She Never Cried in Front of Me

Album: That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy (2008)
Charted: 42
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The male narrator in this song of melancholy regret is claiming he's ready to move on now that his ex is marrying another man. However he can't help thinking that if only she would have cried in front of him to show how pained she was, maybe he'd have changed his ways and they'd still be together.
  • This was written by Keith together with Bobby Pinson. The duo also wrote Keith's single "She's A Hottie." Among the other songwriting credits Pinson has is "Want To" and "All I Want To Do" by Sugarland and "We Weren't Crazy" by Josh Gracin.
  • Toby Keith credited Pinson, who also co-wrote several other songs on the album, with inspiring him to develop his songwriting. He explained to Billboard magazine: "He just talks differently and he's real inspiring for me to write with. He just says things differently, his choices of words and everything, and he sees the world through a different set of eyes. He came out here on the road and we hit it off right off the bat. He really inspires me to want to write more."
  • Toby Keith told the story of this song on the press release for That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy: "We (Toby Keith and Bobby Pinson) were at my house; first thing I've ever written on a piano. Everything I've ever recorded I've written on guitar. We had this idea and were playing it in my office on guitars and he said, 'I need to borrow your piano a minute.' So we went in and sat at the piano. He started playing and as we wrote it, the song took on a whole different approach. By the time we were done it had an old rock anthem ballad, Journey kind of feel. After I recorded it I had three different people call me and say it reminded them of Coldplay, which I know nothing about. I couldn't tell you one of their songs. But we'd have never recorded it that way if we'd written it on guitar."

Comments: 1

  • Kylee from Hartford, CtThanks for the infomation. I found this song on itunes and put it on my ipod and I have been trying to find out who he was talking about. This information helps a lot!!!!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."

David Sancious

David SanciousSongwriter Interviews

Keyboard great David Sancious talks about his work with Sting, Seal, Springsteen, Clapton and Aretha, and explains what quantum physics has to do with making music.

Roger McGuinn of The Byrds

Roger McGuinn of The ByrdsSongwriter Interviews

Roger reveals the songwriting formula Clive Davis told him, and if "Eight Miles High" is really about drugs.

Francis Rossi of Status Quo

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.

Dan Reed

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"They're Playing My Song

It wasn't her biggest hit as a songwriter (that would be "Bette Davis Eyes"), but "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" had a family connection for Jackie.