Big Girls Cry – English Lyrics

• By: Sia
• Album: 1000 Forms Of Fear

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the empowering message behind Sia's "Big Girls Cry," a song that encourages emotional honesty and challenges societal expectations. Explore the lyrics, music video, and the story of a 'tough girl' who isn't afraid to show her vulnerability. Learn how this song redefines strength and provides a refreshing perspective on emotional expression.

[English]

Tough girl, in the fast lane

No time for love, no time for hate

No drama, no time for games

Tough girl whose soul aches

I come home, on my own

Check my phone, nothing though

Act busy, order in

Pay TV, it's agony (oh-oh-oh)

I may cry, ruining my makeup

Wash away all the things you've taken

And I don't care if I don't look pretty

Big girls cry when their hearts are breaking

Big girls cry when their hearts are breaking

Big girls cry when their heart is breaking

Tough girl, I'm in pain

It's lonely at the top, blackouts and airplanes

And I still pour you a glass of champagne

Tough girl whose soul aches

I come home, on my own

Check my phone, nothing though

Act busy, order in

Pay TV, it's agony (oh-oh-oh)

I may cry, ruining my makeup

Wash away all the things you've taken

And I don't care if I don't look pretty

Big girls cry when their hearts are breaking

Big girls cry when their hearts are breaking

Big girls cry when their hearts are breaking

I wake up, I wake up, I wake up, I wake up

I wake up, I wake up, I wake up, I wake up

I wake up, I wake up, I wake up, I wake up

I wake up alone

I may cry, ruining my makeup

Wash away all the things you've taken

And I don't care if I don't look pretty

Big girls cry when their hearts are breaking

Big girls cry when their hearts are breaking

Big girls cry when their heart is breaking

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears noun - an act of shedding tears
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues; duration.
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of deep affection. verb - feel deep affection for (someone).
hate /heɪt/ A2	verb - feel intense dislike for. noun - the feeling of intense dislike.
soul /səʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.
aches /eɪks/ B1	verb - suffer from a continuous dull pain. noun - a continuous or prolonged dull pain in a part of one's body.
home /həʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household. verb - go or return to one's home.
phone /fəʊn/ A1	noun - a telephone
makeup /ˈmeɪkʌp/ A2	noun - cosmetics applied to the face.
hearts /hɑːrts/ A1	noun - the organ of the body that circulates the blood
breaking /ˈbreɪkɪŋ/ A2	verb - separate or cause to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, pressure, or strain.
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury.
lonely /ˈləʊnli/ A2	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company.
wake /weɪk/ A2	verb - emerge or cause to emerge from sleep; stop sleeping.
pretty /ˈprɪti/ A1	adjective - attractive in appearance

Key Grammar Structures

• Tough girl, in the fast lane

  ➔ Prepositional phrase (in the fast lane)

  ➔ A **prepositional phrase** provides additional information about location or direction, here indicating the metaphorical 'fast lane' of life.

• No time for love, no time for hate

  ➔ Parallel structure (no time for ...)

  ➔ Parallel structure emphasizes the lack of time for different emotional activities, creating rhythm and balance in the lyric.

• I may cry, ruining my makeup

  ➔ Verb phrase with modal verb (may + base verb)

  ➔ The use of 'may' indicates possibility or uncertainty about the action, showing vulnerability.

• Wash away all the things you've taken

  ➔ Imperative verb phrase (Wash away)

  ➔ Imperative form is used to give commands or strong suggestions, emphasizing a desire to cleanse emotional pain.

• I wake up alone

  ➔ Simple present tense (I wake up)

  ➔ Simple present tense indicating a habitual or current state, emphasizing the recurring experience of waking alone.

• Big girls cry when their hearts are breaking

  ➔ Clause with adverbial time (when their hearts are breaking)

  ➔ A subordinate clause introduced by 'when' indicating the timing of the action, emphasizing emotional vulnerability.