I'm Not Crying
Flight of the Conchords Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

So, you're leaving, aren't you?
I knew it when you said just then when you told me you were leaving
That's when I definitely knew
But if you're trying to break my heart
Your plan is flawed from the start
You can't break my heart, it's liquid
It melted when I met you
And as you turn around to leave
Don't' turn back to me
Don't turn around and see if I'm crying
I'm not crying

I'm not crying
It's just been raining
On my face
And if you think you see some tear tracks down my cheeks
Please please, don't tell my mates
I'm not crying
No, I'm not crying
And if I am crying
It's not because of you
It's because I'm thinking about a friend of mine who you don't know who is dying
That's right, dying
These aren't tears of sadness because you're leaving me
I've just been cutting onions
I'm making a lasagna
For one
Oh, I'm not crying
No

There's just a little bit of dust in my eye
That's from the path that you made when you said your goodbye
I'm not weeping because you won't be here to hold my hand
For your information there's an inflammation in my tear gland

I'm not upset because you left me this way
My eyes are just a little sweaty today
They've been looking around
They're like searching for you
They've been looking for you
Even though I told them not to
These aren't tears of sadness
They're tears of joy
I'm just laughing
Ha ha ha-ha ha

I'm sitting at this table called love
Staring down at the irony of life
How come we've reached this fork in the road
And yet it cuts like a knife?
I'm not crying




I'm not crying
I'm not crying

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Flight of the Conchords' "I'm Not Crying" may seem straightforward at first, as the song appears to be about a person leaving and the singer insisting that they're not crying. However, as the song progresses, it becomes apparent that there are actually a few different layers to the story being told. At its core, the song is about a breakup, but it's not clear if the breakup is romantic or just a friendship ending. The singer insists that they're not upset about the other person leaving, and instead claims that any tears they might be shedding are due to something unrelated, like cutting onions or thinking about a sick friend.


The repetition of the line "I'm not crying" throughout the song is a clever way of demonstrating the singer's denial about their emotional state. By continuing to insist that they're not upset, despite all evidence to the contrary, the singer is trying to convince themselves (and perhaps the person they're talking to) that everything is okay. However, the added detail about the tears being caused by something else entirely serves as a way of acknowledging that the singer is, in fact, feeling sad. It's a way of saying, "I'm not crying about you specifically, but I am crying because things are tough right now."


The line about "cutting onions" is a clever bit of wordplay, as it functions as both a literal explanation for the tears and a subtle metaphor for the pain of the breakup. Cutting onions is a universally recognized trigger for tears, so it's a believable excuse for the singer's emotional state. However, the act of chopping an onion is also a metaphor for the way the relationship has been severed: just like a knife slicing through an onion, the end of the relationship has cut through the singer's heart.


Overall, "I'm Not Crying" is a deceptively simple song that uses humor and wordplay to explore a universal human experience. The singer's denial and attempts to deflect their emotions are relatable to anyone who has gone through a tough breakup or loss of a friendship, and the clever lyrics ensure that the song remains memorable long after the tears have dried.


Line by Line Meaning

So, you're leaving, aren't you?
I knew you were leaving when you told me, but if you think you're going to break my heart, you're mistaken.


But if you're trying to break my heart Your plan is flawed from the start You can't break my heart, it's liquid It melted when I met you
My heart is already broken because I fell in love with you when we met.


And as you turn around to leave Don't' turn back to me Don't turn around and see if I'm crying I'm not crying
Please don't look back at me as you leave. I don't want you to see me cry, but I assure you I'm not crying.


And if you think you see some tear tracks down my cheeks Please please, don't tell my mates
If you see what looks like tears on my face, please don't tell my friends.


I'm not crying No, I'm not crying And if I am crying It's not because of you It's because I'm thinking about a friend of mine who you don't know who is dying That's right, dying These aren't tears of sadness because you're leaving me
I swear I'm not crying because you're leaving me. Rather, I'm crying over a friend who is dying, whom you don't know.


I've just been cutting onions I'm making a lasagna For one Oh, I'm not crying No
Don't be mistaken; I'm not crying. I'm just cooking a lasagna for myself, and the onions I'm cutting are making my eyes watery.


There's just a little bit of dust in my eye That's from the path that you made when you said your goodbye I'm not weeping because you won't be here to hold my hand For your information there's an inflammation in my tear gland
I'm not crying because you left me, but rather because there's dust in my eye. And if you must know, my tear gland is inflamed and causing my eyes to water.


I'm not upset because you left me this way My eyes are just a little sweaty today They've been looking around They're like searching for you They've been looking for you Even though I told them not to
I'm not upset that you left me. My eyes are just a bit sweaty today because they keep searching for you, even though I told them not to.


These aren't tears of sadness They're tears of joy I'm just laughing Ha ha ha-ha ha
Despite what it may seem, these aren't tears of sadness but rather tears of joy. I'm actually laughing.


I'm sitting at this table called love Staring down at the irony of life How come we've reached this fork in the road And yet it cuts like a knife? I'm not crying I'm not crying I'm not crying
Sitting alone at a love table, I ponder the irony of life and how we've reached this point of departure that's so painful. But don't be mistaken; I'm not crying.




Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: BRET MCKENZIE, JEMAINE CLEMENT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@An_Arbitrary_Miscellany

"How come we're at a fork in the road, and yet it cuts like a knife" has got to be one of the greatest lines recorded by NZ's fourth most popular comedy folk double-act.

@sagganuts18

"I'm sitting at this table called love staring down at the irony of life" adds too it too. Just cutleries word plays all around

@Matthew-mf6xg

@@criszis woosh

@radbradke

It’s definitely top three

@MikhailDSouzaD

@@radbradke Depending on the street

@vichobocho

They're now the biggest NZ band, mostly because all NZ bands are one man acts, like paul and rachel

2 More Replies...

@zachwinningham

The "ha..ha, ha ha" harmony is epic.

@edblackaby2078

The whole song is epic

@oglatnik

Yes

@aporue5893

reminds me of the beegees 🤣👍

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