Discography
• Suicidal Tendencies (1983)
• Join the Army (1987)
• How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today (1988)
• Controlled by Hatred/Feel Like Shit...Déjà Vu (1989)
• Lights...Camera...Revolution! (1990)
• The Art of Rebellion (1992)
• Still Cyco After All These Years (1993)
• Suicidal for Life (1994)
• Freedumb (1999)
• Free Your Soul and Save My Mind (2000)
• No Mercy Fool!/The Suicidal Family (2010)
• 13 (2013)
• World Gone Mad (2016)
• Still Cyco Punk After All These Years (2018)
How Will I Laugh Tomorrow
Suicidal Tendencies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I cry for help but no one's around
Silently screaming I bang my head against the wall
It seems like no one cares at all
Always an emotion, but how can I explain
How can I explain
Kind of like the scent of a rose
With words I can't explain
Caught up in emotion-Goes over my head
Goes over my head
Sometimes I got to think to myself is this life or death
Am I living or am I dead
The clock keeps ticking but nothing else seems to change
Problems never solved, just rearranged
And when I think about all the times that I've had
So few good-So many bad
I search for personality and I look for things I can not see
Love and peace flash through my mind
Pain and hate are all I find
Find no hope in nothing new
Never had a dream come true
Lies and hate and agony
Through my eyes that's all I see
If I'm gonna cry
Will you wipe away my tears?
If I'm gonna die
Lord please take away my fear
Before I drown in sorrow
Last thing that I'll say
How will I laugh tomorrow
If I can't even smile today
Today today, when I can't even smile today
Today today, when I can't even smile today
How will I laugh tomorrow, when I can't even smile today
How will I laugh tomorrow, when I can't even smile today
The lyrics to Suicidal Tendencies' song, How Will I Laugh Tomorrow, represent the struggles of the singer, who feels like the world is crumbling down before him. He is screaming out for help, but no one seems to be around or care. He feels caught up in his emotions, which are going over his head, and he can't seem to escape the pain and hate that are all he can see. The singer searches for personality and looks for things he cannot see, like love and peace, but he finds no hope in anything new. He is living in constant sorrow and fear, questioning if he is even alive or just existing.
The lyrics reflect the inner turmoil and frustration of the singer, who cannot seem to find any joy in life. He is drowning in his problems, and nothing seems to change or get better. Even when he thinks about the good times he has had, they are overshadowed by the bad ones. The singer is crying out for someone to wipe away his tears and take away his fear, but he feels like he is alone in his struggles. He ends the song with a question, “How will I laugh tomorrow if I can't even smile today?” which shows how hopeless he feels about his future.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I sit and watch my world come crumbling down
I am overwhelmed and helpless as everything in my life falls apart before my eyes
I cry for help but no one's around
I am in search of support from others, but there is no one there to help me
Silently screaming I bang my head against the wall
I am struggling internally and expressing my pain through self-harm
It seems like no one cares at all
I am feeling an extreme sense of isolation and abandonment
Always an emotion, but how can I explain
I am constantly experiencing intense emotions, but I am struggling to put those feelings into words
Kind of like the scent of a rose
My emotions are complex and difficult to describe, much like the delicate aroma of a flower
With words I can't explain
My feelings are indescribable with language
The same with my pain
My emotional pain is just as hard to communicate as my feelings
Caught up in emotion-Goes over my head
My emotions are overwhelming and beyond my understanding
Sometimes I got to think to myself is this life or death
My struggles are so intense that I question whether they are a matter of life and death
Am I living or am I dead
I feel as if a part of me has already died, and I am unsure if I am truly living
The clock keeps ticking but nothing else seems to change
Time is passing, but my problems remain stagnant
Problems never solved, just rearranged
Even when I try to fix my problems, they continue to persist in different forms
And when I think about all the times that I've had
Reflecting on my experiences, I have had few good times and many bad ones
So few good-So many bad
The ratio of positive to negative experiences in my life is heavily weighted towards negativity
I search for personality and I look for things I can not see
I am searching for meaning in my life and seeking traits within myself that I cannot identify
Love and peace flash through my mind
Positive emotions cross my mind, like thoughts of love and peace
Pain and hate are all I find
My thoughts are often consumed by negative emotions like pain and hate
Find no hope in nothing new
I am struggling to find hope in anything new, as everything seems bleak and unchanging
Never had a dream come true
I have not experienced many of my dreams or aspirations coming to fruition
Lies and hate and agony
My life is characterized by deceit, hatred, and extreme pain
Through my eyes that's all I see
I am consumed by negative experiences and can only see through a lens of pain
If I'm gonna cry, Will you wipe away my tears?
I am in need of support from others, specifically a comforting presence when I am overcome with emotion
If I'm gonna die, Lord please take away my fear
In moments of extreme distress or danger, I am pleading for spiritual guidance and peace
Before I drown in sorrow, Last thing that I'll say
Before I am consumed by my sadness, I have one final plea to make
How will I laugh tomorrow, If I can't even smile today
If I am unable to find happiness or joy in even the smallest moments of the present, how can I expect to experience laughter or enjoyment in the future?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL MUIR, MIKE CLARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MechArm1
Lyrics;
Here I sit and watch my world come crumbling down
I cry for help but no one's around
Silently screaming as I bang my head against the wall
It seems like no one cares at all
Always an emotion, but how can I explain; Kind of like the scent of a rose, with words I can't explain, the same with my pain
Caught up in emotion, goes over my head; Sometimes I got to think to myself is this life or death, am I living or am I dead
The clock keeps ticking, but nothing else seems to change
Problems never solved, just rearranged
And when I think about all the times that I've had
Some were good most were bad
I search for personality and I look for things I cannot see
Love and peace flash through my mind; pain and hate is all I find
Find no hope in nothing new and I never had a dream come true
Lies and hate and agony; thru my eyes that's all I see
If I'm gonna cry, will you wipe away my tears?
And if I'm gonna die, Lord please take away my fear
Before I drown in sorrow, I just want to say;
How will I laugh tomorrow, when I can't even smile today
You think something’s funny?...
...laugh at this!
So when I look outside my room
I see the world, but not the reason
What is done to me is not fair
You call it fate I call it treason
But i know not what to do
Give me a sign I'll take whatever
But if you want me here I am
Ain't gonna die forever
And I tried to hold ya
But you just turned away
And I tried to tell ya
But not a word I say
I cried out so loudly
But you just covered your ears
I gave you all the signs,
But you ignored my tears
So if you want me here I am
I sit here waiting for your decision
But my body fights my mind
I’m headed straight for a collision
So am I getting near or am I still
Looking in all the wrong places
But the only thing that seems to change
Are the looks on their faces...
Seems like no one cares at all
I search for personality and look for things I cannot see
doesn’t anyone even care at all?
Love and peace flash through my mind; pain and hate is all I find
Seems like no one cares at all
Find no hope in nothing new and I never had a dream come true
does anyone even care at all?
Lies and hate and agony; thru my eyes that's all I see
Seems like no one cares at all
How will I laugh tomorrow, when I can't even smile today
Matheus Teles
E eu tentei te segurar
Mas você se afastou
E eu tentei te dizer
Mas eu não disse nenhuma palavra
Eu chorei tão alto
Mas você só tapou seus ouvidos
E me deu todos os sinais
Que você não quer minhas lágrimas
Então se você me quer, aqui estou
Eu sento e espero sua decisão
Mas meu corpo luta com minha mente
Eu fui direto para uma colisão
Então, eu estou chegando perto ou ainda estou
Procurando em todos os lugares errados
Mas a única coisa que parece mudar
São os olhares nos rostos...
Como vou dar risada amanhã, quando eu não posso nem mesmo sorrir hoje.
savannahmarie
This song honestly got me through a really rough patch in my life, ST forever.
N DK
Most people have no idea what you mean... But I do!!! Boy, do I know what you mean. ST for life.
Charlotte and sheesh
Your right Savanna, when I couldn't see my way through, and that was it for me and I listened to How will I laugh, and seen the words again and again, and it hit me and gave me the will to dust off my jeans and started to walk away with my life. I understand that man. Mike is so much more complex that I could ever fathom. From my bottom heart... Thank you Mike.
Rednek Illa
Fuck yea lady!
I feel ya. It's helping me through this shit fuckin life we are "given" everyday.
It definitely let's my negative emotions go where they belong, instead of putting me in prison for killing ppl!
rammert123
Gets me thru rough patches everyday bro, ya know its gotta be ST!
Nick Falkner
My teens and 20s summed up in one song.
Salty Fox
This song has deep personal meaning to me.
GodlyGamerz
One of the deepest guitar solos you will ever hear. So much emotion in his guitar.
sicfrynut
underrated guitar player with incredible talent and a unique soloing ability.
Kelly Winkels
Just to think after all these years it's still sounds good