Introduction
“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” is a song originally written by Holland–Dozier–Holland and first recorded by The Supremes in 1966. Kim Wilde, an English pop singer, covered the song in 1986 and her version became a huge hit. In this article, we will take a closer look at the lyrics of Kim Wilde’s version of “You Keep Me Hangin’ On.”
Verse 1
Set me free why don’t cha babe
Get out my life why don’t cha babe
‘Cause you don’t really love me
You just keep me hangin’ on
You don’t really need me
But you keep me hangin’ on
The first verse of the song talks about the speaker’s desire to be set free from a relationship that has become toxic. The speaker is urging their partner to leave their life because they don’t truly love them and are just keeping them hanging on. The repetition of the phrase “keep me hangin’ on” emphasizes the speaker’s feeling of being trapped in the relationship.
Chorus
Why do you keep a comin’ around
Playing with my heart
Why don’t cha get out of my life
And let me make a new start
Let me get over you
The way you’ve gotten over me, yeah
The chorus of the song is a plea for the partner to stop playing with the speaker’s heart and to let them move on. The speaker is asking why their partner keeps coming around and causing them pain. The line “let me get over you the way you’ve gotten over me” suggests that the partner has already moved on and the speaker wants to do the same.
Verse 2
You say although we broke up
You still wanna be just friends
But how can we still be friends
When seeing you only breaks my heart again
And there ain’t nothing I can do about it
The second verse talks about the partner’s desire to remain friends even though they have broken up. The speaker is struggling with this idea because seeing their ex-partner only causes them more pain. The line “there ain’t nothing I can do about it” emphasizes the speaker’s feeling of powerlessness in the situation.
Chorus
Why do you keep a comin’ around
Playing with my heart
Why don’t cha get out of my life
And let me make a new start
Let me get over you
The way you’ve gotten over me, yeah
Bridge
Set me free why don’t cha babe
Get out my life why don’t cha babe
‘Cause you don’t really love me
You just keep me hangin’ on
Now you don’t really want me
You just keep me hangin’ on
The bridge of the song repeats the first verse, emphasizing the speaker’s desire to be set free from the toxic relationship. The repetition of the line “you just keep me hangin’ on” reinforces the idea that the partner is only keeping the speaker around for their own benefit.
Chorus
Why do you keep a comin’ around
Playing with my heart
Why don’t cha get out of my life
And let me make a new start
Let me get over you
The way you’ve gotten over me, yeah
Conclusion
“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” is a timeless song that resonates with anyone who has ever been in a toxic relationship. Kim Wilde’s cover of the song adds a new dimension to the lyrics, bringing a sense of urgency and desperation to the speaker’s pleas. The repetition of the phrase “keep me hangin’ on” throughout the song emphasizes the speaker’s feeling of being trapped in the relationship. Overall, the lyrics of “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” are a powerful reminder of the importance of setting boundaries and letting go of toxic relationships.
