Justified Black Eye
No Use for a Name Lyrics


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She was confused and abused in this life
Emotional and violent moments
That seemed to take the longest time
Every single knockout, dragout, fight they ever had
Apologies and dignity denied
He starts to laugh
He starts to lie
With suddenly psychotic eyes.

Every night she cried herself to sleep she didn't recognize
Her own face in the mirror, black and blue,
So afraid, intimidated like a child, she hides away
He would always try to justify what wasn't true.

Justified black eye

Taken for granted she sleeps by the phone Waiting for a call from him
But it seems he's never coming home
14 beers later he is there without an answer
Once again she questions his lies
He goes to bed with no reply

Tomorrow morning different story
And he'll be a different guy
He'll justify her black eye with another lie.
She packs her bags in great temptation
He's on his knees, again he cries
A hug and a kiss and a don't know why
As a tear drops from her swollen eye
Apologies until tonight and another
'Justified' black eye





Justified black eye

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of No Use For A Name's song "Justified Black Eye" describes the story of a woman who is physically and emotionally abused by the person with whom she is involved. The song highlights how the abuser tries to justify their behavior by bringing out lies and manipulations to cover up the abuse. The woman, who is left alone and confused, starts doubting her self-worth and becomes insecure. She continuously waits for a call from the abuser, who always fails to show up, and even when he does, he tries to manipulate her with words that are far from the truth. The song depicts the vicious cycle of abuse and manipulation, and how it affects the victim's mental and physical state.


The title of the song "Justified Black Eye" refers to the way an abuser tries to rationalize their actions and convince their victims that it was their fault for receiving a black eye. The lyrics, "he'll justify her black eye with another lie" shows how the cycle of abuse continues, and the victim remains trapped in it. The song also touches on society's perception of domestic violence, where the victim is left feeling like they need to explain the reasons behind the abuse and justify their actions.


This song is an alarming reminder that domestic violence is a severe issue that affects people of all genders, ages, and socioeconomic backgrounds. It illustrates how the abuser can manipulate their partner into doubting their own sense of reality and turning their perception against themselves. Victims of abuse often find themselves in a cycle of violence that is challenging to break, and this song highlights the harsh reality they face.


Line by Line Meaning

She was confused and abused in this life
She was lost and mistreated in this world


Emotional and violent moments
They had emotional arguments which turned violent


That seemed to take the longest time
These confrontations felt like they lasted forever


Every single knockout, dragout, fight they ever had
Each and every fight they had was intense and brutal


Apologies and dignity denied
He never apologized and she lost her self-respect


He starts to laugh
He shows no remorse, instead he laughs


He starts to lie
He begins to fabricate stories to justify his actions


With suddenly psychotic eyes.
He stares at her with a crazy, unstable look in his eyes


Every night she cried herself to sleep she didn't recognize
She sobbed herself to sleep and couldn't recognize her own reflection


Her own face in the mirror, black and blue,
She saw her own bruised and battered face in the mirror


So afraid, intimidated like a child, she hides away
Terrified and powerless, she seeks refuge and hides


He would always try to justify what wasn't true.
He tried to defend himself with lies instead of accepting his fault


Taken for granted she sleeps by the phone
She waits by the phone, taken for granted and ignored


Waiting for a call from him
She waits for him to call her back


But it seems he's never coming home
He never returns home to her


14 beers later he is there without an answer
After drinking heavily, he comes back without explanation


Once again she questions his lies
She doubts his dishonesty again


He goes to bed with no reply
He leaves her with no answer and goes to bed


Tomorrow morning different story
The next day he acts as if nothing happened


And he'll be a different guy
He becomes a different person, forgetting his actions


He'll justify her black eye with another lie.
He'll make excuses to justify hurting her again


She packs her bags in great temptation
Tempted to leave, she starts to pack her bags


He's on his knees, again he cries
He begs for forgiveness, shedding crocodile tears


A hug and a kiss and a don't know why
They hug and kiss but she doesn't know why she's still with him


As a tear drops from her swollen eye
A tear falls from her bruised and swollen eye


Apologies until tonight and another
He apologizes only for the night, knowing there will be another


'Justified' black eye
Her black eye is unjustifiable and inexcusable




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: TONY SLY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@carambola1980

She was confused and abused in this life
Emotional and violent moments seemed to take the longest time
Every single knockout drag out fight they ever had
Apologies and dignity denied
He starts to laugh
He starts to lie with suddenly psychotic eyes
Every night she cried herself to sleep
She didn't recognize her own face in the mirror
Black and blue
So afraid intimidation
Like a child she hides away
He would always try to justify what wasn't true
Justified black eye
Taken for granted she sleeps by the phone
Waiting for a call from him
But it seems he's never coming home
14 beers later he is there without an answer
Once again she questions his lies
He goes to bed with no reply
Tomorrow morning different story and he'll be a different guy
He'll justify her black eye with another lie
She packs her bags in great temptation
He's on his knees again he cries a hug and a kiss and I don't know why
As a tear drops from her swollen eye
Apologies until tonight and another justified black eye



All comments from YouTube:

@tiagobarros5666

I'm 40 and I still love this!

@chocolatestarfish7698

36 and still smashing this era of punk out.. best of the best 🤘

@BenDrinkin1

We’re the same age now at 41-42!

@ChrisThompson167

Same

@TorgazDethan9

To me, this song is the band´s masterpiece. Thank you Tony for make my youth even more awesome. RIP

@John_Notmylastname

I’ll admit this song doesn’t really hit when you’re young and unaware but now that I’m older and seen how cruel this world is, it hits way different. Imo this song is a masterpiece. Killer riffs and hard hitting lyrics and real life problems. Incredible song.

@scottmcghie5060

My first punk song I ever heard... changed my life!

@amygrindhouse4193

i am 34 years old now...and still fucking love that tune !!!

@danzoil

I'm 31 and still love this shit. Brings back good memories.

@Nerdycottoncandy

I'm 23 and kind of grew up on this....I miss this sound.

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