No Tears For The Widow Lyrics by Judy Small
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I never saw my mother cry
Until the night my father died
Married nearly thirty years
And his dying had been hard
I remember how the family came
To share the grief, the tears, the pain
And how her friends all gathered round
And all the black-rimmed cards

The funeral was a large affair
The civic fathers all were there
And mother held up stoically
She never shed a tear
But everyone there understood
That she had entered widowhood
And life would never be the same
Her status now was clear

And there were tears for the widow
Tears for the widow
For the woman who had lost her love
And must carry on alone
And mother now writes "widow"
In the space on all the forms
It's part of her identity
Like her grey hair or her name

My friend Amelia lost her love
To cancer's slow and painful glove
The dying was no easier
Than my father's was back then
No black-rimmed cards came to her door
Her grief and anguish all ignored
Except, of course, for closest friends
Who tried to understand

Her lover was described by all
As a single woman living well
A tragic loss for family
Taken well before her time
When Amy left the funeral home
She travelled to their house alone
And sat among familiar things
And wept into the night

And there were no tears for the widow
No tears for the widow
For the woman who had lost her love
And must carry on alone
And Amy still writes "single"
In the space on all the forms
But she rages at the lie it tells
And the loss that it ignores

And who can tell how many other women
Live their lives in shadows
Unrecognized, unsympathized
Unseen and disallowed
Who've lost not only lovers
But often hearth and home
For "marriage" is a special word
And only meant for some

And there are no tears for the widows
No tears for the widows
For the women who've lost lovers
And must carry on alone
And life goes on, but for them
There is no space on any forms
Yes, "marriage" is a special word
And only meant for some
I never saw my mother cry   Until the night my father died   Married nearly thirty years   And his dying had been hard   I remember how the family came   To share the grief, the tears, the pain   And how her friends all gathered round   And all the black-rimmed cards      The funeral was a large affair   The civic fathers all were there   And mother held up stoically   She never shed a tear   But everyone there understood   That she had entered widowhood   And life would never be the same   Her status now was clear      And there were tears for the widow   Tears for the widow   For the woman who had lost her love   And must carry on alone   And mother now writes "widow"   In the space on all the forms   It's part of her identity   Like her grey hair or her name      My friend Amelia lost her love   To cancer's slow and painful glove   The dying was no easier   Than my father's was back then   No black-rimmed cards came to her door   Her grief and anguish all ignored   Except, of course, for closest friends   Who tried to understand      Her lover was described by all   As a single woman living well   A tragic loss for family   Taken well before her time   When Amy left the funeral home   She travelled to their house alone   And sat among familiar things   And wept into the night      And there were no tears for the widow   No tears for the widow   For the woman who had lost her love   And must carry on alone   And Amy still writes "single"   In the space on all the forms   But she rages at the lie it tells   And the loss that it ignores      And who can tell how many other women   Live their lives in shadows   Unrecognized, unsympathized    Unseen and disallowed   Who've lost not only lovers   But often hearth and home   For "marriage" is a special word   And only meant for some      And there are no tears for the widows   No tears for the widows   For the women who've lost lovers   And must carry on alone   And life goes on, but for them   There is no space on any forms   Yes, "marriage" is a special word   And only meant for some