There Ain't No Sweet Man That's Worth The Salt Of My Tears
Bix Beiderbecke Lyrics


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Shaking like a leaf on a tree
That's coming loose from the stem
Shaking like a leaf on a tree
Because I'm coming loose from my man

I'm like a weeping willow
Weeping on my pillow
For years & years
There ain't no sweet man
That's worth the salt of my tears

Down & down he dragged me
Like a fiend he nagged me
For years and years
There ain't no sweet man
That's worth the salt of my tears

Although I may be blue
Still I'm through
I must tell him goodbye
Rather than have that man
Gonna lay me down and just die

So, broken-hearted sisters
Aggravating misters
Lend me your ears
There ain't no sweet man
That's worth the salt of my tears

Although I may be blue
Still I'm through
I must tell him goodbye
Rather than have that man
Gonna lay me down and just die

So, broken-hearted sisters
Aggravating misters
Lend me your ears




There ain't no sweet man
That's worth the salt of my tears

Overall Meaning

The first stanza of the song suggests a feeling of anxiety and nervousness as the singer compares herself to a leaf on a tree that is coming loose from its stem. This can be interpreted as her feeling detached and separated from her partner. She further explains that she is shaking because she is coming loose from him, implying that the cause of her anxiety is the imminent end of the relationship. In the second stanza, the singer compares herself to a weeping willow, crying on her pillow for years and years. She is heartbroken because her partner dragged her down and nagged her like a fiend for many years. The third stanza suggests that she has had enough and that she is better off without him, even though she may be blue. She decides to leave him because there is no man that is worth the salt of her tears.


In summary, the song speaks of a woman who has suffered from a toxic relationship for many years. Despite her deep emotional attachment to her man, she eventually realizes that leaving him is the best thing for her, even though it may be painful.


Line by Line Meaning

Shaking like a leaf on a tree
I am experiencing intense emotional distress, causing my body to shake uncontrollably.


That's coming loose from the stem
This distress is caused by my relationship with my partner deteriorating, much like a leaf falling off a tree branch.


Shaking like a leaf on a tree
I cannot control my emotions, much like a leaf cannot control its movement in the wind.


Because I'm coming loose from my man
My distress is due to the fact that my relationship with my partner is ending.


I'm like a weeping willow
My emotional distress is comparable to that of a weeping willow tree, a symbol of sadness and mourning.


Weeping on my pillow
My sadness is so great that I cannot hold back tears, and they soak my pillow.


For years & years
This sadness has persisted for a long time.


There ain't no sweet man
Despite my affection for my partner, I have come to the realization that he is not worth my tears.


That's worth the salt of my tears
No man is deserving of the emotional pain I am experiencing.


Down & down he dragged me
My partner has caused me to become more and more unhappy as time has passed.


Like a fiend he nagged me
He has pestered me relentlessly, like a demon or monster would.


Although I may be blue
Even though I feel sad and distressed,


Still I'm through
I have made the decision to end the relationship, even though it is difficult.


I must tell him goodbye
It is time for me to formally end the relationship with my partner.


Rather than have that man
I would rather not have a partner than continue a relationship that causes me so much pain.


Gonna lay me down and just die
I cannot continue to live with the emotional toll that this relationship takes on me.


So, broken-hearted sisters
To my fellow women who have also experienced heartbreak,


Aggravating misters
To the men who have caused us pain,


Lend me your ears
Please listen to my advice and learn from my experience.


There ain't no sweet man
No man is worth the kind of pain that comes from a bad relationship.


That's worth the salt of my tears
No amount of love or affection is worth the emotional distress that comes from a bad relationship.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FISHER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@christopherolsen1678

It absolutely is Bing Crosby singing the lead. He was only 24 years old at the time of this recording and was not quite the established star that he would become within a just few years. His voice was possibly a little younger and higher, and he was also singing in a somewhat higher register than we're used to hearing him in, as that's what the arrangement called for. Though the melody is maybe a tad high, it is still within the comfortable range of a natural baritone, but high enough that (especially combined with the somewhat more primitive recording techniques of the time, even compared to recordings from the mid 1930s) it might be enough to obscure the familiar vocal timbre that we associate with the incomparable Bing Crosby.

Furthermore, though he had clearly already established himself as a very talented vocalist at this time, he may not quite have developed a signature style yet, so some of the trademarks that we're used to hearing from Bing are not present. But yes, that is Bing Crosby.

His vocal style may not have been completely flushed out, and he's maybe singing in a slightly higher range than we're used to, but that's him. If you listen closely, you can still hear a lot of his trademark enunciation and phrasing.

He's also using a lot more fast vibrato than the slightly older, more developed Crosby would have used, but that's kind of a common trope for younger vocalists to fall back on. Not that it's amateur by any stretch, it's just a testament to just how serious Bing was about his work. He never stopped honing his talent. Now that I think about it, a lot of the recordings from the apex of Bing's career are some of the finest examples of a vocal artist who really knows how to use vibrato; when to keep it caged, and when to let it out. Frank had that talent, and he even developed it earlier in his career, but if we were going to compare the two of them on that merit alone, Bing would probably win, even if only by a small margin.

Anyway, I digress. It may not sound like the trademark Bing, but yes, that is Bing Crosby.



All comments from YouTube:

@christopherolsen1678

It absolutely is Bing Crosby singing the lead. He was only 24 years old at the time of this recording and was not quite the established star that he would become within a just few years. His voice was possibly a little younger and higher, and he was also singing in a somewhat higher register than we're used to hearing him in, as that's what the arrangement called for. Though the melody is maybe a tad high, it is still within the comfortable range of a natural baritone, but high enough that (especially combined with the somewhat more primitive recording techniques of the time, even compared to recordings from the mid 1930s) it might be enough to obscure the familiar vocal timbre that we associate with the incomparable Bing Crosby.

Furthermore, though he had clearly already established himself as a very talented vocalist at this time, he may not quite have developed a signature style yet, so some of the trademarks that we're used to hearing from Bing are not present. But yes, that is Bing Crosby.

His vocal style may not have been completely flushed out, and he's maybe singing in a slightly higher range than we're used to, but that's him. If you listen closely, you can still hear a lot of his trademark enunciation and phrasing.

He's also using a lot more fast vibrato than the slightly older, more developed Crosby would have used, but that's kind of a common trope for younger vocalists to fall back on. Not that it's amateur by any stretch, it's just a testament to just how serious Bing was about his work. He never stopped honing his talent. Now that I think about it, a lot of the recordings from the apex of Bing's career are some of the finest examples of a vocal artist who really knows how to use vibrato; when to keep it caged, and when to let it out. Frank had that talent, and he even developed it earlier in his career, but if we were going to compare the two of them on that merit alone, Bing would probably win, even if only by a small margin.

Anyway, I digress. It may not sound like the trademark Bing, but yes, that is Bing Crosby.

@stevevandien310

Christopher Olsen: Just curious, Christopher -- are you a singer?

@stephencooper7620

I played this for my girlfriend in 2008 - on a CD I had called Bix and Bing - she liked BIng's songs from some movies she had seen - and she was all like, that does not sound like Bing!

I wish I had been able to refer her to what Christopher Olsen said ,,, but that was then, and this is now

@rosyboa5520

@Stephen Cooper watch "King of Jazz" and see him sing it in person. It is Bing Crosby and the Rhythm Boys.

@stephencooper7620

@Rosy Boa Thanks! sounds like a movie worth watching!

@mikeycondry1493

I absolutely adore 20s Bing Crosby

@pinkieldred

Sure another great study of early Bing.....But more importantly another example of why Bix was so special . Listen to his attack of popping out precise clear perfectly timed notes...Pump Bix ...Pump

@SSegal

One of my favorite songs. Rhythm BOYS singing about a sweet man, how progressive of them.

@dianemacintyre5890

Fantastic tune from an era I love. I listen to it often for all it's elements! I also appreciate other's comments here that add to my knowledge, and there are many. And I agree with Bix and Bing- There ain't no sweet man worth the salt of my tears!

@TheRAFfc

its great to hear two old great timers together showing their great talent, thank you friend.:)

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