‘Heartbreaker’ is a song by American singer Pat Benatar from her debut studio album In the Heat of the Night (1979). Written and composed by Geoff Gill and Cliff Wade, the song had first been recorded by English singer Jenny Darren on her 1978 album Queen of Fools, and was full of UK English expressions and colloquialisms that would be foreign to the American ear, with such references as "A to Zed" and "moonraker", which would have likely confused American listeners. So, the publisher gave it to Benatar to clear up; Benatar rewrote it. She has stated that she loved it from the first time she saw it, and it remains one of her favorites.
‘Heartbreaker’ was the second single released off In the Heat of the Night after the first, "If You Think You Know How to Love Me", failed to reach the US Billboard Hot 100. A sleeper hit, ‘Heartbreaker’ proved to be Benatar's breakthrough single, reaching number 23 on the U.S Billboard Hot 100 while spending four and a half months on the chart, the fourth longest of all of her singles. It was more popular on album-oriented rock stations as it peaked at number 13 on Tunecasters Rock Tracks chart in March 1980. The song peaked at number 16 in Canada and at number 14 in New Zealand, although it only reached number 95 in Australia. The song was named the 72nd best hard rock song of all time by VH1.
In an October 1980 Rolling Stone cover story, Benatar expressed her amazement at how fast things were happening. “We went on tour as soon as the record came out, and one day, somebody came up to me and said, ‘You know you’re No. 28, don’t you?’ I said, ‘28 what?’ ‘28 in Billboard.’ ‘Get out of here, we’re not 28!’ We never bought Billboard because we figured we weren’t charted, and nobody told us because they figured we’d freak out.”
‘Heartbreaker’ song was performed by Benatar and her band in the Charmed episode "Lucky Charmed." It also featured during a chase/shootout scene in the 2021 film Nobody.
Label – ChrysalisSongwriters – Geoff Gill, Cliff Wade
Producers – Mike Chapman, Peter Coleman
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Your love is like a tidal wave
Spinning over my head
Drownin' me in your promises
Better left unsaid
[Pre-Chorus]
You're the right kind of sinner
To release my inner fantasy
The invincible winner
And you know that you were born to be
[Chorus]
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Don't you mess around with me
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Don't you mess around, no, no, no
[Verse 2]
Your love has set my soul on fire
Burnin' out of control
You taught me the ways of desire
Now it's takin' its toll
[Pre-Chorus]
You're the right kind of sinner
To release my inner fantasy
The invincible winner
And you know that you were born to be
[Chorus]
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Don't you mess around with me
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Don't you mess around, no, no, no
[Instrumental Break]
[Bridge]
You're the right kind of sinner
To release my inner fantasy
The invincible winner
And you know that you were born to be
[Chorus]
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Don't you mess around with me
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Don't you mess around with me
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Don't you mess around with me
You're a heartbreaker
Dream maker, love taker
Heartbreaker
[Instrumental Outro]
[Guitar Solo]