o que significa a expressão to do 180 (one-eighty)?

Sometimes you see and hear the same expression coming up in songs, TV shows, books and movies so many times but you never really stop to fully understand it. That's what happened to me with the expression to do 180. The first time I heard it was in the song wake up alone by Amy winehouse, a very saddened song that expresses the voice of a woman who's been trying to forget about a man and move on, but not so successfully. The second time I heard the expression happened recently in the song Don't start now by dua lipa, which unlike Amy's song portrays a woman who's already moved on and is absolutely fine now. 

When you do a 180, you make a big change in your opinions, lifestyle, perspective, decisions, etc. Literally, if you stop to think about it, when you do a 180, you turn 180 degrees so that you will then be facing the opposite direction. And actually you can also use the expression in that literal way as in "I was going to school but because of those dark clouds in the sky I did a 180 and headed back home". But still talking about both dua lipa's and Amy's songs, let's see how they put it into their verses:

It's okay in the day
I'm staying busy
Tied up enough so I don't have to wonder where is he
Got so sick of crying
So just lately
When I catch myself, I do a one-eighty

(Wake up alone, Amy winehouse)

If you don't wanna see me

Did a full 180, crazy

Thinking 'bout the way I was

Did the heartbreak change me? Maybe…

(Don't start now, dua lipa)

Both these women were trying to do a one-eighty on their romantic relationships because they were probably unhappy about the way it went. Maybe their boyfriends weren't respecting them, or maybe they didn't love them back, treat them right, I don't know. The thing is, something made them want to change their perspective and do a 180. 

That's all for now guys. Let me know in the comment section down below if sometime in the past you had to do a 180 on anything or anyone. Talk to you next time!