Messina debuted in 1996 with the single "Heads Carolina, Tails California". Her album was certifified Gold by the RIAA. Her second album, I'm Alright produced five Top 10 Country hits between 1998 in 1999 and sold over a million copies in America. Since her debut, six of her singles have peaked at #1 on the Billboard Country singles chart and five of her albums have received a certification by the RIAA or the CRIA.
She was raised in Holliston, Massachusetts, by Vincent and Mary Messina, and had two sisters, Terese and Marianne, as well as a brother named Vincent. Messina had a variety of Country music influences, which included Patsy Cline, Reba McEntire, and The Judds. She soon started performing live, and by age 16 she was playing local clubs with a rhythm section made up of her brother and sister. The family band played up until Messina was in her late teens.
Realizing that living in the Northeast would limit her chances of achieving Country music stardom, Messina moved to Nashville at age 19. To support herself, Messina worked various temp jobs, including computer programming and accounting. In her spare time, she entered talent contests around Nashville.
One win led to a regular gig on the radio show Live at Libby's, which in turn caught the interest of producer Byron Gallimore, who helped her assemble a demo tape. Gallimore was also working with the young Tim McGraw around the same time, and Messina befriended him. Backstage at one of his concerts, Messina met an executive from his label, Curb, and jokingly suggested that they needed a redhead. With the help of fellow Curb producer James Stroud, Messina was then signed to the record label. Gallimore and McGraw would later become co-producers of Messina's studio albums under Curb.
In 2022, Cole Swindell had a major hit with a remake of "Heads Carolina, Tails California" entitled "She Had Me At Heads Carolina." In the music video, Jo Dee plays a small part as the bartender in a Karaoke bar.
No Time For Tears
Jo Dee Messina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, but it wasn't enough
It don't seem right to hurt so bad
When all you're giving is love
You wouldn't let me love you
You're just too hard to hold
I gotta break the chains that bind me
So I'm
Gonna take a cab, take a train
Maybe a limousine
Anything to get me out of here
Ain't no way around it
Oh, no doubt about it
One thing is clear
Oh, there's no time for tears
Oh no
A wall too steep
Too high to climb
Is protecting your heart
I tried to break through
Time after time
Oh, but it keeps us apart
I've cried enough to know that
It's killing me to stay
I'd rather be alone
Than hurt this way
Gonna take a cab, take a train
Maybe a limousine
Anything to get me out of here
Ain't no way around it
Oh, no doubt about it
One thing is clear
Oh, there's no time for tears
The time has come
To move ahead
And find what waits for me
Ooh, whoa, whoa
Gonna take a cab, take a train
Maybe a limousine
Anything to get me out of here
Ain't no way around it
Oh, no doubt about it
One thing is clear
Oh, there's no time for
No time for no time for
There's no time for tears
Oh no
No time for tears
Yeah
No time for no time for tears
No time for tears
Oh no no no no
The lyrics to Jo Dee Messina's song "No Time for Tears" reflect the pain and heartbreak caused by a relationship that isn't working. Despite giving their all in the relationship, the singer's love is not being reciprocated, and they've come to the realization that they need to break free from the chains that bind them to an unhappy situation. The use of transportation imagery, such as taking a cab, a train, or a limousine, signifies the need for a physical departure from the relationship. The line "A wall too steep, too high to climb, is protecting your heart" paints a powerful image of the emotional barriers that are preventing the relationship from flourishing. Despite the devastation, the singer knows that it's time to move forward and find what waits for them outside of this toxic situation, which is why there's "no time for tears."
Overall, the song expresses the pain of realizing that no matter how much love and effort you put into a relationship, sometimes, it's just not meant to be. It reflects the courage and strength it takes to leave a relationship that isn't working, despite how heartbreaking and difficult it might be.
Line by Line Meaning
I gave you everything I had
I devoted myself to you entirely.
Oh, but it wasn't enough
However, my efforts proved to be insufficient.
It don't seem right to hurt so bad
I should not be feeling this much pain.
When all you're giving is love
Especially since you are only reciprocating with affection.
You wouldn't let me love you
You did not allow me to express my love in the way I wanted to.
You're just too hard to hold
Your emotional walls were too high to breach.
I gotta break the chains that bind me
I need to free myself from this harmful situation.
So I'm gonna take a cab, take a train, maybe a limousine
I will use any transportation method I can to leave this place.
Anything to get me out of here
I will do whatever it takes to escape this painful situation.
Ain't no way around it, oh, no doubt about it
I am certain that there is no other solution.
One thing is clear, oh, there's no time for tears
I need to be strong and move on. There is no time to be sad.
A wall too steep, too high to climb, is protecting your heart
Your emotional walls are too high and thick for me to penetrate.
I've cried enough to know that it's killing me to stay
My repeated efforts to break through to you have only caused me pain.
I'd rather be alone than hurt this way
I would rather be lonely than stay in this emotionally abusive relationship.
The time has come to move ahead and find what waits for me
I need to move on and discover what the future holds for me.
Gonna take a cab, take a train, maybe a limousine
Once again, I will use whatever transportation means necessary to leave.
Anything to get me out of here
I will do whatever it takes to escape this painful situation.
Ain't no way around it, oh, no doubt about it
I am certain that there is no other solution.
One thing is clear, oh, there's no time for no time for tears
I need to be strong and move on. There is no time to be sad.
Oh no, no time for tears, yeah
I cannot afford to waste time mourning this failed relationship.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN JONES, STEVEN DALE JONES, JO DEE M MESSINA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind