Well he jumps in the taxi, headed for the sky
He's off to slay some demon dragonfly
And he looked at me, that long last time
Turned away again and I waved goodbye

In an envelope, inside his coat
Is a chain I wore, around my throat
Along with, a note I wrote
Said "I love you but, I don't even know why"

But darling, I wish you well
On your way to the wishing well
Swinging off of those gates of hell
But I can tell how hard you're trying

Just have that secret hope
Sometimes all we do is cope
Somewhere on the steepest slope
There'll be an endless rope
And nobody crying.

Well a long night turns into a couple long years
Of me walkin' around, around this trail of tears
Where the very loud voices of my own fears
Is ringin' and ringin' in my ears

It says that love is long gone
Every move I make is all wrong
Says you never gave a damn for me
For anything, for anyone

But darling, I wish you well
On your way to the wishing well
Swinging off of those gates of hell
But I can tell how hard you're trying,

Just have that secret hope
Sometimes all we do is cope
Somewhere on the steepest slope
There'll be an endless rope
And nobody crying.

May you dream you are dreaming, in a warm soft bed
And may the voices inside you that fill you with dread
Make the sound of thousands of angels instead
Tonight where you might be laying your head

But darling, I wish you well
On your way to the wishing well
Swinging off of those gates of hell
But I can tell how hard you're trying

Just have that secret hope
Sometimes all we do is cope
Somewhere on the steepest slope
There'll be an endless rope

And nobody crying.
And nobody crying,
Nobody crying


Lyrics submitted by chancellor

Nobody's Crying Lyrics as written by Patty Griffin

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Nobody's Crying song meanings
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    My Interpretation

    I interpreted this a little differently than ilove705. I think it's a little less coded and the meaning is a little more straightforward. I think this song is talking about a breakup between the singer and a man, who is leaving her. He's probably leaving her to go on some sort of quest. It reminds me of the ancient times when the heroes had to leave their women to go save the world, but since this is from the girl's point of view, she doubts how useful his mission is. Therefore she says "off to slay some dragon or dragonfly". Dragons are dangerous, but dragonflies are harmless. So as he leaves her, he takes her necklace with the note inside. But even though she may be a little bitter, she wishes him well on the way to his journey. She says that she "can tell how hard you're trying", and I think this means he's trying to prove himself to the world. So she tells him to keep "our secret hope" and just to cope. But in the end, "on the steepest slope, there'll be an endless rope" for him to go back to her whenever he's done. That's why neither of them will cry, because he will come back. The 2nd verse is a little trickier. It says "Well a long night turns into a couple long years Of me walkin' around, around this trail of tears" and it isn't clear whether these years are after he left (and therefore she's still waiting) or while he was with her (the relationship was difficult because of his problems), but I think it is the first one. Even though she told him that he will be able to come back, she isn't sure he will anymore because of how long it's been since she's seen him. There's a voice in her mind that tells her that the love the two shared is gone, and he never cared "for me, for anything, for anyone" in the first place. But even despite these fears, she still wishes that wherever he is, his fears are dispelled by angels. And I think to stop herself from crying that he's not coming back, in the end she remembers the memory of when he left, and how she swore she wouldn't cry, thinking he would someday come back.

    lunalethalon November 18, 2012   Link

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