Letter full of tears
Knight Gladys Lyrics


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Here comes the mailman walking, walking, walking up the street
And it looks like he has a letter today for me, oh yes, he does
Wait a minute let me look inside
No, it couldn't be, couldn't be, couldn't be, couldn't be from my guy

Because he brought me, yeah
I said, he brought me
A letter full of tears

I thought we had a love so strong, oh yes we did now
It would take a lifetime to break us apart, yeah
But I found out today, I found out today I was wrong, yes I was
And my reward, my reward was a broken heart, oh

Here comes the teardrops
Welcome, welcome to my eyes
And I couldn't hold 'em back, so couldn't hold 'em back
No matter if I tried, no, no, no

Wait a minute let me look inside
No, it couldn't be, couldn't be, couldn't be, couldn't be from my guy

Because he brought me
I said, he brought me
A letter full of tears
Bringing me tears, oh yes he did
Here he comes y'all
Yes he did
Bringing me tears, oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah

Yes he did
I said he brought me
Yeah, yes he did
A letter full of tears, y'all




Said I waited such a long time
Just to get my mailman but he brought me

Overall Meaning

Knight Gladys's song "Letter Full of Tears" is a heart-wrenching depiction of the pain felt by a woman who receives a letter that shatters her world. The song speaks of a mailman walking up to the singer's house, and she anticipates that he is bringing her a letter from her lover. However, upon opening the envelope, she finds that it is a "letter full of tears." The singer had thought that her love would last a lifetime, but the letter she receives implies that it is over between them. As a result, she succumbs to tears and heartbreak, which she can no longer contain.


The lyrics of the song suggest that the singer was unaware of the troubles brewing in her relationship, which is evident by her surprise at having received the letter. It is as if she was oblivious to the turmoil and found out everything through a single letter. Moreover, the letter's contents lead her to break down, asserting that the relationship held much significance in her life.


The song "Letter Full of Tears" can be interpreted as a reflection of the hardships experienced in relationships. It is a reminder that although romantic relationships have their moments of happiness and love, they also have moments of heartbreak and despair, which can be shattering. The lyrics serve as a warning to those in relationships to cherish them and guard them with utmost care.


Line by Line Meaning

Here comes the mailman walking, walking, walking up the street
The mailman is approaching my home in a slow but steady manner.


And it looks like he has a letter today for me, oh yes, he does
It seems that there is a letter addressed to me that the mailman is carrying with him, and I am certain that I will receive it.


Wait a minute let me look inside
I must take a brief moment to open and read the contents of the letter before proceeding any further.


No, it couldn't be, couldn't be, couldn't be, couldn't be from my guy
I am in disbelief that the letter is from my significant other, as I am convinced that we have a strong bond and there is no reason for him to write a letter filled with sad news.


Because he brought me, yeah
Yet despite my doubts, it turns out that the contents of the letter are indeed from my significant other.


I said, he brought me
I am acknowledging the fact that my significant other was the one who sent me the letter I am holding in my hands.


A letter full of tears
It becomes apparent that the reason for my significant other's letter was to express their sadness and convey their emotions through tearful words.


I thought we had a love so strong, oh yes we did now
I was previously convinced that the bond my significant other and I shared was unbreakable and remained unwavering throughout our time together.


It would take a lifetime to break us apart, yeah
Our love was so strong that it seemed impossible for any negative force to ever come between us and break our bond.


But I found out today, I found out today I was wrong, yes I was
Unfortunately, the reality that I was not prepared for is admitted here - that my prior beliefs of our unbreakable love were incorrect and events have occurred to break our bond apart.


And my reward, my reward was a broken heart, oh
The result of my significant other's letter was a broken heart; instead of anything positive, I am left with this intense pain and sadness.


Here comes the teardrops
Upon reading the letter, my eyes begin to well up with tears and the sadness of the news hits me deeply.


Welcome, welcome to my eyes
The tears are a result of the harsh reality that I am facing and are thus entering into the vulnerable space within me - my eyes.


And I couldn't hold 'em back, so couldn't hold 'em back
No matter how hard I try to restrain myself, my uncontrollable emotions cannot be held back as I break down and start crying.


No, no, no
This is a desperate cry in response to the harsh emotions of the situation, the realization and realization of this reality.


Wait a minute let me look inside
Another moment is required to delve through the contents of the letter once more.


No, it couldn't be, couldn't be, couldn't be, couldn't be from my guy
Again believing in my hopes of love and unbreakable relationships, I am trying to deny the reality that the contents of the letter could be from my significant other.


Because he brought me
Despite my hopes, the reality is that my significant other was indeed the sender of the letter.


I said, he brought me
I am once again acknowledging the person responsible for the contents of the difficult letter I am holding.


A letter full of tears
It is clear that the letter does not contain good news, and instead is filled with the pain and sadness associated with the tears expressed by my significant other, thus making it difficult for me to keep my composure.


Bringing me tears, oh yes he did
This is a statement that indicates the letter did its job in evoking intense emotion and sadness within myself.


Here he comes y'all
This appears to depict an ominous arrival, indicating that the person responsible for the letter will soon be arriving, adding to the already intense feelings I am experiencing.


Yes he did
This is a resigned acknowledgement of the situation that has presented itself, a reminder of the sadness and emotional upheaval.


I said he brought me
Once more reiterating that the letter and its contents were brought upon me by my significant other.


Yeah, yes he did
Once again acknowledging the role my significant other played in sending me this heartbreaking letter.


A letter full of tears, y'all
The entire meaning of this song is encapsulated in this final line, describing the deeply emotional letter that has caused me so much pain and heartbreak.




Lyrics Β© Abkco Music, Inc.
Written by: DON COVAY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@benhallums2654

GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS 2nd HOT 40 HIT called "A Letter Full of Tears" on 1/20/1962- at No. 19 for 6 Weeks on FURY Records.

@cathywilliams4831

Ben Hal

@raimitchell6246

)Β΅

@deborahmccoy3837

Thx 4 The Info.

@grandrapladyakaamb2438

How can you be 9 years old and listening to this song, and digging it! We grew up with a lot of soul, back in the day.

@Gr8erdetfan

There is no one on this earth that could ever argue that the music of today is better then the music from 50s, 60s, 70s, or even 80s. Motown and doo wop. There's stuff that's good today no doubt. But everything is auto tuned and technology has made any singer sound good. Older music was sung with nothing but pure talent!

@veronicareaves-smith3356

My grandson who’s 3yrs. old saw this on my YouTube page and played it over and over. One of my favorite oldies since I was a little girl. Now 65 and still plays it like it just came out today. 😊

@megaoldskool76

Shout out to your grandson!!! I have one that’s 5 and he’s been listening to David Ruffin’s live version of The Temptations β€œYou’ll Lose A Precious Love”!!! He won’t listen to the group version, just David’s solo version. He’s Been listening to it for 2 years. 😊

@Doowopsid

Thank you for posting this. Heard it for the first time today and I’m 71. Love it!

@georgephinn822

I consider Gladys Knight & The Pips. β€œ A Letter Full Of Tears”. A cool β€œDo Woop” song - Gladys Knight β€œEarly Hit”. And by far one of her best. A Big Hit in 1962

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