What do you think Let Her Cry means?

Hootie and the Blowfish: Let Her Cry Meaning

Album cover for Let Her Cry album cover

Song Released: 1994


Let Her Cry Lyrics

She sits alone by a lamppost
Trying to find a thought that's escaped her mind
She says "Dad's the one I love the most,
but Stipe's not far behind"

She lets me in
only tell me where's she's been
when she's had too much to drink
I say...

Write your interpretation
Notify me of new interps

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Apr 5th 2012 !⃝

    I see this as a girl suffering from manic depression. Lost in her thaughts and confusion not able to get help not able to find the way out and the man in love with her though he's in such great pain at what she does he can't give up on her and just has to let her do what she's going to and wait for her to come home to him when she's ready he'll be there.

  2. MARIEAK71
    click a star to vote
     Aug 23rd 2023 !⃝

    I enjoy' listening to this song and its initial background of where it comes from. What gets me is when a male sends it to you' as IF you are this person OR have that problem in general. When all the while' it is actually him that carries his load shamelessly and without any apology towards whom he has caused havoc towards. In this LIFE' when you cross and individual that truly is genuine' you should thank GOD for that! Death,Divorce,Chaning of lives roads,removing individuals that are not good for your future are the stones that need to be seen NOT a self absorbed' title of alcohism overall. Ending, I do wholeheartedly believe that when individuals try to hurt you in this form IT just makes hardcore validation that what YOU' felt inside was always correct. AMEN' to those hidden blessings cause who needs a person with that inner malice? No one ~ Life is beautiful and I refuse' to swallow who I AM NOT - MARIE ;)

  3. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Feb 23rd 2021 !⃝

    The chorus is really great! To me, this song connects to a couple where one struggles with mental illness. The contrast of her crying and her singing tells me that she has bipolar elements. I knew a woman once that would cry and tell me of how I hurt her and then ask me to leave so she could clean. She sent me pictures minutes later of her putting hair extensions in and dancing around the apartment. Let her go and if you live through the break up, let her be.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Feb 20th 2021 !⃝

    This song is such a simple, yet a profound song from the nineties! I am married to a woman that is working to find out if she is bipolar, or if she has BPD. Over the past 3 months she has made new friends, at work. I really want to encourage this, but she stays the night with different friends 2-3 nights a week. She says it is easier to get ready for work, since they live closer to her office. I have tried to talk with her, but I am accused of being controlling and obsessive. (If I had a dollar for every time any other significant other accused me of that I would owe money). Her absence rips my heart out, but I fear holding on may do a lifetime of damage. If anyone has experienced anything like this, I would love a word of hope.

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Dec 24th 2020 !⃝

    I always thought it said “there’s the one I love the most” I was in a relationship with an alcoholic/addict. I thought if it as she was looking at her man and knowing he was her love but that shit had a hold of her. The chorus was my daily prayer. My daily shame was the shit I would tolerate, just to be forgotten

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Oct 28th 2020 !⃝

    This song is about life with someone who is an addict and not sure how to function in a relationship or in society. I love this song. It is the most beautiful song I have ever heard. I never get tired of hearing it.

  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Oct 1st 2020 !⃝

    I sat an listened to this song over and over. I chose drugs over my husband and he loved me so much that he let it all slide, just to make it work and wanted us just to get back to normal. I left, I got high over and over. I’m clean now, it’s been 15 years. I’m remarried with a 5 year old. He’s an awesome husband and dad, but my true love is the man I chose drugs over. If true love finds its way back in the end. I want it to end. We’re near the end anyhow.

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Nov 7th 2019 !⃝

    I believe it’s about learning sometimes we don’t always get what we want in this lifetime. Unconditional love and mercy is what people with addiction need. Sometimes too much has happened in a persons life and they have been mentally pushed beyond the point of no return. You either learn to love the person as they are in their current state or walk away. TRUE LOVE CAST OUT ALL FEAR! You are loved for all of your weaknesses and shortcomings and all past mistakes. If we only knew how many levels of life there are on this planet we would ALL know that eventually TRUE LOVE ALWAYS FINDS ITS WAY BACK HOME! The point is, when it does what do you do with it, because when it returns it may not be the person you initially fell in love with due to “life”.

  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Jul 2nd 2019 !⃝

    It’s about a guy who has an addict gf or wife.

    Regarding the addiction, there are many types of addiction. Some people think that changing one’s mind about being in a relationship/friendship is also an addiction or a mental illness. Some say one has a multiple personality or a bi-polar. Sometimes people get in and out of relationship/friendship because of the unsureness or seeing no assurance from the other person. Being shutdown, hearing nothing and only silence. Silence deafens once ears. Even if the other person really wants to be in the relationship/friendship the other has lots of excuses, reasons why a relationship/friendship didn’t work or will not work. The end result is the end of the relationship/or friendship.

    The one who is thought to be an addict, has tried and tried to befriend the other person but still silence. So I think the guy or girl who experiences this, let’s the other person cry.

    Nice melody but sad lyrics.

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Jul 2nd 2019 !⃝

    I agree with most on here. To be in love with someone who is an addict is exactly like this song. It tears out my heart. For a male perspective this song NAILS it. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard “I’ll be back” then 2-4days later. I held her and tried to love her to stop her but all it ever did was make her feel more shame to have to go numb it. Where she sees her as the one he fell in love with but she still sneaks to the back to get high and he just sits there to cry. Been there. The male voice in loving an active addict is never heard and I thank Hootie for giving a voice and perspective to it even though it was actually about him and his gf. Most men don’t talk about the affects of addiction and how it affects them and their families but know we are not alone!
    I love her still but have had to disconnect from her behaviour to save my own sanity. I have “let her cry and let her be” and yes one day she may just come home to stay but for now ... let her cry

  11. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Feb 18th 2019 !⃝

    well, i am bi-polar 1 and there are many things i do that i really do not understand completely why - at the worst, they get me into a whole lotta trouble with people i love and care about. i might also add that that circle is really small but i hope it will stay tight. at the least, i am also misunderstood and judged because of my mental diagnosis by medical profession- you know, emergency drs. nurses, etc. it is one hell of a burden, to say the least but i continue to fight for my rights to be treated no better or no worse than any one else who seeks medical care. thank you m.b.b.

  12. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Jul 31st 2018 !⃝

    The original lyrics (according to Darius) was:"Dar's the one I love the most".(Dar is what she called him. Short for Darius) Refering to her favorite singer. IE, Snipes being her second favorite singer. These facts are on line with a video explanation by Darius but it's hard to find.
    I think he got tired of explaning.

  13. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Aug 23rd 2012 !⃝

    I just saw Hootie in Charleston. Darius explained that this song was inspired after hearing "She Talks to Angels" by the Black Crowes (another song that references drug use / addiction). He said he wrote this for Bonnie Riatt. It's definitely a song about a guy whose girlfriend/wife is struggling with addiction and his need to let her go - not be an enabler.

  14. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Jul 17th 2012 !⃝

    She's a reckless alcoholic, and he's fallen in love with her and tries to help her through it and tries to help their relationship but he knows it's probably senseless to stay with her.
    Darius Rucker actually experienced this, except he was the reckless one but reversed rolls in the song.

  15. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Apr 27th 2011 !⃝

    I believe it is about a woman who he loves a great deal and he sees her suffer through what I think is a serious drug addiction. He is there for her over and over again and all he can do is let her cry....because nothing he can do will help her because he has tried.


More Hootie and the Blowfish songs »


 


Latest Articles

 


Submit Your Interpretation

[ want a different song? ]