I Heard It Through The Grapevine – English Lyrics

• By: Marvin Gaye

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the soul-stirring depths of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" and unlock its rich tapestry of emotion and language. This iconic Motown hit offers a unique opportunity to explore English expressions related to gossip and heartbreak, such as "through the grapevine" and the nuanced ways a singer conveys despair. Gaye's masterful vocal delivery, deliberately strained for emotional impact, teaches listeners how subtle shifts in tone and phrasing can amplify a song's meaning, making it a perfect piece for understanding emotive expression in English music.

[English]

I bet you're wondering how I knew

About your plans to make me blue

With some other guy you knew before

Between the two of us guys

You know I loved 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

Not much longer would you be mine

Oh, I heard it through the grapevine

Oh, I'm just about to lose my mind

Honey, honey yeah

I heard it through the grapevine, not much longer would you be mine, baby

I know a man ain't supposed to cry

But these tears i can't hold inside

Losing you would end my life you see

Cause you mean that much to me

You could have told me yourself

That you loved someone else

Instead I heard it through the grapevine

Not much longer would you be mine

Oh, I heard it through the grapevine

Oh, I'm just about to lose my mind

Honey, honey yeah

I heard it through the grapevine, not much longer would you be mine, baby

People say believe half of what you see

Some and none of what you hear

But I can't help to be confused

If it's true please tell me dear

Do you plan to let me go

For the other guy you loved before

Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine

Not much longer would you be mine

Baby, i heard it through the grapevine

Oh, I'm just about to lose my mind

Honey, honey yeah

I heard it through the grapevine, not much longer would you be mine, baby

Honey, honey i know

I heard it through the grapevine, not much longer would you be mine, baby

That you letting me go

I say i heard it through the grapevine

Oh, I heard it through the grapevine

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
knew /nuː/ A1	verb - past tense of know; to be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information
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
loved /lʌvd/ A1	verb - past tense of love; to have a strong affection for
surprise /sərˈpraɪz/ B1	noun - an unexpected or astonishing event, fact, or thing verb - to affect with wonder or astonishment
heard /hɜːrd/ A1	verb - past tense of hear; perceive with the ear the sound of
grapevine /ˈɡreɪpvaɪn/ B2	noun - the informal transmission of information, rumor, etc., from person to person
lose /luːz/ A2	verb - to be deprived of something
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - shed tears
tears /tɪərz/ A2	noun - drops of clear salty liquid secreted from glands in the eye as a result of strong emotion
losing /ˈluːzɪŋ/ B1	verb - present participle of lose; being deprived of something
end /end/ A2	verb - to finish or conclude noun - the final part of something
believe /bɪˈliːv/ A2	verb - accept that (something) is true, especially without proof
confused /kənˈfjuːzd/ B1	adjective - unable to think clearly; bewildered
true /truː/ A1	adjective - in accordance with fact or reality

Key Grammar Structures

• I bet you're wondering how I knew

  ➔ Indirect Question

  ➔ The phrase "how I knew" functions as a noun clause, embedded within the main clause. Instead of a direct question like "How did I know?", it's phrased as a statement about the other person's state of mind. This structure is common in English to soften the question or express curiosity.

• With some other guy you knew before

  ➔ Relative Clause (reduced)

  ➔ The phrase "you knew before" is a reduced relative clause modifying "some other guy". The full clause would be "some other guy *that/whom* you knew before". The relative pronoun (that/whom) is omitted.

• Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine

  ➔ Tag Question (implied)

  ➔ While not a literal tag question, "Don't you know that..." functions similarly, inviting agreement or emphasizing a point. It expresses incredulity that the listener wouldn't already know the information.

• Not much longer would you be mine

  ➔ Inversion (for emphasis)

  ➔ Normally, the sentence would be "You would not be mine much longer." The inversion of "would" and "you" emphasizes the phrase "Not much longer", drawing attention to the limited time remaining in the relationship. This is for dramatic effect.

• I know a man ain't supposed to cry

  ➔ Non-standard dialect (ain't)

  ➔ "Ain't" is a non-standard contraction often used in informal speech or to indicate a particular dialect. In this context, it replaces "is not". Note that, in standard english, "I know that a man is not supposed to cry" would be the common phrasing.

• But these tears i can't hold inside

  ➔ Omission of 'that'

  ➔ The word 'that' can be omitted in relative clauses acting as the object of a verb. A full sentence would be 'But these tears that I can't hold inside'.