Reading Comprehension: Michael Jackson's Billie Jean

[toloue_man]

What does "every head turned" mean? Does it have a literal or a figurative meaning? Would you please paraphrase that for me?

She Told Me Her Name Was Billie Jean, As She Caused A Scene
Then Every Head Turned With Eyes That Dreamed Of Being The One
Who Will Dance On The Floor In The Round

 

[SoothingDave]

I would not try to read song lyrics for comprehension. Often they are inscrutable and frequently they are ungrammatical.

That said, "every head turned" is a common expression. It is quite literal. Think of what happens when someone famous or beautiful or otherwise remarkable walks into a room. All the people will stop to look at this fascinating person. Every head turns so that they can see the person.

 

[toloue_man]

Got it. Thanks!

 

[toloue_man]

But why it is not mentioned that "every head turned to see her"? why "to see her" is omitted?

 

[SoothingDave]

A normal, prose use of the expression would be "When she walked into the room, every head turned." It's obvious why they turned. You could state it, but it's unnecessary.

 

[toloue_man]

Thanks for you favor!

 

[toloue_man]

I promise it is the last question. In that line "with eyes" means that their eyes are turned too, doesn't it?

 

[SoothingDave]

If you turn your head, the direction your eyes are facing tends to change as well.

We often talk of people having "wild eyed" dreams, so he was tying together the beginning of that line with the end of it. The heads turned and they had dreams in their eyes of being "the one."

 

[Rover_KE]

But why it is not mentioned that "every head turned to see her"? why is "to see her" [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] omitted?

The writer had to fit the words to the metre of the lyric.

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Rover