Head Over Heels / Broken

The song's harmony is defined by its relationship with the track 'Broken,' utilizing a circle of fourths (C-F-Bb-Eb) that introduces flat-side accidentals into a C major context. The contrast between the static, pedal-heavy verses and the moving diatonic chorus provides the track with its signature 80s sophisticated pop structure. The transition into the outro represents a permanent shift toward the dominant key (G Major), which serves as a thematic bookend to the album's larger harmonic arc.

The song took approximately two years to develop. It was initially conceived as a musical segue between tracks on the album 'Songs from the Big Chair,' specifically linked to the track 'Broken.' Because both 'Head over Heels' and 'Broken' shared a primary piano and synthesizer motif, they were frequently performed together in live concerts, an arrangement that was eventually preserved on the studio album where 'Broken' leads directly into 'Head over Heels.'

Released as the fourth single from the landmark 1985 album Songs from the Big Chair, the track reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It evolved over two years from a musical motif in the song 'Broken' and remains a pop culture staple due to its library-set music video and use in the film Donnie Darko.