Crystal Gayle (born Brenda Gail Webb January 9, 1951) is an American countr… Read Full Bio ↴Crystal Gayle (born Brenda Gail Webb January 9, 1951) is an American country music singer, and is the sister of legendary country singer Loretta Lynn and distant cousin of singer Patty Loveless. In the late 70s and 80s, she had great pop crossover success with "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue", "Talking In Your Sleep" and "Half the Way". She is also famous for her nearly floor-length long hair and was voted one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world in 1983.

While Gayle is the younger sister of Loretta Lynn, her musical sound is very different from Lynn's. Gayle's career began as country music moved towards a more pop-oriented sound in the 1970s, as exemplified by such performers as Lynn Anderson and Barbara Mandrell. Gayle's music reflects the modern Nashville sound.

Your Old Cold Shoulder
Crystal Gayle Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There ain't nothing colder
Than your old cold shoulder
And it's gettin' colder
Like every kiss

You say it's not over
Over and over
But your old cold shoulder

Tells me it is

What we had we don't no more
We can't feel it anymore
I thought a love like
Ours could never die

But you get colder every day
Every night you turn away
You couldn't say it
Any plainer if you tried

'Cause there's nothing colder
Than your old cold shoulder
And it's gettin' colder
Like every kiss

You say it's not over
Over and over
But your old cold shoulder
Tells me it is

But your old cold shoulder
Tells me it is

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Crystal Gayle's song "Your Old Cold Shoulder" depict a relationship that is slowly falling apart. The first stanza sets the tone for the entire song, where the singer admits that nothing is colder than the indifference of their partner. The singer notices that with every passing day, their partner's demeanor gets colder, much like their kisses. They are in a limbo of getting mixed signals from their partner, who keeps on repeating that their relationship is not over, while their actions indicate otherwise. However, the singer cannot ignore their partner's cold shoulder and realizes that the relationship is slowly dying.

The second stanza goes on to describe how the couple's love has faded away. They cannot feel the same connection they once had, which they thought would last forever. The singer can see that their partner is getting colder every day, turning away from them at night, and refusing to express their feelings explicitly.

The chorus repeats the thought that the partner's cold shoulder is the coldest thing in the world and insists that even when the partner keeps insisting to the contrary, the cold shoulder is evidence that the relationship is indeed over.

Line by Line Meaning

There ain't nothing colder
There's nothing more frigid

Than your old cold shoulder
Than the way you're ignoring me

And it's gettin' colder
You're becoming more distant

Like every kiss
In the same way that our physical intimacy has dwindled

You say it's not over
You claim that our relationship isn't finished

Over and over
You keep repeating yourself

But your old cold shoulder
But the way you're treating me tells a different story

Tells me it is
Convinces me that our love is indeed done

What we had we don't no more
The emotional bond we once shared is gone

We can't feel it anymore
We're incapable of experiencing those same romantic sentiments

I thought a love like
I believed that our relationship, characterized by