I’m tired of writing about depressing things like the economy. It’s Friday night – let’s have some fun. So, without further ado, a detailed analysis of Heart’s “Alone.” (Lyrics in italics.)
I hear the ticking of the clock.
I’m lying here, the room’s pitch dark.
I wonder where you are tonight,
No answer on the telephone.
And the night goes by so very slow,
Oh, I hope that it won’t end up alone.
I don’t know if there is a power ballad with a more descriptive or powerful opening. It tells us so much. Our speaker clearly cannot sleep; she is hearing the ticking the clock and noting the darkness in the room. And we know this is after her booty call got no answer. Let’s not put too fine a filter on this; here is a chick who is looking to take a ride on the bone rollercoaster, couldn’t get her man on the phone, and it’s keeping her up. She’s likely hoping the phone will ring with a call back. She’s trying to figure out what to do if that doesn’t happen.
Till now, I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you.
And now it tears to the bone.
How do I get you alone?
How do I get you alone?
Now we get a little further insight into our speaker. She was a bit of a loner it would seem, until she met the object. But now she’s all worked up, and can’t figure out how to get the object alone, presumably without his clothing. This leaves us to wonder – is the speaker a younger woman speaking of her first love, or a older woman who is finally letting her guard down as she is overcome with emotion for the object.
You don’t know how long I have wanted
To touch your lips and hold you tight.
You don’t know how long I have waited
And I was going to tell you tonight.
So she waited a long time. That would lead one to believe the speaker and object had know each other a while, but only recently had things advanced to a point where they could fornicate. Perhaps this is an office friendship that always had that edge. Maybe the object had a long term girlfriend who was really hot but kinda stuck-up and mean, but they finally broke up because she wanted to get married on a Caribbean Island, but the object refused because he wanted his infirm great-grandmother to attend the wedding. And recently the speaker and the object went out for drinks after work, and they had a few too many, and then there was this awkward kiss, but nothing else happened, but they both wanted more to happen, but neither would say that at the time. So the speaker called over to the object’s apartment hoping to see if the object wanted to watch a movie, but clearly it was all about telling him how much she longed for him and then probably do it. But the bastard wasn’t home.
But secret is still my own,
And my love for you is still unknown.
Alone.
And here she is, alone.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Till now, I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you.
And now it tears to the bone.
How do I get you alone?
How do I get you alone?
I think the scream just reinforces the sexual tension and frustration at being alone. Perhaps our speaker was not too experienced, or due to shyness and/or a weight issue is limited on her sexual partner options. And here she is, all worked up but with no man to share that with. She’s probably sleepy too but afraid to go asleep in case this object returns her call. But she knows that she has reached a time in the night that even if he does call, and they make small talk and she convinces him to come over, it’s going to be so late that even if they do get in the sack, they’ll probably just roll around a little and then fall asleep. In the end, she is no better off. So here she is, as she has always been, alone.
How do I get you alone?
How do I get you alone?
Alone…..
Alone…..
I’d suggest calling earlier. Or maybe even weaseling your way into some sort of quasi-date situation. Or ask him to come over to help you with some silly home improvement item. Be creative. In the end, it really shouldn’t be that hard to get a dude in bed with you if you are willing to toss the cat around.
Tags: Classic Rock Analysis, Heart, Power Ballad, Power Ballad Analysis
