Head Over Heels

I love this song, it's one of my favorite 80's songs. I think tears for fears is very underrated. Anyway on to the meaning of the song.

I can relate to this song a lot. I think we all can. We have all found ourselves in relationship where we think what are we doing and find ourselves over our heads. I believe the song is also about growing up when you are not quite ready to do so.

My interpretation of the song is that they are both immature, hence they are getting these feelings and they dont' know how to interpret them. I think the girl in question has a hard time opening up, he is looking for something serious but even he is not sure about his feelings. To be a little more specific I'll break down each stanza.

"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 " - The women in question has a hard time getting over her past something is holding her back, he sees something there, something that is blocking him from getting closer to her.

"You keep your distance via the 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 wasting time" - He's confused because although they have a physical connection the fact that he can't get any closer to her leads him to believe he's possibly wasting his time and will only lead to him getting his feelings hurt. They basically have a physical relationship but an empty emotional one.

"Something happens and I'm head over heels I never find out until 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 throw it away. "- He doesn't know why he's getting feeligs, he can't explain it, he feels he shouldn't because it's only a common physical attraction with no emotional ties, he's scared to get his heart broken if he gets attached.

"I made a fire and watching it burn Thought of your future With one foot in the past now just how long will it last No no no have you no ambition My mother and my brothers used to breathing clean air And dreaming I'm a doctor It's hard to be man when there's a gun in your hand Oh I feel so... "
-This is probably the most confusing section of the song. And probably the section that can be interpreted many ways. I think he is hinting that the girl in question has a hard time getting away from what her parents want her to be or maybe she has some past issues holding her back. In any case I think he is comparing her situation to his situation where his parents wanted him to be a doctor. He felt pressured to be what his parents wanted him to be but at some point he made a decision he was going to live his life his way. I think he is telling her to get over whatever past issues and just grow up and make some choices. At the same he admits that is hard to get past what your parents and family want you to be, and that it is hard to get over your past hence "its hard to be a man when there's a gun in your hand", I think in the line he is making a metaphor. At one time men use to pass down their guns to their sons. I think he is trying to say in this line that it's hard to get past the expectations of your parents or family when they put pressure on you. Just my interpretation.

"And it's my four leaf clover I'm on the line, one open mind This is my four leaf clover."

-He's saying I'm going to take the chance, whatever happens happens, I'm going to follow my heart and take the chance of gettin hurt.

There are also lines that can be heard in the back, something about hard to make choices when your acting young. This part never gets put in any of the lyric translations I have seen, anyway whoever figures that part out please post, I think it will reveal a lot about the meaning of the song.