I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry
Andy Kirk and His Orchestra Lyrics


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Hear that lonesome whippoorwill?
He sounds too blue to fly.
The midnight train is whining low,
I'm so lonesome I could cry.

I've never seen a night so long,
When time goes crawling by.
The moon just went behind a cloud,
To hide its face and cry.

Did you ever see a Robin weep,
When leaves begin to die?
That means he's lost his will to live.
I'm so lonesome I could cry.

The silence of a falling star,
Lights up a purple sky.
And as I wonder where you are,




I'm so lonesome I could cry.
I'm so lonesome I could cry.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry by Andy Kirk and His Orchestra reflect the intense feeling of loneliness and isolation. The poetic language of the song provides various images that evoke emotions of sadness and despair. The opening lines illustrate the melancholic setting with a whippoorwill, a bird known for its twilight songs, sounding too blue to fly. The midnight train signifies the passing of time, and its low whine augments the level of sorrow in the singer's heart.


The second stanza highlights the slowness of time and the sense of desolation that comes with it. The moon hiding behind a cloud and crying reflects the singer's emotional state as he struggles to confront his solitude. The third verse uses the image of a weeping robin to show the hopelessness of the situation. The leaves begin to fall, and the bird seems to have lost its will to live, just like the singer who is gripped by loneliness.


The final stanza has the singer looking up to the stars, and it is here that he confronts the reality of being left alone. Even the beauty of a falling star illuminating a purple sky only makes him more aware of his loneliness. The last line is a poignant repetition of the title, emphasizing the depths of sadness and sorrow. In essence, the song is a compelling reflection on the human condition of loneliness and the pain that comes with it.


Line by Line Meaning

Hear that lonesome whippoorwill?
Do you hear the sad sound of the whippoorwill?


He sounds too blue to fly.
It sounds as if the whippoorwill is too sad to even fly.


The midnight train is whining low,
The train that passes by at midnight is making a sorrowful sound.


I'm so lonesome I could cry.
I feel so alone that I could break down and cry.


I've never seen a night so long,
This is the longest night I have ever experienced.


When time goes crawling by.
Time seems to be moving extremely slowly.


The moon just went behind a cloud,
The moon disappeared behind a cloud.


To hide its face and cry.
Perhaps the moon is also crying and wants to hide its sadness.


Did you ever see a Robin weep,
Have you ever witnessed a bird, like a robin, cry?


When leaves begin to die?
If you see a robin cry when the leaves start falling, it could signify that the bird has lost hope.


That means he's lost his will to live.
The robin crying is a sign of losing hope and the desire to keep living.


I'm so lonesome I could cry.
I am so lonely that it makes me feel like crying.


The silence of a falling star,
When a shooting star passes, it goes quietly with no sound.


Lights up a purple sky.
It creates a beautiful scene in the purple sky.


And as I wonder where you are,
As I ponder about your whereabouts.


I'm so lonesome I could cry.
Again, I feel so lonely that I could break down and cry.




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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