Head Over Heels

The construction of Head Over Heels is a fascinating example of how an idea can evolve into a centerpiece of an album. Originally, this song was born as a musical introduction intended to link tracks within Songs from the Big Chair. It shared a piano and synthesizer motif with another piece, Broken, which had already appeared as the B-side of a previous single. This sonic connection led to Head Over Heels being performed alongside Broken in live shows. Ultimately, this structure was transferred to the album, with Broken preceding Head Over Heels and closing the record with a live version of Broken. The album version's duration is one minute longer than the single's, incorporating a fragment of the live instrumental track of Broken, recorded in December 1983 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.

The single Head Over Heels, released on June 14, 1985, in the United Kingdom, was the fourth extracted from Songs from the Big Chair and became the group's eighth Top 40 hit in that country, reaching number 12. In the United States, its release in September 1985 as the album's third single continued the streak of success, reaching third place on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. For its UK release, in addition to the standard 7" and 12" formats, a 10" disc and a limited edition in the shape of a four-leaf clover were released. The song, written in G major with a tempo of 95 beats per minute, was composed by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, and produced by Chris Hughes. As a B-side, When in Love with a Blind Man was included, where Curt Smith takes the lead vocals and the use of a synthesized shakuhachi flute is highlighted. The music video, filmed between May and June 1985 in the library of Emmanuel College in Toronto, Canada, shows Roland Orzabal trying to get the attention of a librarian, amidst various comical situations starring other characters and even a chimpanzee.