Tear Stained Letter lyrics

Song information

Artist: Johnny Cash
Album: American Iv: The Man Comes Around

Lyrics

I'm gonna write a tear stained letter
I'm gonna mail it straight to you
I'm gonna bring back to your mind
What you said about always bein' true
Bout our secret hidin' places;
Bein' daily satisfied
I can see you sittin' and readin' it
While you hang you head and cry
I just hope you're not so sad
You're gonna go down suicide

I'm gonna write a tear stained letter:
Put it special delivery
'Cause it's gonna be full of stuff
That's only known to you and me
'Bout how every time I get turned on
You turn me off and bring me down
It'll be about the darkest news
That ever did arrive in your hometown
It'll be about the saddest thing
Your mailman ever did bring around

I'm gonna write a tear stained letter
I'm gonna tell you one more time
That you still could reconsider
And come back to bein' mine
An' if you think about what I'm sayin'
It'd be hard to refuse
Just be sure you think a long time
On the answer that you choose
It will be a most important piece
Of personal, private news

Instrumental break

I'm gonna write a tear stained letter:
Mark it "personal private news."
An' I hope you'll keep it to yourself
An' don't go 'round cryin' the blues
Givin' off a bad impression
As to what went really wrong
When what it was was that suddenly
The music was all gone
And this man and this woman got cut off
In the middle of our song

I'm gonna write a tear stained letter:
I'm gonna put it to a tune
So I'll be sendin' with it
A sweet melody for you
And not some red-hot, upbeat zinger
That'll set your body on fire
But a hunk of love included
Meant to take you a little higher
And to settle on your sweet, sweet mind
At night when you retire

I'm gonna write a tear stained letter