Black Tears
Jason Aldean Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

She puts on her work clothes, fishnet pantyhose,
She's got a nickname everybody knows at the gentlemen's club
She clocks in at midnight, even though it never feels right,
Makes her money one dollar at a time.
Without the makeup, nobody knows her name,
And she wears the pain

Black tears, rolling down,
From the eyes of an angel in a sinner's town
She reveals, and they all cheer,
Then she cries, black tears

Jealous of the innocent, sometimes she's convinced,
The boss man is still a friend she needs.
She's tried everything, cheap sex and cocaine,
Anything to hide the pain for a little while
The wrong kind of famous in her momma's eyes,
You can tell she knows it when she cries

Black tears, rolling down
From the eyes of an angel in a sinner's town,
White lights on the mirror,
Just won't hide, black tears

She tries and tries so hard to get away
But everybody's watching

Black tears, rolling down,
From the eyes of an angel in a sinner's town,
If all the pain would just disappear




She'd quit cryin', yeah she'd quit cryin',
Black tears

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jason Aldean's "Black Tears" tell the story of a woman who works at a gentlemen's club. She wears a mask of heavy makeup and a nickname, but without it, nobody knows her real name. She works late into the night serving drinks and performing for the customers. Despite the fame and money she makes in this profession, she feels empty and carries the weight of pain on her shoulders, hence "black tears," which she cries after every show. She's jealous of those who are innocent and wish she could escape from her sinful world. Her mother looks at her with scorn as she's the wrong kind of famous. She's tried everything, from sex to drugs, to hide the pain, but nothing seems to work.


The lyrics are thought-provoking as they depict the harsh reality of the world that many people choose to ignore. It talks about pain, loneliness, and vulnerability of people who work in such environments. It showcases the irony of the situation where the performer has to put on a smile to entertain their audience, while the same act makes them feel empty inside. It's a story that's not easy to forget, and it makes you think of the people who work in such professions.


Line by Line Meaning

She puts on her work clothes, fishnet pantyhose,
She dresses up for work in revealing clothes that attract attention.


She's got a nickname everybody knows at the gentlemen's club
She goes by a stage name that everyone knows at the strip club.


She clocks in at midnight, even though it never feels right,
She starts work late at night, but it doesn't feel right to her.


Makes her money one dollar at a time.
She earns her money one small amount at a time.


Without the makeup, nobody knows her name,
Her stage name and makeup are what make her known, without them nobody knows her.


And she wears the pain
She internalizes her pain and keeps it to herself.


Black tears, rolling down,
She cries black tears to show her anguish.


From the eyes of an angel in a sinner's town
She has a good heart in a bad environment.


She reveals, and they all cheer,
She strips and the audience cheers her on.


Then she cries, black tears
After her performance, she cries black tears due to the emotional pain she endures.


Jealous of the innocent, sometimes she's convinced,
She is envious of people who haven't gone through what she has and is sometimes convinced that her boss is still her friend.


The boss man is still a friend she needs.
She thinks she needs her boss's friendship, even though he might just be using her.


She's tried everything, cheap sex and cocaine,
She has tried to drown her pain with sex and drugs.


Anything to hide the pain for a little while
She will do anything to temporarily forget her pain.


The wrong kind of famous in her momma's eyes,
Her mother doesn't approve of her profession.


You can tell she knows it when she cries
She cries because she knows her mother is disappointed in her.


White lights on the mirror,
The bright lights in the mirror highlight her flaws.


Just won't hide, black tears
The lights can't hide her pain.


She tries and tries so hard to get away
She wants to leave this life behind.


But everybody's watching
But she can't escape because everyone is watching her.


If all the pain would just disappear
If her pain would go away.


She'd quit cryin', yeah she'd quit cryin',
She would stop crying if her pain went away.


Black tears
Her tears are black due to the toxicity of her situation.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CANAAN LEE SMITH, TYLER REED HUBBARD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@robinluich6626

This song was my life.
I was married at 16 had four babies by the time I was 21 and my husband decided he wasn't going to be a husband or father.
I was 21 with four babies and a high school drop out.My husband made good money but didn't provide, and I couldn't get help from social services because I couldn't prove he abandon the family. I got a dance job but lost it the first day.The owner said this kind of work is not for everyone. I was shy my whole life and this was definitely not something I ever thought I would do.
I was so desperate I begged my sisters friend to get me a job at the club she worked at. She said I'll get you a job but you better take something off this time. Well it was a bikini dance bar and I forced myself up after a drink. I wasn't a drinker.
I remember my first day after work walking home tipsy and there happened to be a Hispanic tent church set up in a parking lot. I walked over plopped down and cried. I said "Lord I can't go home to my babies like this".
I felt so inadequate as a mother.
I was afraid of becoming an alcoholic because I couldn't get on stage without a shot of courage and I had a 15 drink quota.
I had a million different emotions, I felt cheap shaking my butt for money. I was mother,a daughter, sister,and granddaughter. What would they think of me?
I met my second husband of 32 years in the darkest time of my life in the most unlikely place to meet a man of such integrity.
I knew the first time I seen him that he was going through a great relationship unraveling also.
We found a light in each other.
Together we have 7 children, my four,his one,and our two daughters.
We have ten grandchildren and alot of birthday parties.
I quite dancing after 3 months of dating my husband, and he gave me the confidence to go back to school get GED and go for my realtor license.
Somehow someone always finds out I danced all those years ago and I'm ashamed,and embarrassed. My husband has never thrown dancing in my face but his brother has. I forgive him because he didn't know my struggles. God blessed my broken road.



@Mel-vy2io

LYRICS:

She puts on her work clothes, fishnet pantyhose,
She's got a nickname everybody knows at the gentlemen's club
She clocks in at midnight, even though it never feels right,
Makes her money one dollar at a time.
Without the makeup, nobody knows her name,
And she wears the pain

Black tears, rolling down,
From the eyes of an angel in a sinner's town
She reveals, and they all cheer,
Then she cries, black tears

Jealous of the innocent, sometimes she's convinced,
The boss man is still a friend she needs.
She's tried everything, cheap sex and cocaine,
Anything to hide the pain for a little while
The wrong kind of famous in her momma's eyes,
You can tell she knows it when she cries

Black tears, rolling down
From the eyes of an angel in a sinner's town,
White lights on the mirror,
Just won't hide, black tears

She tries and tries so hard to get away
But everybody's watching

Black tears, rolling down,
From the eyes of an angel in a sinner's town,
If all the pain would just disappear
She'd quit cryin', yeah she'd quit cryin',
Black tears



All comments from YouTube:

@reneebutler182

Just do not understand why this song never made it big. It's a awesome song and so true

@armelindacarrasco4293

I always wondered the same thing.

@pointingdog7235

Too real for people to handle I guess.

@MaryABJM

Right

@lindaking0459

I AGREE

@Justin-ko8wx

It already has

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@ashleyemma4954

This song always makes me cry. I think it never made it big because it speaks so much truth and people don't want to look the other way.

@angiepilkington4165

This song speaks for a lot of young women who have been tru some bad situation's...but yet they try to hide their pain because its brings back bad memories...or they just want to forget the past... Luv this song..

@reneebutler4265

I can not understand why this song never made it. What a awesome song and so true

@TerraThesilkwing206421

I get this song all to well. My dad played this song to me when I was way younger. He put me through human trafficking when I was 9-10. I escaped from him when I was 10. I saw my dad still around and he played this song when it all ended. Wow this song is bittersweet.

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