I Heard It Through The Grapevine – English Lyrics

• By: Gladys Knight & The Pips

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 knew

Baby, 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
wondering /ˈwʌndərɪŋ/ B1	verb - feeling or expressing curiosity or doubt about something.
plans /plænz/ A2	noun - a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something. verb - decide on and arrange in advance.
blue /bluː/ A1	adjective - sad or depressed.
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - feel deep affection for (someone).
surprise /sərˈpraɪz/ B1	noun - an unexpected or astonishing event, fact, or thing. verb - affect (someone) with surprise.
found /faʊnd/ A1	verb - discover (something or someone) unexpectedly or while looking for something else.
grapevine /ˈɡreɪpvaɪn/ B2	noun - the informal transmission of information, rumour, etc., from person to person.
lose /luːz/ A2	verb - be deprived of (something that one has or had).
mind /maɪnd/ A1	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness.
listen /ˈlɪsən/ A1	verb - give one's attention to a sound.
tears /tɪərz/ A1	noun - a drop of clear salty liquid secreted from glands in the eye as a result of strong emotion.
end /end/ A1	verb - come or bring to a final point; terminate.
true /truː/ A1	adjective - in accordance with fact or reality.
confused /kənˈfjuːzd/ B1	adjective - unable to think clearly; bewildered.
believe /bɪˈliːv/ A1	verb - accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of.

Key Grammar Structures

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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".