Head over heels, no time to think/
Looks like the whole world’s out of sync.
The early 1980s brought a wave of fun girl bands: The Gogos, Cindi Lauper, The Bangles & Madonna (before the British accent) were all less serious than the female singer-songwriters of the 70s. At the time, people loved it, but it was not well received critically. Time has proved the critics wrong–the music rocks.
Head Over Heels by The Gogos explodes with a classic 80s synthesizer intro that gets your heart pumping. It is fast-paced–which aligns well with the meaning of the song. The song is about the hustle of daily life and struggling to make ends meet. Life can seem like both a daze and a whirlwind as we try to make it. Time passes slowly then quickly–it is disorienting.
As we hustle to make ends meet, sometimes, we forget about things that are truly important. As the narrator explains, “I’d forgotten about my heart”. This was perhaps “someone I left behind”. This revelation about her love life seems to send the narrator into a further spin…it’s life in the fast lane.
Both the chorus and verse sound great. They are hectic, alive and spontaneous–just like the lyrics. One thing I’d like to point out is the out-of-synch handclap (I think that’s what it is. It sounds kind of like a whip). It seems to come in at such a weird time that it throws you off your bearings as you wait to hear the follow up. This is great production.
Head Over Heels Lyrics
Been running so long
I’ve nearly lost all track of time
In every direction
I couldn’t see the warning signs
I must be losin’ it
‘Cause my mind plays tricks on me
It looked so easy
But you know looks sometimes deceive
Been running so fast
Right from the starting line
No more connections
I don’t need any more advice
One hand’s just reaching out
And one’s just hangin’ on
It seems my weaknesses
Just keep going strong
Head over heels, where should I go?
Can’t stop myself, out of control
Head over heels, no time to think
Looks like the whole world’s out of sync
Been running so hard
When what I need is to unwind
The voice of reason
Is one I left so far behind
I’ve waited so long
So long to play this part
And just remembered
That I’d forgotten about my heart
Head over heels, where should I go?
Can’t stop myself, out of control
Head over heels, no time to think
Looks like the whole world’s out of sync
Head over heels, where should I go?
Can’t stop myself, out of control
Head over heels, no time to think
Looks like the whole world’s out of sync
Head over heels, where should I go?
Can’t stop myself, out of control
Head over heels, no time to think
Looks like the whole world’s out of sync
Head over heels, where should I go?
Can’t stop myself, out of control
Head over heels, no time to think
Looks like the whole world’s out of sync
Songwriters: Charlotte Caffey / Kathy Valentine