No More Tears

by Ozzy Osbourne

The light in the window is a crack in the sky
A stairway to darkness in the blink of an eye
A levee of tears to learn she'll never be coming back
The man in the dark will bring another attack
Your momma told you that you're not supposed to talk to strangers
Look in the mirror, tell me, do you think you life's in danger, yeah?
No more tears (Tears, tears)
No more tears (Tears, tears)
No more tears (Tears, tears)
No more tears (Tears, tears)
(Tears, tears...)
Another day passes as the night closes in
The red light goes on to say it's time to begin
I see the man around the corner waiting, can he see me?
I close my eyes and wait to hear the sound of someone screaming here
No more tears (Tears, tears)
No more tears (Tears, tears)
No more tears (Tears, tears)
No more tears (Tears, tears)
It's just a sign of the times
Going forward in reverse
Still, he who laughs last
Is just a hand in the bush
So now that it's over, can we just say goodbye? (I'd like, I'd like)
I'd like to move on and make the most of the night
Maybe a kiss before I leave you this way
Your lips are so cold, I don't know what else to say
I never wanted it to end this way, my love, my darling
Believe me when I say to you in love, I think I'm falling here
No more tears (Tears, tears)
No more tears (Tears, tears)
No more tears (Tears, tears)
No more tears (Tears, tears)
Is just a hand in the bush
(In the bush, in the bush, in the bush...)

Interpretations

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User Interpretation
# "No More Tears": Ozzy Osbourne's Gothic Masterpiece of Fear and Farewell

"No More Tears," released in 1991 as the title track of Ozzy Osbourne's sixth studio album, stands as one of the most haunting compositions in the Prince of Darkness's extensive catalog. Beyond its commercial success and memorable guitar work by Zakk Wylde, the song reveals itself as a multilayered exploration of paranoia, violence, and final goodbyes. What initially appears as a straightforward heavy metal anthem unfolds into a disturbing psychological narrative that has maintained its dark relevance over three decades.

At its core, "No More Tears" presents a fragmented storyline that suggests multiple interpretations, but most prominently reads as the internal monologue of someone with violent tendencies—possibly a stalker or murderer. The opening lines establish a gothic atmosphere with imagery of broken light, descending darkness, and emotional devastation. The narrator exists in a shadowy psychological space, alternating between threatening presence ("The man in the dark will bring another attack") and paranoid victim ("I see the man around the corner waiting, can he see me?"). This duality creates an unsettling ambiguity about whether we're hearing from predator or prey, or perhaps both existing within the same fractured psyche.

The song's emotional landscape is dominated by fear, paranoia, and a disturbing detachment. The repeated chorus of "No more tears" functions not as comfort but as emotional deadening—tears have ceased not because pain has ended, but because the capacity for normal human emotion has been extinguished. The disjointed nature of the lyrics, jumping between scenarios and perspectives, mirrors a mind in psychological crisis. When the narrator contemplates a final kiss with lips described as "cold," the implication of violence becomes unmistakable, with necrophilic undertones that align with Osbourne's shock-rock aesthetic while exploring genuinely disturbing psychological territory.

Symbolically rich, the song employs various literary devices to enhance its nightmarish quality. The "crack in the sky" and "stairway to darkness" establish vertical imagery of descent, suggesting both psychological deterioration and moral fall. The recurring motif of the "man in the dark" serves as an externalized manifestation of the narrator's darkest impulses or perhaps a projection of guilt. The cryptic line "he who laughs last is just a hand in the bush" disrupts conventional wisdom with nonsensical imagery, further emphasizing the breakdown of logical thought. The mother's warning about strangers followed by the mirror reference suggests the true danger comes from within—the self as the ultimate stranger.

Contextually, "No More Tears" emerged during a period when true crime and serial killer narratives were increasingly entering mainstream consciousness. The song's disturbing perspective piece aligns with cultural anxieties about random violence and predatory behavior that dominated news cycles of the early 1990s. Osbourne, long accused of promoting darkness through his music, here offers not a celebration of violence but an uncomfortable glimpse into disturbed psychology—forcing listeners to confront the darkness that can exist within the human mind. The song's final verses, with their unexpected expression of love amid violence, capture the contradictory emotions that can exist in toxic relationships and dangerous minds.

The song's lasting power stems from its masterful musical construction paired with lyrics that refuse simple interpretation. The composition moves between heavy metal aggression and moments of near tenderness, mirroring the psychological instability of its protagonist. Randy Rhoads' guitar work creates both menace and beauty, complementing lyrics that likewise balance between explicit threat and poetic abstraction. The song resonates because it taps into universal fears—of being victimized, of losing control, of discovering darkness within oneself—while wrapping these anxieties in a cathartic musical experience.

"No More Tears" ultimately achieves what great heavy metal consistently attempts: confronting disturbing aspects of human experience rather than sanitizing them. Ozzy's delivery, alternating between menacing whispers and powerful wails, embodies the song's exploration of fragmented identity. While casual listeners might simply appreciate its melodic hooks and powerful instrumentation, the song rewards deeper analysis as a psychological horror narrative set to music. In portraying a mind at the breaking point between violence and despair, Osbourne created not just a metal classic but a dark mirror reflecting human capacity for both monstrosity and regret—a tension that ensures the song's continued relevance in exploring the shadows of the human condition.
Posted on Jul 25, 2025 by Athena