Lyrics & Translation
Discover the soulful story behind Gladys Knight & The Pips' "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," a Motown classic that explores the pain of infidelity and the power of rumors. Learn about the song's historical context and the unique vocal arrangement that made it a hit, and improve your understanding of emotional expression in music.
[English]
Mmm, I bet you're wondering how I knewBaby, baby, baby, 'bout your plans to make me blue (how?)
With some other girl you knew before
Between the two of us, girls, you know I love 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)
Not much longer would you be mine (not much longer would you be mine)
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine (oh, I heard it through the grapevine)
And I'm just about, just about, just about to lose my mind
Oh yes, I am (oh yes, I am, oh yes, I am, oh yes, I am)
Baby, won't you listen to me?
Boy, take a good look at these tears of mine
Baby, baby, these tears I can't hold, hold outside
Losing you would end my life, you see
Because you mean that much to me
You could've told me yourself
That you love somebody else
Instead, I heard it through the grapevine (oh, I heard it through the grapevine)
Oh, not much longer would you be mine (not much longer would you be mine)
Don't you know that I heard it (heard it)
Yes, I heard it (heard it through the grapevine)
Oh, just about, just about, just about to lose my mind
Oh yes, I am (oh yes, I am, oh yes, I am, oh yes, I am)
Go, go-o-o-o-o, go
Go, I gotta go
Whoa-whoa, if you gonna let me go
Whoa-whoa-whoa, I gotta go
Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, I heard
Say you believe half of what you see (yes, I heard it)
Oh, ho, and none of what you hear (yes, I heard it)
Baby, but I just can't help being confused (yes, I heard it)
If it's true, please, baby, won't you tell me, dear? (Yes, I heard it)
Oh, oh-oh, do you plan to let me go
For the other girl you loved before?
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
(Oh, I heard it through the grapevine)
Not much longer would you be mine (not much longer would you be mine)
Don't you know that I heard it (heard it)
Yes, I heard it (heard it through the grapevine)
Oh, I heard it (heard it)
Heard it (heard it-)
Key Vocabulary
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
|---|---|
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wondering /ˈwʌndərɪŋ/ B1 |
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plans /plænz/ A2 |
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blue /bluː/ A1 |
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love /lʌv/ A1 |
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surprise /sərˈpraɪz/ B1 |
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found /faʊnd/ A1 |
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grapevine /ˈɡreɪpvaɪn/ B2 |
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lose /luːz/ A2 |
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mind /maɪnd/ A1 |
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listen /ˈlɪsən/ A1 |
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tears /tɪərz/ A1 |
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end /end/ A1 |
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true /truː/ A1 |
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confused /kənˈfjuːzd/ B1 |
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believe /bɪˈliːv/ A1 |
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🚀 "wondering", "plans" – from “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” still a mystery?
Learn trendy vocab – vibe with music, get the meaning, and use it right away without sounding awkward!
Key Grammar Structures
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I bet you're wondering how I knew
➔ Indirect Question; Present Continuous in the Past
➔ The phrase "how I knew" is an indirect question embedded within the main clause. Instead of asking "How did I know?" directly, it's phrased as a clause after "wondering." Also, the use of the continuous past to express the idea that the person was wondering at that time
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Not much longer would you be mine
➔ Inversion for emphasis; Future in the past
➔ Normally, the sentence would be "You would not be mine much longer." The inversion of "would" and "you" puts emphasis on the phrase "Not much longer.". "Would be" suggests future in the past, referring to what the speaker thought was going to happen in the future from a past perspective.
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Losing you would end my life, you see
➔ Second Conditional
➔ This is a second conditional sentence expressing a hypothetical situation. "Losing you" acts as the "if" clause, though the word "if" is omitted. The result clause "would end my life" describes the imagined consequence. It's used to talk about unreal or improbable situations.
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Say you believe half of what you see
➔ Imperative; Noun Clause as object
➔ "Say" is used as an imperative verb giving a command. "You believe half of what you see" is a noun clause functioning as the direct object of the verb "say".
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