The Average White Band (AWB) is a soul and funk band formed in 1972 and is … Read Full Bio ↴The Average White Band (AWB) is a soul and funk band formed in 1972 and is widely regarded as one of the best in the history of music. The band consists of Cliff Lyons on alto sax, keyboards, and vocals, Rob Aries on keyboard and bass, Onnie McIntrye on guitar and vocals, Brent Carter on lead vocals, Alan Gorrie on lead vocals, bass, and guitar, Rocky Bryant on drums, and Fred "Freddy V" Vigdor on tenor sax, keyboards, and vocals.

Though best known for their instrumental hit "Pick Up the Pieces," the band's strength lies in their consistently accomplished songwriting, stretching across several gold-selling albums and multi-Grammy nominations for Atlantic Records. Despite their Scottish roots, the six-piece band developed their own "authentic" sound influenced by R&B heroes such as Marvin Gaye, James Brown, and Donny Hathaway, which was eagerly adopted by black audiences in the US and elsewhere.

Many of the band's cuts, such as "Cut The Cake" and "Let's Go 'Round Again," attracted chart action as hit singles, while album tracks like "Schoolboy Crush" and "Person to Person" became much-sampled "rare" grooves. Other tunes like "Cloudy," "A Love Of Your Own," and "Nothing You Can Do" stand alongside some of the finest soul album tracks ever recorded.

The current lineup of the band, with noted US musicians alongside founding members Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre, continues to delight audiences and critics alike in its wide-ranging touring. The musical energy and trademark sound are remarkably true to the original, and with constant revisitation and re-workings of AWB's, and others' classics in the mix, it is no surprise that the Average White Band is now a multi-generational attraction and a perennial fixture with many of the top music venues.

Too Late To Cry
Average White Band Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's too late to cry
Too late for wondering why
You got to dry your eyes
Baby, it's too late to cry

You always told me
It was no good, no good
I never treated you the way

That I ought to do
I was an easy target
Too blind to see my weakness
I did you wrong, I know
But you couldn't really see my side
I know you didn't understand

Now it's too late to cry
Too late for wondering why
You got to dry your eyes
Baby, it's too late to cry

We had those good times
Some that were so bad, so bad
We couldn't hold what we had
At the start
It's too late to cry
The feeling is gone now, gone now
Gets so bad sometimes
It's hard to stop from breaking down
And you wonder if you really tried

Now it's too late to cry
Too late for wondering why
Yes it's too late to cry
Wondering just what passed you by

Baby, it's too late to cry
Gotta dry your eyes

Overall Meaning

The song 'Too Late To Cry' by Average White Band is a soulful ballad that deals with the aftermath of a failed relationship. The lyrics speak of regret and sorrow at a relationship that has ended, and the singer has come to accept the fact that it is "too late to cry." The song starts with the singer exclaiming that it is too late for tears and questions about why the relationship ended. The next few lines imply that the singer is the reason for the end of the relationship, and they did not treat their partner well. The singer admits that they were an easy target, and they could not see their weaknesses. Despite all this, the singer feels that their ex-partner did not understand their side of the story.

The chorus repeats the phrase that it is too late to cry, and the singer asks their ex-partner to dry their eyes. The next verse talks about the good and bad times they had together, but they could not hold on to what they had. The singer implies that the feeling is gone, and it is hard not to break down sometimes. The final chorus emphasizes that it is too late to cry and questions what might have passed them by. The song's overall tone is one of regret and sadness, as the singer comes to terms with the end of their relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

It's too late to cry
There is no use in crying anymore

Too late for wondering why
It is futile to keep asking questions now

You got to dry your eyes
You have to stop shedding tears and move on

Baby, it's too late to cry
There is no point in crying, my dear

You always told me
You were always honest with me

It was no good, no good
Our relationship wasn't working

I never treated you the way
I didn't behave towards you in a manner that I should have

That I ought to do
That would have been appropriate

I was an easy target
I was gullible and naive

Too blind to see my weakness
I was incapable of recognizing my own flaws

I did you wrong, I know
I made a mistake and I am aware of it