Tear Stained Letter
Cash, Johnny
American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002)

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.