The critical reception of "Big Girls Don't Cry" was positive, with many praising the maturity and simplicity displayed on the single as well as the message. The song was a commercial success domestically, attaining the top position on the Billboard Hot 100. It became her third single to do so and earned her the accolade of being the first female artist with three number-one singles from one album since Christina Aguilera in 2000. "Big Girls Don't Cry" also became Fergie's longest-charting and highest-selling single in the US with 3,833,000 units sold as of August 2012. The song also reached number one in eleven international territories including Australia, where it spent nine weeks at the top position, became the highest-selling song of 2007, and was certified quintuple platinum.
The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Anthony Mandler and released in May 2007. It depicts Fergie and her love interest, portrayed by actor Milo Ventimiglia, in their turbulent relationship that ultimately ends with Fergie packing up her belongings and driving away in her car. The music video featured Fergie in apparel designed by Candie's and was used by the brand to promote its clothing line.
Big Girls Don't Cry
Fergie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The smell of your skin lingers on me now
You're probably on your flight back to your hometown
I need some shelter of my own protection, baby
Be with myself and center
Clarity, peace, serenity
I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, myself and I
We've got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
The path that I'm walking
I must go alone
I must take the baby steps 'til I'm full grown, full grown
Fairy tales don't always have a happy ending, do they?
And I foresee the dark ahead if I stay
I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, myself and I
We've got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry
Like the little school mate in the school yard
We'll play jacks and Uno cards
I'll be your best friend, and you'll be mine
Valentine
Yes, you can hold my hand if you want to
'Cause I wanna hold yours too
We'll be playmates and lovers, and share our secret worlds
But it's time for me to go home
It's getting late and dark outside
I need to be with myself and center
Clarity, peace, serenity
I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, myself and I
We've got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
La da da da da da
In Fergie's song "Big Girls Don't Cry," the singer reflects on a past relationship that she knows she needs to move on from. The opening lines set the melancholic tone as Fergie recounts her lover's scent that still lingers on her skin even though he has flown back to his hometown. She acknowledges that she needs to find inner peace and clarity as she navigates her emotions, concluding that "big girls don't cry."
As the song progresses, Fergie realizes that her personal growth must be done alone, taking "baby steps 'til I'm full grown." She acknowledges that happy endings are not always a guarantee, and remaining in the relationship would lead to a "dark" future. However, Fergie still longs for the love she shared with her partner and imagines a version of the future where they can still be best friends and lovers, playing games like jacks and Uno together. But ultimately, she knows it's time to let go and take control of her life.
Overall, "Big Girls Don't Cry" is a poignant reflection on the pain of letting go of a former love, the struggle to find inner peace, and the realization that personal growth is a journey that must be taken alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Da da da da
Instrumental intro
The smell of your skin lingers on me now
Your presence is still with me, but it's time for me to move on
You're probably on your flight back to your hometown
You're gone, and I'm alone
I need some shelter of my own protection, baby
I need some time to myself to heal
Be with myself and center, Clarity, peace, serenity
I need to find peace and clarity within myself
I hope you know, I hope you know, That this has nothing to do with you
My decision to move on is not a reflection of your worth, it's about me
It's personal, myself and I, We've got some straightenin' out to do
I need to work on myself, and my own issues
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
I'll miss you, but I need to grow and move on
But I've got to get a move on with my life, It's time to be a big girl now, And big girls don't cry, Don't cry, Don't cry
It's time for me to grow up and move forward, and not dwell on the past anymore
The path that I'm walking, I must go alone, I must take the baby steps 'til I'm full grown, full grown
I need to take small steps towards independence and maturity
Fairy tales don't always have a happy ending, do they? And I foresee the dark ahead if I stay
I can't keep living in a fantasy, and staying in the past will lead to trouble
Like the little school mate in the school yard, We'll play jacks and Uno cards
We had some great times, but we're moving on
I'll be your best friend, and you'll be mine, Valentine
We'll always be friends, but we're going our separate ways
Yes, you can hold my hand if you want to, 'Cause I wanna hold yours too
We'll always care for each other, but it's time to move on
We'll be playmates and lovers, and share our secret worlds, But it's time for me to go home
We had some great memories, but I need to move on with my own life
It's getting late and dark outside, I need to be with myself and center, Clarity, peace, serenity
I need to spend some alone time to find peace and clarity
I hope you know, I hope you know, That this has nothing to do with you
My decision to move on is not about blaming you or our past
It's personal, myself and I, We've got some straightenin' out to do
I need to work on myself and my own growth
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket, But I've got to get a move on with my life
I'll miss you, but I need to move on and grow up
It's time to be a big girl now, And big girls don't cry, Don't cry, Don't cry, La da da da da da
It's time for me to move forward and not stay stuck in the past
Lyrics Ā© BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Tobias Gad, Stacy Ferguson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marykandhai-douglas6899
Damn this song hits different when you're a full-grown adult now.
@randanaim9586
I was just thinking the same thing! It just sounded great as a kid, but now I understand the meaning.
@shylahutchins6985
iām a child and i actually understandā¦.
@randanaim9586
@@shylahutchins6985 You think you do, but you'll really get it when you're grown up and have had life experiences.
@missbridjety
@@randanaim9586 what they are saying is you might understand the song but as they are saying it hits different when you're an adult they mean you'll have a different understanding of and a feeling of what the song is saying/meaning.
@nosoupforyouakadelbocavist2632
Don't it? I'm in my 40s now. More relatable than ever.
@kdovedesigns
2024 now and this song still slaps hard. Such a talented singer.
@viniciusdeoliveiramiranda9407
It's true, a song of seventeen years ago
@melaniechristinee
Has always!!!ā¤
@traceybriscuso4333
This winter of O6 anthem... OR 07? Furtado?