Aaron Neville (born January 24, 1941, New Orleans, Louisiana) is an America… Read Full Bio ↴Aaron Neville (born January 24, 1941, New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American soul and R&B singer and musician. He made his debut in 1966 with the hit single Tell It Like It Is, a Number One hit on the Billboard R&B charts. From 1977 he performed as part of The Neville Brothers with his siblings, Art Neville, Charles Neville, Cyril Neville & Ivan Neville.

Neville charted again, in 1989, when he collaborated with Linda Ronstadt on three consecutive duets: Don't Know Much, All My Life, and When Something Is Wrong with My Baby, the first two reached Number One on the Adult Contemporary charts. Neville has released more than 20 singles, including three Number Ones on the Adult Contemporary format, and a fourth on the R&B format.

His other hits have included Everybody Plays the Fool, his successful 1991 cover of the 1972 Main Ingredient song, that reached #8 on the Hot 100; Don't Take Away My Heaven, Hercules and Can't Stop My Heart From Loving You (The Rain Song). Neville's biggest solo successes have been on the Adult Contemporary chart, where "Don't Know Much," "All My Life," and "Everybody Plays the Fool" all reached Number One.

Aaron signed to SonyBMG's new Burgundy Records label in late 2005 and recorded an album of songs by Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke and others for Bring It On Home...The Soul Classics, released on September 19, 2006. The album, produced by Stewart Levine, features collaborations between Neville and Chaka Khan, Mavis Staples, Chris Botti, David Sanborn, Art Neville, and others. The album's first single was a remake of The Impressions' 1963 classic It's All Right.

On October 27, 2006, Neville made a guest appearance on an episode of the soap opera The Young and the Restless. He sang Stand By Me" and Ain't No Sunshine, from his album, Bring It on Home … The Soul Classics. In 2008 he released Gold, which includes a double album of his hits.

http://www.aaronneville.com

Cry Me A River
Aaron Neville Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Now you say you're lonely
You cry the long night through

Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you
Now you say you're sorry
For being so untrue

Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river

I cried a river over you
You drove me, nearly drove me, out of my head
While you never shed a tear
Remember, I remember, all that you said?
Told me love was too plebeian
Told me you were through with me and
Now you say you love me
Well, just to prove you do

Come on and cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you
Now you say you love me
Well, just to prove you do
Come on and cry me a river
Cry me a river

I cried a river over you

I cried a river over you
I cried a river, over you

Overall Meaning

In Aaron Neville's song "Cry Me a River," the singer is addressing someone who has hurt them deeply. The other person is now claiming to be lonely and sorry for their past behavior, but the singer is not moved by these apologies. Instead, they tell the other person to cry them a river, to shed as many tears as they need to because the singer has already cried a river over them. The singer recounts how the other person's actions nearly drove them "out of [their] head," but they never shed a tear over the singer's pain. The other person also belittled the singer's love, saying that it was "too plebeian" and that they were through with them. Now that the other person claims to love the singer once again, the singer is not so easily convinced. They demand that the other person prove their love by crying a river, just as the singer has done.

The metaphor of crying a river is powerful for several reasons. First, it suggests overwhelming emotion - a river is a force of nature that is difficult to control, much like intense feelings of sadness or anger. Second, it implies a sense of catharsis - by crying a river, the other person may be able to release some of their guilt or regret, just as the singer has done. Finally, the metaphor also highlights the power dynamic between the two characters - the singer has already experienced and survived the flood of emotion that the other person is now facing. They are essentially saying, "You think you're in pain? I've been there, and I'm still standing."

Overall, "Cry Me a River" is a classic song about heartbreak and resilience. The singer is dealing with the aftermath of a painful experience, but they are not defeated. Instead, they are using their own emotional journey as a way to challenge and test the sincerity of their former partner's feelings. It's a powerful message about the importance of self-care and self-respect in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

Now you say you're lonely
You express your feeling of being alone

You cry the long night through
You spend the whole night crying

Well, you can cry me a river
You should cry as much as you want

I cried a river over you
I was so devastated that I cried a lot because of you

Now you say you're sorry
You express your regret

For being so untrue
For not being honest

You drove me, nearly drove me, out of my head
You made me go crazy

While you never shed a tear
You never shed a tear in this situation where I was so sad

Remember, I remember, all that you said?
I remember everything you said to me

Told me love was too plebeian
You said that love was too ordinary

Told me you were through with me and
You said that you were done with me