you needed me

[Nefertiti]

Hi there.

1. The whole song was written in past tense. It depicts something happened in the past.
Does it imply their relationship has ended by now? (i.e. you don't need or love me any more.)

2. What does 'cry a tear' mean? What's the difference if I say "cry tears"?

3. " I sold my soul. You bought it back for me."
What does the quote mean? Is it a common usage?

4. "hold sb up" does the quote mean to raise sb up or make sb feel worthy? Is it a common usage?

5. " You gave me hope when I was at the end."
What does 'I was at the end' mean? Is it a common usage?


Thanks in advance.


_____________
The Song

Tile :Anne Murray - You Needed Me

I cried a tear
You wiped it dry

idiom
put sb on a pedestal (source: Cambridge)
to believe that someone is perfect

[Ouisch]

Originally Posted by Nefertiti

Hi there.

1. The whole song was written in past tense. It depicts something happened in the past.
Does it imply their relationship has ended by now? (i.e. you don't need or love me any more.)

As a rule, the past tense would indicate that these events happened some time ago, and are no longer in effect. However, in this verse:

And I can't believe it's you I can't believe it's true
I needed you and you were there
And I'll never leave, why should I leave

She is implying that they are still together, so I believe the past tense was used by way of explanation; that is, her lover is asking her why does she love him, what was the defining moment that made her realize he was special, etc, and she is answering him via this song.

2. What does 'cry a tear' mean? What's the difference if I say "cry tears"?

No difference; I think she used "cried a tear" because it has more syllables and fits the rhythm of the song better.

3. " I sold my soul. You bought it back for me."
What does the quote mean? Is it a common usage?

"Sold my soul" is common usage. It literally means that you've made a pact with the Devil; figuratively it means you went against your personal beliefs in order to gain something. "You bought it back for me" implies that he comforted her and rescued her from a bad situation.

4. "hold sb up" does the quote mean to raise sb up or make sb feel worthy? Is it a common usage?

In this sense, to hold someone up means to give them emotional support. It's fairly common usage.

"you gave me hope when I was at the end."
What does 'I was at the end' mean? Is it a common usage?

"I was at the end" means she was very close to giving up on life completely. The common phrase is "at the end of my rope," meaning that you're just barely hanging on and you're ready to let go.


Thanks in advance.


_____________
The Song

Tile :Anne Murray - You Needed Me

I cried a tear
You wiped it dry

idiom
put sb on a pedestal (source: Cambridge)
to believe that someone is perfect[/quote]

[Tdol]

I removed the lyrics because we're not allowed to display songs in full. In future, if you are asking a question about a song, could you quote the relevant parts and put a link to the full lyrics? Thanks.