tears
Elvis Costello Allen Toussaint Lyrics


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Wake up early in the morning
I got you on my mind
Even a simple phone call would suit me just fine

Tears, tears and more tears
I can't help but keep on crying
Tears, tears and more tears
I can't get you off of my mind

You didn't say what happened
You just walked away
You've been nothing but sorrow
And a lot of rainy days

Tears, tears and more tears
Baby won't you please come home
Tears, tears and more tears
Oh you've been gone too long

I remember the good times
The good times we had
How can you leave all that behind
Like it was just another place you've had

Remember the time when we drank sweet wine
I thought that everything was fine
Remember the walk in the park
When we talked about love and peace of mind?
Remember the night when I held you tight
Let the world pass us by
Remember the day when I heard you say
We can make it if we try

Tears, tears and more tears
What happened to the love we had?
Tears, tears and more tears
I got the blues and I got them bad

Wake up early in the morning
I got you on my mind
Even a simple phone call would suit me just fine

Tears, tears and more tears
I can't help but keep on crying
Tears, tears and more tears
I can't get you off of my mind

Tears, tears and more tears
Baby won't you please come home




Tears, tears and more tears
Oh you've been gone too long

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Tears Tears & More Tears" by Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint tell the story of a person who is missing their loved one, who has left without explanation. The singer is consumed with thoughts of their partner and cannot stop crying. They long for even the simplest connection with their loved one, such as a phone call. The lyrics are full of memories of the good times they shared and the pain of separation.


The chorus of "Tears Tears & More Tears" is a repetition of tears that the singer cannot stop. This repetition emphasizes the depth of their sadness and how they cannot move on from their heartbreak. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who is lost without their partner, and they desperately want them to come back. The chorus is an emotional appeal from the singer to their loved one to return.


Overall, the lyrics of "Tears Tears & More Tears" are a reflection on how separation can be painful and how people can hold onto memories of loved ones, even when they are gone. The song is a powerful exploration of heartbreak from two of music's most celebrated artists.


Line by Line Meaning

Wake up early in the morning
The singer is having trouble sleeping because they are preoccupied with thoughts of the person they miss.


I got you on my mind
The person the singer misses is constantly on their mind and they can't stop thinking about them.


Even a simple phone call would suit me just fine
The singer would be happy with even the smallest contact from the person they miss, just to know they are okay.


Tears, tears and more tears
The artist is crying a lot because they miss the person so much.


I can't help but keep on crying
The artist has no control over their tears and keeps crying because they can't stop thinking about the person they miss.


Baby won't you please come home
The singer is begging the person they miss to come back to them and be with them again.


Oh you've been gone too long
The singer feels like the person they miss has been away for too long and it's time for them to come back.


You didn't say what happened
The person the artist misses left without explaining why, and the artist doesn't understand why they left.


You just walked away
The person the artist misses left without any warning or explanation.


You've been nothing but sorrow
Since the person the artist misses left, the artist has been sad and upset all the time.


And a lot of rainy days
The singer is using the metaphor of rain to describe how they feel - like everything has been gloomy and sad since the person they miss left.


What happened to the love we had?
The artist is questioning why the love they had with the person they miss disappeared, and why they couldn't make it work.


I got the blues and I got them bad
The singer is feeling very sad and depressed because the person they miss is gone and they feel like they'll never be happy again.


I remember the good times
The singer is thinking back on the happy memories they shared with the person they miss.


The good times we had
The singer is specifically reminiscing about all the happy moments they shared with the person they miss.


How can you leave all that behind
The artist is confused and hurt that the person they miss could just walk away from all the good times and happy memories they shared.


Like it was just another place you've had
The person the artist misses seems to have treated their relationship like it was unimportant and disposable, like any other place they've been.


Remember the time when we drank sweet wine
The singer is recalling a specific moment they shared with the person they miss, when they drank wine together.


I thought that everything was fine
The singer believed that everything in their relationship was good and there were no problems, until the person they miss left them without warning.


Remember the walk in the park
The artist is thinking back on another happy moment they shared with the person they miss, when they took a walk in the park together.


When we talked about love and peace of mind?
During their walk in the park, the artist remembers having a conversation with the person they miss about love and finding inner peace.


Remember the night when I held you tight
The artist is recalling another specific moment they shared with the person they miss, when they held each other tightly.


Let the world pass us by
In that moment, the singer and the person they miss were so wrapped up in each other that nothing else in the world mattered.


Remember the day when I heard you say
The artist is remembering a time when the person they miss said something that meant a lot to them.


We can make it if we try
The person the singer misses was optimistic about their relationship and believed they could make it work if they both put in effort.


I can't get you off of my mind
The person the singer misses is constantly on their mind and they can't stop thinking about them.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALLEN TOUSSAINT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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