I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry
Marian McPartland and Shirley Horn Lyrics
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I'm just as blue as the sky;
Since love is gone, can't pull myself together,
Guess I'll hang my tears out to dry.
Friends ask me out, I tell them I'm busy,
Must get a new alibi!
I stay at home and ask myself, "Where is he?",
Dry little teardrops,
My little teardrops,
Hangin' on a string of dreams.
Fly little memories,
My little memories,
Remind him of our crazy schemes.
Somebody said, "Just forget about him!",
I gave that treatment a try.
Strangely enough, I got along without him,
Then one day he passed me right by;
Oh, well, I guess I'll hang my tears out to dry.
Little teardrops,
Little teardrops, filled with dreams.
The first stanza of the lyrics suggests a sense of irony and helplessness. The singer is deeply sad despite feeling forced to be happy, symbolized by the statement "When I want rain, I get sunny weather." They feel as helpless as the sky, which is just as blue as they are. The singer is unable to pull themselves together after losing love, and they feel defeated. They are hanging their tears out to dry as a way of disconnecting from their feelings, which are overwhelming.
The second stanza mentions the character's social life, which is at a standstill because of their heartbreak. The character can’t bring themselves to enjoy the company of others, so they have created a façade to hide their pain, making them unable to accept invitations from their friends. They remain at home, continually questioning the whereabouts of their lost love. The third stanza describes the singer's attempt to forget the person who caused their sorrow. However, this does not work for them, and though they wish to move on, they can't seem to forget about the person who caused them so much heartache.
Overall, the lyrics convey the overwhelming feeling of loss experienced by someone whose relationship ended. Despite this desire to hide their pain, it creeps up on them, causing them to be sad all the time. The routine elements of life become a battleground where they struggle to be happy.
Line by Line Meaning
When I want rain, I get sunny weather,
Even when I want to cry, everything seems to be going well for me.
I'm just as blue as the sky;
I feel sad and depressed about my lost love.
Since love is gone, can't pull myself together,
I am unable to cope with the fact that I am no longer in love.
Guess I'll hang my tears out to dry.
I have decided to hold onto and display my sadness in hopes that it will eventually fade away.
Friends ask me out, I tell them I'm busy,
I am avoiding social situations and isolating myself due to my heartbreak.
Must get a new alibi!
I need to come up with a new excuse to avoid spending time with others.
I stay at home and ask myself, "Where is he?",
I spend a lot of time thinking about and missing my lost love.
Guess I'll hang my tears out to dry.
I have decided to hold onto and display my sadness in hopes that it will eventually fade away.
Dry little teardrops,
I am keeping my tears to myself so that I do not have to face the reality of the situation.
My little teardrops,
My tears are small and insignificant to anyone but myself.
Hangin' on a string of dreams.
I am holding onto the hope that things will get better and the pain will eventually subside.
Fly little memories,
I am trying to forget the past and move on.
My little memories,
But memories of my lost love keep resurfacing.
Remind him of our crazy schemes.
I am reminded of the happy times we had and the plans we made together.
Somebody said, "Just forget about him!",
Someone has advised me to move on from my lost love.
I gave that treatment a try.
I attempted to forget about my lost love and move on.
Strangely enough, I got along without him,
To my surprise, I was able to function without my lost love by my side.
Then one day he passed me right by;
But seeing him again made all of my feelings come rushing back.
Oh, well, I guess I'll hang my tears out to dry.
I have decided to hold onto and display my sadness in hopes that it will eventually fade away.
Little teardrops,
My small tears represent my heartbreak and sadness.
Little teardrops, filled with dreams.
My tears reflect the dreams and hopes I had for my lost love and I.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind