The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
In the night, I hear 'em talk
The coldest story ever told
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul to a woman so heartless (heartless)
How could you be so heartless? (Heartless)
Oh, how could you be so heartless?
How could you be so cold as the winter wind when it breeze, yo?
Just remember that you talkin' to me though
You know need to watch the way you talkin' to me, yo
I mean after all the things that we've been through
I mean after all the things we got into
Ayo, I know of some things that you ain't told me
Ayo, I did some things but that's the old me
And now you wanna get me back and you gon' show me
So you walk around like you don't know me
You got a new friend, well I got homies
But in the end it's still so lonely
In the night, I hear 'em talk
The coldest story ever told
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul to a woman so heartless (heartless)
How could you be so heartless? (Heartless)
Oh, how could you be so heartless?
How could you be so Dr.Evil?
You bringin' out a side of me that I don't know
I decided we weren't gon' speak so
Why we up three A.M. On the phone?
Why do she be so mad at me for?
Homie, I don't know, she's hot and cold
I won't stop, I won't mess my groove up
'Cause I already know how this thing go
You run and tell your friends that you're leaving me (hey)
They say that they don't see what you see in me (hey)
You wait a couple months then you gon' see (hey)
You'll never find nobody better than me
In the night, I hear 'em talk
The coldest story ever told
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul to a woman so heartless (heartless)
How could you be so heartless? (Heartless)
Oh, how could you be so heartless?
Talk and talk and talk and talk
Baby, let's just knock it off
They don't know what we been through
They don't know 'bout me and you
So I got something new to see
And you just gon' keep hatin' me
And we just gon' be enemies
I know you can't believe
I could just leave it wrong
And you can't make it right
I'm gon' take off tonight
Into the night
In the night, I hear 'em talk
The coldest story ever told
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul to a woman so heartless (heartless)
How could you be so heartless? (Heartless)
Oh, how could you be so heartless?
On and on and on and on and on and
And on and on and on, ohh
Ohh, ohh, ohh, whoa, oh
The coldest story ever told
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul to a woman so heartless (heartless)
How could you be so heartless? (Heartless)
Oh, how could you be so heartless?
How could you be so cold as the winter wind when it breeze, yo?
Just remember that you talkin' to me though
You know need to watch the way you talkin' to me, yo
I mean after all the things that we've been through
I mean after all the things we got into
Ayo, I know of some things that you ain't told me
Ayo, I did some things but that's the old me
And now you wanna get me back and you gon' show me
So you walk around like you don't know me
You got a new friend, well I got homies
But in the end it's still so lonely
In the night, I hear 'em talk
The coldest story ever told
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul to a woman so heartless (heartless)
How could you be so heartless? (Heartless)
Oh, how could you be so heartless?
How could you be so Dr.Evil?
You bringin' out a side of me that I don't know
I decided we weren't gon' speak so
Why we up three A.M. On the phone?
Why do she be so mad at me for?
Homie, I don't know, she's hot and cold
I won't stop, I won't mess my groove up
'Cause I already know how this thing go
You run and tell your friends that you're leaving me (hey)
They say that they don't see what you see in me (hey)
You wait a couple months then you gon' see (hey)
You'll never find nobody better than me
In the night, I hear 'em talk
The coldest story ever told
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul to a woman so heartless (heartless)
How could you be so heartless? (Heartless)
Oh, how could you be so heartless?
Talk and talk and talk and talk
Baby, let's just knock it off
They don't know what we been through
They don't know 'bout me and you
So I got something new to see
And you just gon' keep hatin' me
And we just gon' be enemies
I know you can't believe
I could just leave it wrong
And you can't make it right
I'm gon' take off tonight
Into the night
In the night, I hear 'em talk
The coldest story ever told
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul to a woman so heartless (heartless)
How could you be so heartless? (Heartless)
Oh, how could you be so heartless?
On and on and on and on and on and
And on and on and on, ohh
Ohh, ohh, ohh, whoa, oh
Lyrics submitted by musicomplexity
Heartless Lyrics as written by Kanye Omari West Malik Yusef El Shabbaz Jones
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Great version of a great song,
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The lyrics to Heartless by Kanye West narrate the bitter ending of a relationship. She made mistakes, and so did he. However, she is willing to overlook her own decisions and hold him responsible for what he has done. She wants to make him pay, and is therefore looking to her friends and his old friends for support. They agreed to let things be, but they somehow still end up on the phone in the middle of the night arguing.
He wants to be able to end their relationship on a good note, but she is being so ``heartless'' that he is losing the desire to fix things. He tells her that he does not want to be enemies, and to stop turning to her friends because they only know the bad stories and not the special love that they did share.
He feels that he is being wronged, and while she thinks he is getting what he deserves, he is explaining that he is not going to stick around and be harassed by her and her friends. He will leave and be ``gone into the night'', and he is confident that in a few month's time, she will regret her actions because she is unable to find a better boyfriend than he was.