Moreland first debuted his name as a part of the Black Gold Band from 2006-2010, with a 2006 full-band demo, 2008's Endless Oklahoma Sky, and 2009's solo demo session falling in that time span before he decided to retire the Black Gold Band name. John continues to write and record music, and in 2010 will release Things I Can't Control under his own name. Black Gold Band guitarist Wayne Wedge has returned to perform secondary guitar duties, and producer Stephen Egerton (ALL, Descendents) has been playing drums on the studio sessions. In 2010, Moreland was featured on the multi-musician studio project The Seven Degrees of Stephen Egerton, along with members of Drag the River, Descendents, MxPx, and many others.
You Don't Care Enough for Me to Cry
John Moreland Lyrics
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Oh, I miss your holy shoutin'
These days I can't make you make a sound
Take me to the times where
We'd look up to the skies and
Climb up there and draw the thunder down
Now I'm forcing myself into
But darlin' I can't help the way I feel
And you need something stronger
A drug to kill the hunger
And ease the awful pain of living here
Well I'm the kind of love that hurts to look at
Maybe we should take it as a sign
When I'm strung out on leavin'
Exaltin' all my demons
And you don't care for me enough to cry
I dreamt I'd take you with me
And you'd say you forgive me
And we'd live out some easy ancient song
Now where I am unattended
In a splendid love's remembrance
You lost the mind to even do me wrong
And I'm the kind of love that hurts to look at
But once I was enough to make you try
Now I'm underneath the rubble
Tryin' not to feel the trouble
And you don't care for me enough to cry
So here's to hopin' I can change tomorrow
You wanted hard as nails, cut and dry
But I beg, steal and borrow
I'm so damn good at sorrow
And you don't care for me enough to cry
The first verse of John Moreland’s “You Don’t Care for Me Enough to Cry” describes the singer’s nostalgia for a former lover who used to be a source of comfort and support. The image of the “mountain” suggests that this person was once a towering, awe-inspiring force in the singer’s life, someone who could “draw the thunder down” and control the forces of nature. However, something has changed, and this person no longer responds to the singer’s entreaties. The second verse juxtaposes the singer’s feelings of intense emotional pain with the idea that his ex-lover needs “something stronger / a drug to kill the hunger / and ease the awful pain of living here.” This suggests that the two of them were never entirely in sync with each other, and that they both looked to external means of relief (such as drugs or spirituality) to alleviate their suffering.
The third verse of the song is perhaps the most poignant, as the singer imagines a scenario in which he and his ex-lover reunite and share a “splendid love’s remembrance.” However, despite these romantic yearnings, the singer is painfully aware that he is “the kind of love that hurts to look at,” and that his ex-lover has moved on to someone or something else. The closing lines of the song convey a sense of resignation and sadness, as the singer acknowledges that he is “underneath the rubble / tryin’ not to feel the trouble” and that his ex-lover no longer cares for him enough to shed tears on his behalf.
Line by Line Meaning
Come down from your mountain
I miss the way you used to be so full of life and energy.
Oh, I miss your holy shoutin'
I long for the days when you were passionate about something.
These days I can't make you make a sound
Now you're quiet and distant, and I don't know how to reach you anymore.
Take me to the times where
Help me remember the good times we had together.
We'd look up to the skies and
We were hopeful and had high expectations for our future together.
Climb up there and draw the thunder down
We were fearless and believed that we could accomplish anything we set our minds to.
Now I'm forcing myself into
I'm trying to understand what you've been through, but it's difficult for me.
What you've already been through
I know that you've experienced pain and heartbreak, but I don't know how to help you heal.
But darlin' I can't help the way I feel
I still love you, even though things have changed between us.
And you need something stronger
You need more than what I can offer you to deal with your pain and suffering.
A drug to kill the hunger
You need something to numb the pain and make you feel better.
And ease the awful pain of living here
You're struggling to cope with life, and it's affecting our relationship.
Well I'm the kind of love that hurts to look at
I love you so much that it hurts me to see you suffer.
Maybe we should take it as a sign
Perhaps we're not meant to be together anymore, and we should move on.
When I'm strung out on leavin'
I'm constantly thinking about leaving you, even though I don't really want to.
Exaltin' all my demons
I'm struggling with my own demons and insecurities.
And you don't care for me enough to cry
You're so distant and unemotional that you can't even cry for me when I'm hurting.
I dreamt I'd take you with me
I used to have dreams of us being together forever and overcoming anything that came our way.
And you'd say you forgive me
I hoped that we could forgive each other for our mistakes and move forward together.
And we'd live out some easy ancient song
We'd have a simple and beautiful life together, just like in an old love song.
Now where I am unattended
I feel like I've been left alone to deal with my emotions and struggles.
In a splendid love's remembrance
I remember the good times we had together and the love we shared.
You lost the mind to even do me wrong
You've changed so much that you're not even capable of hurting me anymore.
So here's to hopin' I can change tomorrow
I'm hopeful that things can get better between us in the future.
You wanted hard as nails, cut and dry
You wanted our relationship to be straightforward without any complications or emotions.
But I beg, steal and borrow
I'll do whatever it takes to make things work between us.
I'm so damn good at sorrow
I'm used to dealing with pain and heartbreak, and I can handle it better than most people.
And you don't care for me enough to cry
You're so closed off that you can't even show emotion when I'm in pain or hurting.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: John Moreland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind