He began his adult life as a young preacher in Philadelphia, where he hosted a gospel radio show. In the 1960s, he signed with Atlantic Records and began moving towards more secular music. His first hit was Just Out Of Reach Of My Open Arms, a cover of a country song. Though well-received by both peers and critics, and attaining a few moderate pop and several major R&B hits, Burke never could quite break through into the mainstream as did his contemporaries like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin.
Nevertheless, his emotive delivery, polished production, as well as the touches of country and pop sensibility in his music won him admirers and imitators. In 1964 he wrote and recorded Everybody Needs Somebody To Love his most prominent bid for an enduring soul standard. Covered by the Rolling Stones the same year, other well-known versions include one by Wilson Pickett and another a decade and a half later in the 1980 feature film by The Blues Brothers. Burke's biggest hit was a 1969 cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's Proud Mary.
His career was to some degree revived in 2002, with the release of the album Don't Give Up On Me, produced by Joe Henry, where he sang songs written specifically for the album by a roster of top-rank artists, including Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits and Joe Henry himself.
He is featured in the 2004 movie Lightning in a Bottle singing Turn on Your Love Light and Down in the Valley.
As of October 2002 Burke was the father of 14 daughters and 7 sons with 64 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. Several of his children and grandchildren have had successful careers in various facets of the music industry, though none as much so as their patriarch.
Burke died, arriving at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam where he was supposed to perform with Dutch band De Dijk with whom he recorded an album, entitled Hold on Tight.
Rock icon Mick Jagger performed a tribute to Burke at the 2011 Grammy Awards, laying down Burke's classic hit "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love".
A cover of Everybody Needs Somebody To Love received huge exposure as the music for Amazon's 2019 Christmas commercial.
Cry to Me
Solomon Burke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And nobody calls you on the phone
A-don't you feel like a-cryin'?
Don't you feel like cryin'?
Well, here I am, a-honey
A-come on, well, cry to me
When you're all alone in your lonely room
And there's nothing but the smell of her perfume
A-don't you feel like a-cryin'?
A-don't you feel like cryin'?
A-don't you feel like a-cryin'?
A-come on, come on, cry to me
Whoa
Nothing can be sadder than a glass of wine alone
Loneliness, loneliness, such a waste of your time, oh yes
You don't ever have to walk alone, you see
A-come on, take my hand, and baby, won't you walk with me?
Whoa yeah
When you're waitin' for a voice to come
In the night, but there's no one
A-don't you feel like a-cryin'? (Cry to me)
Don't you feel like cryin'? (Cry to me)
A-don't you feel like a-c-cry, c-cry, c-cry-cry (cry to me)
Cry, c-cry, c-cry-cry, cryin'? (Cry to me)
A-don't you feel like a-cry, c-cry, c-cry-cry (cry to me)
C-cry, c-cry, c-cry-cry, cryin'? (Cry to me)
The song "Cry to Me" by Solomon Burke is a soulful ballad about being there for someone when they are feeling alone and sad. The opening lines describe a situation where someone has been abandoned by their loved one and feels the need to cry. The singer is offering a sympathetic ear and is encouraging the person to let it all out and cry to him. The next stanza talks about being alone in a room that still smells like the person who left and how that can make one feel like crying. Again, the singer urges the listener to cry and not hold back.
The chorus reaffirms the singer's presence and support, telling the listener that they don't have to face their loneliness alone. The second verse describes the sadness of drinking wine alone and wasting time being lonely. The singer offers a hand to hold and says that they can walk together instead of being alone. The final stanza talks about waiting for a voice in the night, but no one is there. Once again, the singer is there to offer comfort and a shoulder to cry on.
Overall, the song "Cry to Me" is about being there for someone who is feeling lonely and sad. It advocates for the power of crying as a release and a way to express one's emotions. The singer is gentle, reassuring, and non-judgmental, which might be why the song has become such a classic.
Line by Line Meaning
When your baby leaves you all alone
When your partner walks out on you and you're left all by yourself
And nobody calls you on the phone
And you're not getting any messages or calls from anyone
A-don't you feel like a-cryin'?
Don't you feel like shedding tears and letting out your emotions?
Don't you feel like cryin'?
Do you not feel the urge to cry?
Well, here I am, a-honey
I'm here for you, my dear
A-come on, well, cry to me
Go ahead, let it all out and cry in my presence
When you're all alone in your lonely room
When you're in your solitary room feeling unhappy and deserted
And there's nothing but the smell of her perfume
And all you can smell is the fragrance of your departed partner
A-don't you feel like a-cryin'?
Don't you feel like weeping?
A-don't you feel like cryin'?
Don't you have the urge to cry?
A-don't you feel like a-cryin'?
Don't you feel like shedding tears and letting out your emotions?
A-come on, come on, cry to me
Come on, let's cry together
Whoa
Expression of surprise and sympathy
Nothing can be sadder than a glass of wine alone
Drinking a glass of wine alone is one of the saddest things
Loneliness, loneliness, such a waste of your time, oh yes
Loneliness is a waste of precious time
You don't ever have to walk alone, you see
You don't have to face life's struggles all by yourself
A-come on, take my hand, and baby, won't you walk with me?
Come on, hold my hand, and let me walk with you through this tough time, dear
Whoa yeah
Expression of affirmation and encouragement
When you're waitin' for a voice to come
When you're longing to hear a particular voice
In the night, but there's no one
But nobody is there to answer
A-don't you feel like a-cryin'? (Cry to me)
Don't you feel like weeping and expressing your heart to someone? (Cry to me)
Don't you feel like cryin'? (Cry to me)
Do you not have the urge to cry and confide in someone? (Cry to me)
A-don't you feel like a-c-cry, c-cry, c-cry-cry (cry to me)
Don't you feel like crying your heart out and letting your emotions flow freely? (Cry to me)
Cry, c-cry, c-cry-cry, cryin'? (Cry to me)
Do you want to cry, sob, and express your hurt and frustration? (Cry to me)
A-don't you feel like a-cry, c-cry, c-cry-cry (cry to me)
Don't you feel like shedding tears and letting it all out? (Cry to me)
C-cry, c-cry, c-cry-cry, cryin'? (Cry to me)
Do you feel like crying and letting go of your pain? (Cry to me)
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Bert Russell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind