Mark Seymour is an Australian musician and singer best known for his work a… Read Full Bio ↴Mark Seymour is an Australian musician and singer best known for his work as the frontman and songwriter of rock band Hunters & Collectors.

In 1997, whilst still officially part of Hunters & Collectors he released his debut solo album King Without a Clue, which earned him a nomination in the ARIA Awards for Best Male Artist (as well as Best Debut Single with Last Ditch Cabaret). In 1998, Hunters & Collectors officially split up.

Seymour later released a live DVD/CD in 2001 entitled One Eyed Man, Embedded in 2004, and 2005's Daytime & the Dark. His fourth solo studio album, titled Westgate was released in June, 2007.

Seymour continues to tour, focusing on mostly small acoustic performances.

Tears of Joy
Mark Seymour Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Come on confess with confusion, spread it around
They trickle down your cheek, tears fall like seed on barren ground
Your thoughts are scattered like paper everywhere
Tiny piece of laughter and despair

But you cry true tears of joy

Passion is your weakness but you feed it everyday

Like a moth to the naked flame, you just can't keep away
You twist the truth and you turn the other cheek
But everybody knows it's just salvation that you seek

And you cry true tears of joy
Yeah you cry true tears of joy, oh yeah, alright

It flickers on your face
I can see it in your eyes
I knew for you a moment
So don't be so surprised

It's only pleasure that you can't resist
But say one word of truth and I'll see you cry
True tears of joy

Yeah you cry true tears of joy
[repeat]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mark Seymour's song "Tears of Joy" are primarily centered on the theme of emotional confusion and the complexity of feeling joy and sorrow at the same time. The song suggests that despite the overwhelming nature of conflicted emotions, one can still experience authentic joy amidst tears of sadness. The opening lines of the song implore the listener to reveal their inner turmoil with confusion and to share it with others. The verse "tiny piece of laughter and despair" underscores the idea that we can experience moments of joy alongside sadness. The chorus "you cry true tears of joy" reinforces this notion that an individual can feel true happiness in the midst of tears.

The second verse of the song draws attention to how passion can be both beautiful and destructive to the individual who feeds it. The imagery of a "moth to a naked flame" captures the irresistible nature of passion and how individuals can struggle to control their emotions. The lyric "everybody knows it's just salvation that you seek" hints that the singer of the song is searching for a way to overcome his or her personal demons. The ending of the song is significant because the chorus emphasizes that it is acceptable to have mixed emotions, and that tears of joy are just as legitimate as tears of sorrow.

Line by Line Meaning

Come on confess with confusion, spread it around
Share your emotions, even if it's confusing, let it be known to everyone.

They trickle down your cheek, tears fall like seed on barren ground
Your tears of sadness are like seeds of hopelessness that fall on infertile ground.

Your thoughts are scattered like paper everywhere
Your thoughts are scattered all over the place, like paper that's been torn into tiny pieces.

Tiny piece of laughter and despair
There are fragments of happiness and sadness in your thoughts.

But you cry true tears of joy
Despite your mixed emotions, you shed tears of happiness that are genuine.

Passion is your weakness but you feed it everyday
Your love for something/someone is what makes you weak, but you still pursue it every day.

Like a moth to the naked flame, you just can't keep away
You are irresistibly drawn to something/someone that's dangerous like a moth to a flame.

You twist the truth and you turn the other cheek
You manipulate the truth and avoid confrontation.

But everybody knows it's just salvation that you seek
But everyone knows you're just searching for something to redeem you.

And you cry true tears of joy
Despite your confusing emotions, you cry tears of happiness that are genuine.

Yeah you cry true tears of joy, oh yeah, alright
You cry tears of happiness that are real and unfeigned.

It flickers on your face
Your expression reveals your inner emotions.

I can see it in your eyes
I can discern your mixed emotions from your eyes.

I knew for you a moment
I understood what you were feeling for a brief moment.

So don't be so surprised
So don't act surprised when others see through your facade.

It's only pleasure that you can't resist
Your weakness is surrendering to pleasure.

But say one word of truth and I'll see you cry
But if you speak the truth, your tears of happiness will turn into tears of sadness.

True tears of joy
Genuine tears of happiness.

Yeah you cry true tears of joy
You shed genuine tears of happiness.

[repeat]
Repetition of the chorus that emphasizes the artist's genuine tears of joy.

Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: JOHN MELVILLE LEE ARCHER, DOUGLAS JAMES FALCONER, JOHN ALBERT HOWARD, ROBERT DAVID MILES, BARRY JOHN JOSEPH PALMER, MARK JEREMY SEYMOUR, JEREMY STUART SMITH, MICHAEL BERNARD WATERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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