Martin Briley – Salt In My Tears

With a line like “You Ain’t Worth The Salt In My Tears” in a song…how could you not listen? This song was released in 1983 and reached #36 on the Billboard Charts. I liked the song because it had a catchy guitar riff which stood out at the time with all the synth music going on.

Martin Briley is a talented musician… below is from Wikipedia

Briley has received orchestral commissions, and has written songs for such artists as Céline Dion, *NSYNC, Dream, Michael Bolton, Mietta, Kenny Loggins, Pat Benatar, Jessica Andrews, Five Star, Jeff Healey, Rebecca St. James, Nana Mouskouri, Willie Nile, Gregg Allman, Night Ranger, David Hasselhoff, Patrick Swayze, Michael Monroe, Chastity Bono, Peter Tork, Nikki Webster, Hope Partlow, Natascha Sohl, Ballas Hough, Phil Stacey, Orianthi, The Maine and Barry Manilow.

Salt In My Tears

I never did it, no, I won’t admit it
Why should I lie for you anymore
You never loved me
You pushed and shoved me
I see the woman I never saw

I saw you laugh when the knife was twisted
It still hurts but the pain has shifted
I’m looking back at the time that drifted by
But I won’t cry for the wasted years
Cause you ain’t worth the salt in my tears

Feeling neglected, used and rejected
You need a shoulder to lean upon
Baby you picked him, found your next victim
Don’t worry, someone will come along

I broke the spell that you kept me under
I had enough of the rain and thunder
I lost track of the time and I wonder why
But I won’t cry for the wasted years
Cause you ain’t worth the salt in my tears

I’ll sit around and drink a few more beers
Until the memory just disappears
Cause you ain’t worth the salt in my tears

I saw you laugh when the knife was twisted
It still hurts but the pain has shifted
I’m looking back at the time that drifted by
But I won’t cry for the wasted years
Cause you ain’t worth the salt in my tears

Cause you ain’t worth the salt in my tears
Cause you ain’t worth the salt in my tears

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

15 thoughts on “Martin Briley – Salt In My Tears”

  1. I loved that song- saw the video on MTV- I don’t think it was a hit- years later there was a multi disc 1980s box that came out and it was on it- a true hidden gem. Never heard anything else by him.

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    1. I was amazed at how many people he has worked with… It was a clever song and caught my attention at the time… When I do these singles I’m trying to find some that are not worn out and played to death…this one I haven’t heard in a long time. I remember it was played for a while then dropped.

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      1. Other than playing it from the CD I own- I haven’t heard this otherwise in decades. One of those songs that should have been a big hit.

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    2. First off: I am shocked to see anyone write up Martin Brilley!

      As for “anything else”: he had one more minor hit, which was more of a video hit (and more Much Music than MTV) than radio hit, known as “Put Your Hands on the Screen,” concerned with televangelism. It was from his album, Dangerous Moments. There was an album before “Salt in My Tears” hit — his debut for Mercury — but that was more towards his progressive rock roots. He was in a British prog-band, Greenslade, prior. I want to say he was the bassist in the Pretty Things for a spell, during their Soft Torpedo phase.

      Awesome post and comments! And may I name drop Hilly Michaels? “Calling All Girls,” anyone?

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    1. I remember it when it came out… a good power pop song with a clever chorus… I had to look him up…the song just came to me the other day out of the blue.

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    1. Lol…it popped into my head about a week ago out of the blue. I’m trying to find singles that have not been worn out or kind of lost in the shuffle.

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  5. Great tune. A solid melodic rocker that I really liked back in the day. Yes, it was different from the usual 80s New Wave or endless variations of Metal, but there were some good mainstream rockers of the time: Tom Petty, Bob Seger had a really good album out, John Cougar, Eddie Money to name a few…

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    1. Oh yes…Tom Petty, Bruce and Prince was who I was listening to. I’m trying to find some singles that have been forgotten or haven’t been wore out in the 60s-80s…. I’ve always liked this one.

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