I'm a doctor (nothing gets done when you feel like a baby)
It's hard to be a man when there's a gun in your hand
(Nothing ever changes when you're acting your age) oh, I feel so

Something happens and I'm head over heels
I never find out 'til I'm head over heels
Something happens and I'm head over heels
Ah, don't take my heart, don't break my heart
Don't, don't, don't throw it away

And this my four-leaf clover
I'm on the line, one open mind
This is my four-leaf clover

(La, la, la, la, la)
(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)
(La, la, la, la, la)
(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)
(La, la, la, la, la)
(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)
(La, la, la, la, la)
(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)
(La, la, la, la, la)
(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la) in my mind's eye
(La, la, la, la, la) one little boy, one little man
(La, la, la, la, la)
Funny how time flies


Lyrics submitted by numb, edited by rockoperajon, Scribbles92

Head Over Heels Lyrics as written by Roland Orzabal Curt Smith

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Head Over Heels song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

101 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +15
    General Comment

    I could go on for days about what I think this song means, but here's my nickle version.

    Obviously he's talking about a girl, and his intense attraction to her, but everything is not right. He can't get as close to her as he wants. She has problems too, he can see it in the child in her face.

    This is the perverbial classic dysfunctional relationship, neither party can get close enough despite the fact that they "feel so..." head over heels.

    He knows what's going to happen, he sees it. But he embraces his future, even calling on luck to see him through.

    But the end of the song is the most profound, the very end where he says

    In my minds eye

    One little boy One little man

    Funny how... Time flys....

    Now the reason that's so important is that in the song Broken we hear the same ending, but with a twist; the line is "One little boy anger one little man" and that's the clue.

    This isn't about love with a woman, it's about how love with a woman doesn't work because he keeps finding women who are emotionally detatched and broken. The same as it was with his dad. In his minds eye, he can see this relationship and who it mirrors. At the time of the writing of this song, he already had the solution, and was hiding it between a couple different tracks.

    And funny how times flies? How would you feel if you woke up as an adult and realized you had been reliving your childhood over and over again, and your lover was a karmic representation of your father?

    I would run away and join a carnival if that was me.

    Oh wait, I did that...

    Thank you for reading, I hope you got something out of this. I did. :)

    Shaku55on September 14, 2011   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/