Releasing her first single in 1959, she struggled to launch her career from segregated New Orleans as a teenage waitress with 4 children in the early 60's. Now, finally undergoing a late career renaissance on the Rounder label, much of her most enduring work was produced in the early 1960's by Allen Toussaint for Minit Records, and she also recorded for other labels including Imperial, Chess, and Atlantic, eventually retiring for a period before reviving her career in earnest in the late 1980's.
Thomas is perhaps best known outside of New Orleans for her recording of "Time Is On My Side," which predated the hit version by the Rolling Stones. Otis Redding's hit "Pain In My Heart" was built on an earlier song, "Ruler of My Heart," recorded by Thomas.
Thomas is still active as a performer, appearing annually at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and various tour dates in the US and Europe. She has reigned as Queen of the Krewe du Vieux for the 1998 New Orleans Mardi Gras season and often headlined at her own club, the Lion's Den, which is now out of business due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Irma Thomas has participated in numerous post-Katrina charity projects including The New Orleans Social Club, and won numerous awards including the Offbeat Magazine Award, Mojo Magazine's Legends award, Big Easy Award, a Family Services Award and many more. In 2009, Scott Billington compiled a Rounder records retrospective "Irma Thomas: A 50th Anniversary Celebration of The Soul Queen of New Orleans: " .
I Haven't Got Time To Cry
Irma Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're gone
But I know, I know, I'll go on
'Cause I haven't
No no,
I haven't
I haven't got time to cry
I'd have died
I would wait, wait, wait, wait,
And wonder why
Oh but I've learnt
That I haven't
No, I ain't got no time to cry
Plenty more where you came from
There's a whole lot of fish in the sea
A brand new surprise at each turn of the road
And the road keeps winding for me
So I'll laugh
And I'm gonna date
Because I believe I believe, yeah yeah, I believe
I gotta believe in fate
That I just
I haven't
No no no
I, I haven't
No, I haven't got time to cry
Oh no no I haven't
I say I haven't
No no no I haven't gotten it
I just ain't got no time to cry
No no no,
No no
I ain't got no time to be fishing around
And waiting for you to come back
And try this thing over one more time
No no no
No no
I ain't gonna cry
No no no
No no no
I haven't got time to cry
The lyrics to “I Haven’t Got Time To Cry” by Irma Thomas, speak to a woman who has been left by her partner, but has decided to move on, without dwelling on the past. The woman acknowledges that a year ago, she might have been heartbroken by the separation, but now realizes that she has no time for sadness. She instead chooses to look to the future. The line, “Plenty more where you came from” may indicate that she understands that there are many other opportunities for her to meet someone new, and that her experience with this partner does not define her future.
Furthermore, the lyrics talk about how she has learnt that she doesn't have to spend time waiting around for someone who has already left. She has come to realize that there’s a whole world to explore and that she needs to embrace the concept of fate. She seems determined to be positive and move on with life, laughing and dating again, rather than crying over her past. She insinuates that she doesn’t have the time to waste on someone who has already moved on, and she is capable of moving on as well.
In essence, the lyrics of “I Haven’t Got Time To Cry” is a message about life moving forward, even when things don’t work out as planned. It’s about seizing opportunities and not allowing ourselves to be defined by one heartbreak or failure. The song encourages its listeners to be hopeful again, and not to be discouraged by setbacks.
Line by Line Meaning
You left
You departed from my life
You're gone
You are no longer present in my life
But I know, I know, I'll go on
Despite your absence, I will continue with my life
'Cause I haven't
Because I do not have
No no,
Absolutely not,
I haven't
I do not possess the luxury
I haven't got time to cry
I do not have sufficient time to express my emotions through tears
A year ago
One year prior
I'd have died
I would have been emotionally shattered
I would wait, wait, wait, wait,
I would have anticipated your comeback with desperation
And wonder why
And pondered the reasons for your leaving
Oh but I've learnt
But I have gained knowledge
That I haven't
That I don't possess
No, I ain't got no time to cry
I do not have the luxury of shedding tears
Plenty more where you came from
There are numerous individuals like you
There's a whole lot of fish in the sea
There are ample opportunities to meet new people
And the road keeps winding for me
Life has many twists and turns for me
So I'll laugh
So I will find amusement in life
And I'm gonna date
And I will explore the possibility of forming new relationships
Because I believe I believe, yeah yeah, I believe
Because I have faith in the future
I gotta believe in fate
I have to believe that everything happens for a reason
That I just
That I simply
I haven't
I do not possess
No no no
Absolutely not
I, I haven't
I do not possess
No, I haven't got time to cry
I do not have the luxury of expressing my emotions through tears
Oh no no I haven't
Oh absolutely not, I do not possess
I say I haven't
I declare that I do not possess
No no no I haven't gotten it
I do not have adequate time to emotionally express myself
I just ain't got no time to cry
Simply put, I do not have free time for emotional expressions
No no no,
Absolutely not
No no
Absolutely not
I ain't got no time to be fishing around
I don't have time to randomly search for love
And waiting for you to come back
And waiting for you to return
And try this thing over one more time
And attempt to rekindle our relationship
I ain't gonna cry
I am not going to express my emotions through tears
No no no
Absolutely not
No no no
Absolutely not
I haven't got time to cry
I do not have adequate time to express my emotions through tears
Writer(s): Mel Carter, Zelda Samuels
Contributed by Allison I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ellasnell8649
Beautiful song, lyrics:
You left
You're gone
But I know, I know, I'll go on
'Cause I haven't
No no,
I haven't
I haven't got time to cry
A year ago
I'd have died
I would wait, wait, wait, wait,
And wonder why
Oh but I've learnt
That I haven't
No, I ain't got no time to cry
Plenty more where you came from
There's a whole lot of fish in the sea
A brand new surprise at each turn of the road
And the road keeps winding for me
So I'll laugh
And I'm gonna date
Because I believe I believe, yeah yeah, I believe
I gotta believe in fate
That I just
I haven't
No no no
I, I haven't
No, I haven't got time to cry
Oh no no I haven't
I say I haven't
No no no I haven't gotten it
I just ain't got no time to cry
No no no,
No no
I ain't got no time to be fishing around
And waiting for you to come back
And try this thing over one more time
No no no
No no
I ain't gonna cry
No no no
No no no
I haven't got time to cry.
@meruhhthecat9200
my first love brought me here, had a unique music taste.
if u see this hi e
@flavia7214
NBC's Good Girls brought me here.
@MinimalisticLifestyle333
Good girls has such an amazing soundtrack!!! I think I have Shazamed 99.9% of the songs from that show
@lovelysanoharuno1906
Same
@marygodwin3845
Amazing voice.. Today's music is just hopeless
@johnbewall9065
Soul singing from the ❤️
@jeanpierrevanzandberghe3843
damned!!the voice!!irma tu es LE PODIUM!!!et tous derriere!!!god bless you i love youuu!!!!!!!!!!
@jolantabf4397
What a voice!
@dahjsmith
The movie "Unbelievable " got me here.
@juneracey8272
Same here.. I thought it was Timi Yuro great song was a pre Motown fan, at 72yrs there's no modern music that comes any where near it.