Promises
Daryle Singletary Lyrics


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Cheap perfume and painted faces
Fallen angles fill the places
Where I go when my troubles pull me down
And all the lies I know they'll tell me
And the time that they will sell me
For a while I'll be the biggest man in town

Back at home in bed she's crying
For her love for me is dying
But she'll pray I'll make it safely through the night
When the morning sun starts showing
To her bedside I'll be going
And she'll hold me while I face the morning light

And I'll make promises, promises to change
I'll make her promises and swear I'll rearrange
And I'll start giving all the love she needs
If only she will stay

Once again she'll reassure me
And I believe her love will cure me
And I'll fall asleep with tears on my face
Lord, I know she's just a woman
And her love can't last forever
And someday soon I know
She'll leave without a trace

For broken promises will tear her dreams apart
Just token promises will someday break her heart




And for the last time she'll hold me when I cry
And while I'm sleeping she'll quietly say goodbye

Overall Meaning

The song "Promises" by Daryle Singletary paints a picture of a man who is lost in the world of cheap thrills while his relationship with a woman who loves him dearly is crumbling. He talks about going to places where "fallen angels" abound and how these places are his escape from his troubles. He knows that he will be lied to and taken advantage of but in that moment, he will feel like the biggest man in town. His actions are causing pain to the woman who loves him dearly, and who is crying for the love she is losing. However, he is confident that he will make it safely through the night and will be back in her arms come morning.


The song highlights the inner conflict that the man faces - he loves this woman and knows that his actions are hurting her, but he is unable to control his impulses. He makes promises to change and swears to rearrange his life to give her the love she deserves, but deep down, he knows that he will inevitably break those promises. He believes that her love will cure him, but at the same time, he acknowledges that her love can't last forever. The song ends on a melancholic note, with the man knowing that the promises he made will tear her dreams apart and break her heart, and that someday soon, she will leave without a trace.


Overall, "Promises" is a poignant reminder of the power of love and the destructive force of broken promises. It is a song that highlights the struggle that many individuals face when dealing with their own demons and how it affects the people closest to them.


Line by Line Meaning

Cheap perfume and painted faces
I frequent shady places filled with women who use heavy makeup and wear cheap perfume.


Fallen angles fill the places
These women who I encounter are likely struggling with their own demons and may have lost their way.


Where I go when my troubles pull me down
I turn to these places of questionable character when I'm feeling low and need a distraction from my problems.


And all the lies I know they'll tell me
I am aware that the women in these places may not be truthful with me and may tell me what I want to hear.


And the time that they will sell me
I am aware that my time with these women is limited and that they are using me for monetary gain.


For a while I'll be the biggest man in town
Despite the temporary nature of my relationships with these women, it gives me a temporary ego boost to be seen with them.


Back at home in bed she's crying
My significant other is at home crying because she knows I am being unfaithful.


For her love for me is dying
My significant other is starting to lose her feelings for me due to my infidelity.


But she'll pray I'll make it safely through the night
Despite my unfaithfulness, she still cares for my safety and well-being.


When the morning sun starts showing
In the morning, I will return to my significant other.


To her bedside I'll be going
I will go to bed with my significant other.


And she'll hold me while I face the morning light
She will comfort me as I regret my actions and face the consequences of my infidelity.


And I'll make promises, promises to change
I will make empty promises to my significant other that I will change my ways.


I'll make her promises and swear I'll rearrange
I will make grandiose promises to her, swearing that I will make things right.


And I'll start giving all the love she needs
I will say that I will give her all the love and attention she deserves.


If only she will stay
I will make these promises in hopes that she will not leave me.


Once again she'll reassure me
My significant other will reassure me that she believes in me and my promises.


And I believe her love will cure me
I think that my significant other's love for me will cure my unfaithfulness and make me a better person.


And I'll fall asleep with tears on my face
I feel remorse for my actions and will cry myself to sleep.


Lord, I know she's just a woman
I acknowledge that my significant other is only human and has her limits.


And her love can't last forever
I know that my significant other's love for me will eventually run out.


And someday soon I know
I am aware that my behavior will catch up with me and that there will be consequences.


She'll leave without a trace
My significant other will leave me without any warning or explanation.


For broken promises will tear her dreams apart
My empty promises will shatter my significant other's hopes and dreams for our future together.


Just token promises will someday break her heart
My empty, meaningless promises will eventually break her heart.


And for the last time she'll hold me when I cry
As I face the consequences of my infidelity, my significant other will hold me one last time while I cry.


And while I'm sleeping she'll quietly say goodbye
Once I have fallen asleep, my significant other will silently leave me for good.




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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