I hate to see you cry
Laying there in that position
There's things you need to hear
So turn off your tears and listen

[Chorus]
Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No, it won't all go the way, it should
But I know the heart of life is good

You know it's nothing new
Bad news never had good timing
But then the circle of your friends
Will defend the silver lining

[Chorus]

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
Fear is a friend who's misunderstood
But I know the heart of life is good

I know it's good.



Lyrics submitted by blondechic1921

Track duration: 03:18

"The Heart of Life" as written by John Mayer

Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


The Heart of Life song meanings
Add your thoughts

55 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:When i hear this i imagine it being sung to the world and how we sometimes can be cruel to each other and Earth. So when he says turn turn off your tears i see rain.
    Flagged Vj567on December 08, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To me..... The song is basically trying to say even though bad things happen to good people... Life means well...thats why there's always a 'bright side' to look at....
    Flag jhidheon December 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To me..... The song is basically trying to say even though bad things happen to good people... Life means well...thats why there's always a 'bright side' to look at....
    Flag jhidheon December 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:For some reason, this song gives me a lot of optimism.
    The heart of life is good, damn good.
    Flag dontplagiarizeon July 19, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:First, I have to agree with Doomsquad. The song isn't JUST about breaking up with someone...it's about all aspects of life. And John himself said he wrote it after his grandmother died.

    Anyway, as much as I love this song, I've never been able to figure out the line, "Fear is a friend who's misunderstood."

    But today, for the first time, I finally got it. I was just thinking about fear, and how it drives my life, but in negative ways. And then I realized that fear is a motivator in positive ways too, because chances are, if you’re afraid of something, it's probably the exact same thing you should be doing. Fear means the chance of failure, the chance of failing, but if you never try you never know. And that's how fear is misunderstood- we take it to mean its warning us, we revel in it and let it blanket us. Instead, we should let it motivate us to do the things we're too scared to do, fear should allow us to take those chances we are afraid to take. Fear is a misunderstood friend.
    Flag brittpinkieon September 22, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Feel-good song. I can't help but get in a good mood when I hear this.
    Love it!
    Flag Tyler2004durdenon March 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song just makes you realize how happy and thankful you should for everything you've been blessed with, even if they don't go perfectly.
    Flag smartc00kieon February 13, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Great song, one of my favorite by John Mayer. It gives me an "everything is gonna be alright" feeling, even if there is nothing wrong.
    Flag qwerty2134on January 25, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Excellent song by John Mayer, one of my favorites from him.
    I heard this song on the ending of Ghost Town.
    Flag xTotallyBoredon December 15, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Someone said this song reminded them of a lullaby, and that was the gist I was getting. It doesn't have to specifically be for a lover; it could be a friend, a family member, whatever.
    And it's so smooth, and kind of bittersweet, but with more "sweetness" than "bitterness," I guess. ;)
    This song always makes me feel a little better.
    Flag SimpleFaithon November 03, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain