Big Salty Tears by The Ziggens

Album: Ignore Amos (1996)

License This Song

lyrics

Songfacts®:

The Ziggens are a Southern California band who were signed to the Skunk Records label along with Sublime, whose lead singer Brad Nowell was a big fan of their music.
This song is about a guy who loves a girl but knows he can't have her, so he cries every time he thinks of her or drives by her house. The part where he says, "Making my face all fat fat fat" is about how he deals with the problem by overeating.
Sublime sometimes performed this song acoustically. They reference the track on their hit "Wrong Way" in the line, "Big salty tears rolling down to her chin and it smears up her make-up."

Comments: 7

Erin from Sioux Falls, SdIs 2.17 just a random dollar amount for his order at the drive-thru, or is there some other significance with the number and sublime?
Kyle from Barrie, Onyo bluejay, im not correcting you to be a dick or any thing, just cool knowledge, but the original lyrics was "salty jiss running down to her chin"
but i think the producer changed it, its pretty funny.
Stephen from Grand Rapids, MiIn the Youtube video it's actually 2 songs.. ones called "Mary" and then when it changes it becomes "Big Salty Tears".
Liz from The Town That Never Sleeps, NvI think this songs about a guy having a crsh on a girl and realizing he cant have her. Like the line " big salty tears is what i taste as i drive PAST your house tonight.." kinda like hes scared to stop and ring the doorbell so he keeps driving ya know...
-Liz
Mike from St.catharines, CanadaAnother great song Sublime covered. Well Technically Brad covered it acoustic at the firecracker lounge. Definately another sad song that relates to a breakup from the perspective of the guy writing the song. He keeps reminising about the girl he was seeing such as when he drives past her house. He realizes his drinking wont helpo him get over her. The part "Making my face all fat fat fat" obviously refers to the look of people when they cry with there cheeks scrunched up.
Bluejay from Kearny, Njthe phrase 'big salty tears' appears in the song 'Wrong Way', also by Sublime.
Michael from Tega Cay, ScThis song was taped onto the lead singer of the ziggens answering machine from a show in florida(brad was signing it)

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Radio Free EuropeR.E.M.

Michael Stipe hadn't finished the lyrics when R.E.M. recorded "Radio Free Europe." He calls the vocal "complete babbling."

Cathy's ClownThe Everly Brothers

The first single to simultaneously top the UK and US charts was The Everly Brothers' "Cathy's Clown" in May 1960.

We were all party rocking in 2011 with the global smash "Party Rock Anthem," but rap fans know the "Everyday I'm shufflin'" line is a take on "Everyday I'm hustlin'" from the 2006 Rick Ross track "Hustlin'."

Afternoon DelightStarland Vocal Band

The Starland Vocal Band got the title "Afternoon Delight" from the late-afternoon appetizer menu at the restaurant Clyde's Of Georgetown in Washington, DC.

ZombieThe Cranberries

"Zombie" by The Cranberries is about an IRA bombing in England that killed two children.

ChangesDavid Bowie

The movie The Breakfast Club opens with a passage from David Bowie's "Changes" ("And these children that you spit on...")