Breaking Down ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’: Cloudy June’s Bold New Anthem

Honey bees, do you know one thing we love here at The Honey POP? If you don’t know, we’ll tell you. One of the many things we love is an amazing anthem! Recently, Cloudy June gave us quite a treat when she released her bold new anthem titled ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry.’ We’re about to tell you about it and break down some of our favorite lyrics!

Behind The Song

‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ marks the 21st song in Cloudy June’s career, which began when she made her musical debut with ‘High Waist To Hell’ on April 17th, 2020. She creates dark pop music and makes powerful anthems about various subjects. On the surface, ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ is about getting revenge after a breakup. The song explores the themes of empowerment, revenge, rejecting social norms, crushing stereotypes, and vulnerability. 

This song is perfect for a playlist with themes of confidence, empowerment (especially female empowerment), revenge, breaking free, and healing. Are you ready for us to break down the lyrics? We are!

Lyrical Breakdown

You fed me pretty lies
Like caramel and spice
I fell for every line 

Cloudy June cuts right to the chase in the song’s first verse. She calls out her ex-lover for telling her lies instead of telling her the truth. She compared lies to “caramel and spice,” implying they were alluring but harmful. At the time, she didn’t realize that her ex was just saying things she supposedly wanted to hear, so she believed them as truthful. Her believing them only shows how vulnerable she could be, and there’s nothing wrong with being vulnerable. 

This tends to be the case for a lot of people when it comes to relationships, friendships, etc. Some people will always tell you what they think you’d want to hear instead of what you need to hear and what the truth is. Sometimes pretty lies are too good to be true, despite how much they may be disappointing to hear. However, if things sound too good to be true, question it.

I feel the tears coming out, but I hold back
I'll turn the water to flames

These lines come across the song’s bridge and show another way Cloudy June can be vulnerable. However, she won’t allow it to happen. Instead, she’s retaliating wanting to get angry or seek revenge. The bridge lyrics show that she’s over the days of crying over a breakup. We can’t say that we blame her!

While crying over a breakup because it was painful or the person wasted your time can be helpful, there’s also nothing wrong with not crying. No matter how you cope with a breakup, this is a reminder to turn those (literal or metaphorical) tears into something beautiful. In Cloudy June’s case, she decided to turn them into retaliation and a song.

Big girls don't cry
They set your house on fire
They're making you regret the things you said to them last night

Cloudy June wants to crush stereotypes about being a girl or a woman. Some people often think and believe that when women show their emotions, they’re weak. That’s, however, far from the case. A woman demonstrates her strength by showing emotions, which might include crying, getting angry, and being vulnerable.

Cloudy June reminds us that women (and everyone, really) should take control of the situation instead of crying. Remember when we said she wanted revenge? In this case, she wants to retaliate by seeking revenge on the person who did her wrong and setting their house on fire. Dramatic yes, but hurt makes you do some wild things!

I should have listened to my intuition
But baby, you know what they say

People say you should always listen and trust your intuition. However, sometimes there are moments when we do the opposite. People regret not listening to their intuition nine out of ten times. This is the case when it comes to Cloudy June. She hadn’t listened to her intuition when it spoke to her and now regrets it. This is everyone’s reminder to listen to what your intuition is trying to tell you. If not your intuition, your friends!

They crush your heart and smile 
Put on a pretty dress before they make you wanna die (Oh-oh)

This serves as a reminder not to underestimate girls or women. While they might look pretty and seem “innocent” on the surface, “big girls” aren’t afraid to retaliate or prove that they’re stronger than most give them credit for.

‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ Music Video

Cloudy June released a stunning video for ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ on August 9th, 2024. The music video starts with her walking up to a ringing payphone inside a phone booth and picking it up to see who’s calling. If we have to guess, we would say it could be the guy who did her wrong. Once she picks up the phone, the video transitions to her in an empty room filled with ashes, although it switches between her at the phone and the room itself. It isn’t until the chorus comes into effect that we see not one, but five versions of Cloudy June dressed in all black and taking turns singing the lines in the chorus. 

The video continues transitioning between the room, the phone booth, and her sitting in a chair, showing her singing at some moments and dancing at others. The room with the ashes indicates that Cloudy June did what she was said she would by setting things on fire and letting it be known that she wasn’t playing about retaliating against her ex-lover. It isn’t until the bridge that we see a change in scenery: Cloudy June is shown wearing a red crop top and black shorts in the middle of flames burning while lightly dancing.

We love the simplicity of the music video to get the point across. It was enough and not too much to overshadow the lyrics or singing!

What do you think of ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry,’ the lyrics, and the music video? Do you like it, love it, etc.? If you had to choose your favorite lyric from the song, which line(s) would you choose? If we had to pick, we would say, “I feel the tears coming out, but I hold back, I’ll turn the water to flames.”

Let us know your favorite and what you think about everything in the comments below or by contacting us via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Also, remember ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry,’ honey bees!

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