Imogen Heap: Headlock Meaning

Headlock Lyrics

Distant flickerings,
It's greener scenery,
This weather's bringing it all back again.
Great adventures,
Faces in condensation,
I'm going outside to take it all in.

You say "too late to start got your heart in a headlock",
I don't believe...

1. anonymous

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   Aug 20th 2023 !⃝

   a relationship that's stuck in the 'situationship' label, as one would say nowadays lol. one of the two parties want to move ahead and formalize, but the other one doesn't want the commitment. that's where the "got your heart in a headlock, you know you're better than this." comes from, imo.
2. anonymous

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   Aug 10th 2010 !⃝

   What I get from this song is that there's two people, (Let's just call them.. Sam and Julie... To make it easier to explain) I think it's basically about Sam losing confidence in himself, and Julie trying to urge him on.
   
   "Distant flickerings,
   It's greener scenery,
   This weather's bringing it all back again.
   Great adventures,
   Faces in condensation,
   I'm going outside to take it all in."
   Picture the scene. The "Greener scenery" and "great adventures" indicate that something big is about to happen, or perhaps something as simple as the fact that life itself has began to stir up again. "Faces and condensation", means there are people outside and condensation could mean that the sun is shining, because heat speeds up condensation. Julie says "I'm going outside to take it all in," She perhaps asks Sam to come with her, and he agrees willingly.
   
   "You say "too late to start got your heart in a headlock",
   I don't believe any of it.
   You say "too late to start with your heart in a headlock",
   You know you're better than this."
   These lyrics imply that despite the fact that Sam wants to go, Sam's heart is "in a headlock". When someone is in a headlock, they can't move. Deep down Sam wants to come with Julie, but he has second thoughts because he begins to become fearful and it results in lack of confidence. So basically he agrees to go with her, but at the last minute his heart develops a headlock, making him nervous. Julie doesn't believe any of it, and tells Sam he needs to have more faith in himself, because he's got what it takes, he just needs to forget about the headlock.
   
   "Wear a different pair,
   Just something out of step,"
   When I hear these particular lyrics, I picture Julie wearing bright yellow boots instead of her old black ones. She's confident enough to wear something that might make heads turn, but that's okay, she's brave enough for that...her heart is not in a headlock.
   
   "Throw a stranger an unexpected smile.
   With big intention,
   Still posted at your station,
   Always on about the day it should have flied."
   Sam has big intentions, he just needs a boost. So Julie suggests for him to "throw a strange an unexpected smile."
   Yet he's "still posted at his station"
   
   Then the chorus repeats itself, sending the same message.
   
   "You've been walking,
   You've been hiding,
   And you look half dead half the time.
   Monitoring you, like machines do,
   You've still got it I'm just keeping an eye."
   Sam's been going about life playing it safe. The fact that he's "been walking, and been hiding" indicates that he's hiding the real Sam. "And you look half dead half the time" The fact that Sam's been doing this has been tearing him apart and he just wants to break free from the headlock within himself and go on the adventures with Julie.
   Julie's been watching him, "Monitoring him, like machines do," and "she's keeping on eye" (on him.) And she's confirmed that "he's still got it," He's able to come out of his headlock.
   
   It is unclear whether or not Sam gets out of his headlock or not. But the point is... He's able to.

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