hearken to

hearken back to (something)

1. To recall or remind one of something in the past. ("Hearken" is actually an archaic word meaning "to listen," but it is more commonly used in place "hark" for this idiomatic phrase in contemporary English.) That song hearkens back to an earlier time in my life. The diner is clearly trying to hearken back to the aesthetics of the early 1950s.
2. To have originated or begun as something. You know, our modern cell phones hearken back to those old rotary phones you like to make fun of.
3. To revisit or think again about something mentioned earlier. Before we get too upset, let's all hearken back to the real reason we're here today.
See also: back, hearken

hearken to (someone or something)

To listen closely or attentively to something. Edgar, hearken to that sound—I think someone's coming!
See also: hearken
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

hearken to someone or something

Formal or stilted to listen to someone or something; to pay attention to someone or something. Please hearken to me. I speak the truth. Hearken to the call of the nightingale.
See also: hearken
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • be/go back to square one
  • back to square one
  • come back and see us
  • a while back
  • break one's neck, to
  • carry (one) back
  • carry back
  • back
  • back at (something or some place)
  • back of something
References in periodicals archive
Now it's an occasion to truck thoughts and hearken to the leaders who make merry of importance role in human life.
India Healthcare Awards 2014
With its soaring spire, 40 Wall stands distinctly among the handful of pyramidal-topped towers in Lower Manhattan that hearken to the district's 20th Century heyday as the city's premiere commercial office district.
Trump tempts telecom firm
innocent of measure but will hearken to how one story becomes another
Note
And if those clues weren't enough, there is a trail of corpses from Chechnya to London, as well as Putin's Soviet-style foreign and domestic policies that hearken to Brezhnev and Andropov, if not Stalin.
Putin's Russia: the return of the iron fist
Hearken to a spot of home-spun wisdom dispensed at a Wirral hairdresser where the clientele were discussing the ideal qualities they look for in men.
Wisdom of salon and Apaches
Now that the heavy lifting is behind him, Mays is setting the tone for the Fords of the future, even though some of these hearken to the past.
Designing Ford's future with passion: his design work at VW/Audi put J Mays on the map. Now he's working to put Ford design on track. (Design)
'It is better we hearken to the voice of peace and boast of a better future than shut our ears to it today and regret such actions tomorrow,' she said.
Miss Nigeria Urges Youths To Shun Violence During General Elections
'We appeal to Ndigbo to hearken to this clarion call as all we need is to vote for President Buhari, so as to reinforce the equity, natural justice and good conscience which is on our side.
2019: VON DG, Okechukwu, Again Asks Ndigbo To Support Buhari's Re-Election
The party said: 'The teachings by the holy prophet is that the Eid-el-Kabir afford us the opportunity to share the love with all including the less privileged, which are core basis towards a better society and we must hearken to them jealously.'
Eid-el-Kabir: ADP felicitates with Muslims, preaches love, tolerance
'I have received calls from different groups and individuals in this our local government and that is why I have decided to hearken to their calls to represent them at the state house of assembly,' he said.
2019 Election: Abass Abolaji declares for Oyo Assembly