'She's Cried A Million Tears' - harrowing song regarding domestic abuse

'She's Cried A Million Tears'. I wrote this in 1987, dug the lyrics off for this revisit. I was always proud of this song. I'm proud of all my songs, like any parent, but this one... hmm. Every songwriter will tell you, at some point, "I didn't write this song, it was given to me." Well, ALL of my songs are like that, but this one came to me as a present, as a gift. It's one of the few I remember writing, because I don't remember writing it. One minute there was an empty page in my writing pad, then there was two full pages with this, in my handwriting. How long it took me to write it down, as opposed to write it, I don't know. Might have been 15 minutes, might have been 15 lifetimes.

I did play this live occasionally, more so when I wrote it than later. It was like throwing a bucket of ice over the audience. No one had a song about domestic abuse back then, no one. There's not one like it since this, either. The great Julie Covington did Alice Cooper's 'Only Women Bleed' back in 1978, in her majestic voice, a performance that I loved. I was in the army then, and those lyrics were given 'boy-sneers', you can work out why. That doesn't go anywhere near the dark corridors this song does though. "The first blow sent her reeling... violence rained down on her..." - you sing that to a Friday night crowd out for a good time, you pretty soon hear silence descending, even crowds that knew me and my social commentary work, even the folk club crowds. I cared not a damn.

I still had the CD in the player, cued to the demo, so after Paul Murphy 2023 finishes, Paul Murphy 1997 comes in. A few alternate lyrics in one verse, that I knew nothing about. It starts at 10:25 if you wish to skip the 'now' version.

It is worth mentioning, that when this song came down, 36 years ago, domestic abuse was thought to be a one-way ride. We now know that not to be the case, with almost as many male domestic abuse sufferers in 2022 as women. It seems we have become good at statistic-ising the matter, not so at stigmatising and stopping it.

Love and peace,
Me
August 2023

'She's Cried A Million Tears' - words and music © Paul Murphy / 1987, renewed 2023

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On a tertiary note, whilst here, if I may be so bold - I am uploading videos of my songs, my performances, my prose recitals, etc, to raise funds for my most amazing children, who get any donations when they reach 16. I have Progressive Palsy F-MND, and - well, and. There is no cure.

If you have enjoyed this video, and would care to make a small donation for them, many sincere thanks and much gratitude, from both myself, and from them via myself; the link is https://PayPal.Me/DylEmTrustFund

If you have listened and read this far, you have been extraordinarily kind with your precious time, and my sincere thanks for that.
Paul M x

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