New Jersey native Lauren Frawley knew she wanted to be a singer from the time she was a kindergartner. In 2015, she drew the attention of labels, management, and millions of listeners when her uploaded cover of Alessia Cara's "Here" went viral. She was 14 at the time. Subsequent covers included songs made famous by the likes of Adele and Demi Lovato. As a high school student, she dedicated time away from school to practicing piano, learning to play guitar, and working on writing songs.
After finishing high school and signing with Island Records, Frawley issued her debut single, "Hard Boy," in mid-2019. She followed it later in the year with tracks including the Beck-referencing "Losers," "Easy," and a label-issued cover of the Cranberries' "Zombie." More singles followed in 2020 and 2021, including "Knocking on My Heart," "Austin's Song," and "No One Can Fix Me," the latter of which became her biggest hit to date. During this time, Frawley was racking up co-writing credits (Hunter Hayes, Dixie D’Amelio, Tate McRae, and Icona Pop) and working with John Legend. She kicked off 2022 with the punchy "Kiss and Tell" and the wistful "If I Don't Laugh, I'll Cry."
If I Don't Laugh I'll Cry
Frawley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Started to feel like me again
Hadn′t been that happy in a while
Had drinks and we put a sad song on
You're oh, so casually brought up
There goes my night and goes my smile
′Cause that was two full years of us down the drain
And when my friends are asking if I miss you
What do I say?
If I don't laugh, I′m gonna cry
Don′t wanna hear your name tonight
I'm finally happy, not in the mood
I don′t wanna think about you
If I hear your name one more time
I think I'm gonna lose my mind
Don′t know what to do 'cause I′m not alright
But if I don't laugh, I'm gonna cry, cry
Made my way to the bathroom, nonchalant
′Cause I felt like tears were coming on
It′s not what I planned for my big night out
Took me hours just to do my makeup right
If you're the reason it gets ruined, I′ll be pissed tonight
Either way, mascara's running down
′Cause that was two full years of us down the drain
And I'm reminded that it all went to waste
And when my friends are asking if I miss you
What do I say?
If I don′t laugh, I'm gonna cry
Don't wanna hear your name tonight
I′m finally happy, not in the mood
I don′t wanna think about you
If I hear your name one more time
I think I'm gonna lose my mind
Don′t know what to do 'cause I′m not alright
But if I don't laugh, I′m gonna cry, cry
And I bet you're out with all your friends
Or maybe kissing someone new, and you don't have to pretend
Like you don′t miss me
Like you don′t miss me
If I don't laugh, I′m gonna cry
Don't wanna hear your name tonight
I′m finally happy, not in the mood
I don't wanna think about you
If I hear your name one more time
I think I′m gonna lose my mind
Don't know what to do 'cause I′m not alright
But if I don′t laugh, I'm gonna cry, cry
The lyrics to Frawley's song "If I Don't Laugh I'll Cry" explore the complex emotions that arise after a breakup. The singer begins by describing a night out with friends, where they start to feel like themselves again. They haven't been happy in a long time, but this night brings them some joy. However, their happiness is quickly shattered when someone casually brings up their ex-partner, causing their smile to fade and reminding them of the two years they spent together that ended in heartbreak. The singer is then faced with the difficult task of answering their friends' questions about whether they miss their ex. They feel torn between not wanting to dwell on the past and wanting to acknowledge the pain they still feel.
As the night progresses, the singer finds solace in the bathroom, where tears threaten to ruin their makeup. They express frustration at the possibility of their ex-partner being the reason for their emotional turmoil on what was supposed to be a fun night out. They feel the weight of the wasted time and effort they invested in the relationship washing away with their mascara. The chorus repeats, emphasizing their struggle to balance their newfound happiness and the lingering pain caused by thoughts of their ex.
The final verse suggests that the singer imagines their ex-partner moving on and being happy with someone new. They acknowledge the possibility that their ex may not miss them, which adds to their turmoil. The song concludes with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the singer's dilemma of needing to laugh to avoid crying.
Overall, "If I Don't Laugh I'll Cry" captures the conflicting emotions and challenges of healing after a breakup. It illustrates the struggle of letting go while also acknowledging the pain and loss that still lingers.
Line by Line Meaning
Went out the other night with all my friends
I went out with my friends recently
Started to feel like me again
I began to feel more like my true self
Hadn't been that happy in a while
It had been a long time since I felt that happy
Had drinks and we put a sad song on
We had some drinks and played a sad song
You're oh, so casually brought up
You were mentioned in such a casual manner
There goes my night and goes my smile
My night and my smile were ruined by that mention
Cause that was two full years of us down the drain
Because our two years together went to waste
And I'm reminded that it all went to waste
It reminds me that our relationship was a waste
And when my friends are asking if I miss you
When my friends ask if I miss you
What do I say?
What should my response be?
If I don't laugh, I'm gonna cry
If I don't force myself to laugh, I'll break down and cry
Don't wanna hear your name tonight
I don't want to hear your name tonight
I'm finally happy, not in the mood
I'm finally happy and I don't want it ruined by thoughts of you
I don't wanna think about you
I don't want to dwell on thoughts of you
If I hear your name one more time
If I hear your name again
I think I'm gonna lose my mind
I feel like I'm going to lose control of my emotions
Don't know what to do 'cause I'm not alright
I'm unsure of how to handle this situation because I'm not okay
But if I don't laugh, I'm gonna cry, cry
But if I don't force myself to laugh, I'll break down and cry
Made my way to the bathroom, nonchalant
I casually made my way to the bathroom
'Cause I felt like tears were coming on
Because I felt like I was about to start crying
It's not what I planned for my big night out
It wasn't what I had in mind for my significant night out
Took me hours just to do my makeup right
It took me a long time to do my makeup perfectly
If you're the reason it gets ruined, I'll be pissed tonight
If it's because of you that my night is ruined, I'll be angry
Either way, mascara's running down
Either way, my mascara is running down my face
And I bet you're out with all your friends
I'm guessing you're out with all your friends
Or maybe kissing someone new, and you don't have to pretend
Or perhaps you're kissing someone new, and you don't have to fake anything
Like you don't miss me
As if you don't miss me
If I don't laugh, I'm gonna cry
If I don't force myself to laugh, I'll break down and cry
Don't wanna hear your name tonight
I don't want to hear your name tonight
I'm finally happy, not in the mood
I'm finally happy and I don't want it ruined by thoughts of you
I don't wanna think about you
I don't want to dwell on thoughts of you
If I hear your name one more time
If I hear your name again
I think I'm gonna lose my mind
I feel like I'm going to lose control of my emotions
Don't know what to do 'cause I'm not alright
I'm unsure of how to handle this situation because I'm not okay
But if I don't laugh, I'm gonna cry, cry
But if I don't force myself to laugh, I'll break down and cry
Writer(s): Russell Chell, Lauren Elisabeth Frawley
Contributed by Lillian A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@justbee_k3876
[Verse 1]
Went out the other night with all my friends
Started to feel like me again
Hadn't been that happy in a while
Had drinks and we put a sad song on
You're oh so casually brought up
There goes my night and goes my smile
[Pre-Chorus]
'Cause that was two full years of us down the drain
And I'm reminded that it all went to waste
And when my friends are asking if I miss you
What do I say?
[Chorus]
If I don't laugh I'm gonna cry
Don't wanna hear your name tonight
I'm finally happy, not in the mood
I don't wanna think about you
If I hear your name one more time
I think I'm gonna lose my mind
Don't know what to do 'cause I'm not alright
But if I don't laugh I'm gonna cry, cry
Verse 2]
Made my way to the bathroom, nonchalant
'Cause I felt like tears werе coming on
It's not what I planned for my big night out
Took me hours just to do my makeup right
If you'rе the reason it gets ruined I'll be pissed tonight
Either way mascara's running down
[Pre-Chorus]
'Cause that was two full years of us down the drain
And I'm reminded that it all went to waste
And when my friends are asking if I miss you
What do I say?
[Chorus]
If I don't laugh I'm gonna cry
Don't wanna hear your name tonight
I'm finally happy, not in the mood
I don't wanna think about you
If I hear your name one more time
I think I'm gonna lose my mind
Don't know what to do 'cause I'm not alright
But if I don't laugh I'm gonna cry, cry
[Bridge]
And I bet you're out with all your friends
Or maybe kissing someone new and you don't have to pretend
Like you don't miss me
Like you don't miss me
@user-py4ti6ip4g
My ears : Listening to the music
My lips : singing along the song
My eyes : seeing comments
My head : scrolling down
My legs : moving in perfect sync with the song
My mind : recalling old memories
Yes I am love with this SONG ♡!
@AlaricAlex003
Went out the other night with all my friends
Started to feel like me again
Hadn’t been that happy in a while
Had drinks and we put a sad song on
You’re oh, so casually brought up
There goes my night and goes my smile
Chorus
‘Cause that was two full years of us down the drain
And I’m reminded that it all went to waste
And when my friends are asking if I miss you what do I say?
If I don’t laugh, I’m gonna cry
Don’t wanna hear your name tonight
I’m finally happy, not in the mood
I don’t wanna think about you
If I hear your name one more time
I think I’m gonna lose my mind
Don’t know what to do ’cause I’m not alright
But if I don’t laugh, I’m gonna cry, cry
Made my way to the bathroom, nonchalant
‘Cause I felt like tears were coming on
It’s not what I planned for my big night out
Took me hours just to do my makeup right
If you’re the reason it gets ruined, I’ll be pissed tonight
Either way, mascara’s running down
Chorus
@thevibeguide
Where is everyone listening from? 🌎🌏🌍
@rhysswildlifeanimalsandmor9903
Uk England
@saanvimukadam1900
India
@ninaj8414
Guam 🌴
@wrestlingwithjay3770
Canada
@ninaj8414
Thank y0u Vibe Guide🤍 ,. Safe weekends
@jenoseyessmile
I hate it when I feel like I'm the only one who miss all the moments, all the memories and cry over it meanwhile he might go through his life easily and even happier...
@mercychan8501
I feel you
@kellypham4358
it's just fucking hurt, really
@bouthainabob2561
Special when he forgets everything you should move on and start with another person who deserve you really