Joni James was born Giovanna Joan Carmella Babbo on Sept. 22, 1930 in Chica… Read Full Bio ↴Joni James was born Giovanna Joan Carmella Babbo on Sept. 22, 1930 in Chicago, IL. In her early years, she studied drama & ballet. After high school she toured Canada with a dance group. After taking a job as a chorus girl, she decided to pursue a singing career. MGM executives saw her in a TV commercial and she was signed by MGM in 1952.

She was the first American singer to record at Abbey Road Studios in England. Her fan base even included Asia and the Philippines. She had 7 top hits, including "Why Don't You Believe in Me?", "Your Cheating Heart," "Almost Always," and "Have You Heard?"

She married composer Tony Acquaviva in 1956. In 1964, she dropped out of the public eye to take care of him and did so until 1986, when Mr. Acquaviva passed away. She began to tour again in the 1990's. She was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight
Joni James Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'll pretend I'm free from sorrow
Make believe that wrong is right
Your wedding day will be tomorrow
But there'll be no teardrops tonight

Why, oh, why should you desert me
Are you doing this for spite
If you only want to hurt me

Then there'll be no teardrops tonight
Inst
Your wedding day will be tomorrow
But there'll be no teardrops tonight

Shame, oh shame for what you're doing
Other arms will hold you tight

You don't care whose life you're ruining
But there'll be no teardrops tonight

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Joni James's song "There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight" speak of heartbreak and betrayal. The persona of the song is in pain as she acknowledges that her lover is getting married the next day, but she's trying to ignore that fact and pretend that everything will be okay. She sings about pretending to be free from sorrow and making believe that wrong is right. However, the tone of hopelessness becomes more evident in the second verse as she asks her lover why he would desert her, wondering if he's doing it out of spite. She acknowledges that he doesn't care whose life he's ruining and expresses her shame for what he's doing. The song's final message is about the inevitability of her heartbreak, despite the fact that she's trying to hold back her tears.

Line by Line Meaning

I'll pretend I'm free from sorrow
I will act as if I'm not sad

Make believe that wrong is right
I'll convince myself that what's wrong is actually right

Your wedding day will be tomorrow
You're going to get married tomorrow

But there'll be no teardrops tonight
But I won't cry tonight

Why, oh, why should you desert me
Why are you leaving me?

Are you doing this for spite
Are you doing this to hurt me?

If you only want to hurt me
If you're only doing this to cause me pain

Then there'll be no teardrops tonight
I won't cry because of you tonight

Your wedding day will be tomorrow
You're getting married tomorrow

But there'll be no teardrops tonight
I won't cry tonight because you're getting married

Shame, oh shame for what you're doing
You should feel ashamed for what you're doing