I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry
B. J. Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train
Is whining low
And I'm so lonesome I could cry
Did you ever see
A night so long
The moon just went
Behind a cloud
And I'm so lonesome I could cry
Did you ever see
A robin weep
When leaves begin to die?
That means he's lost
The will to live
And I'm so lonesome I could cry
The silence of
A fallin' star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry
Yeah, I could cry
I could cry
I could cry
I could cry, oh
I could cry, I could cry
The song "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" by B. J. Thomas is a poignant ballad that paints a picture of a world that is dark, lonely and without any hope. The singer describes his feelings of loneliness by drawing imagery from nature. In the first verse, he talks about the lonesome whippoorwill, who is too blue to fly. This suggests a sense of melancholy and sadness in the bird, who is the symbol of freedom. Then he mentions the midnight train, which is whining low, creating a sense of despair and loneliness in the singer.
In the second verse, the singer describes the night as long, and time passes slowly. The moon hiding behind the clouds symbolizes a lack of light, both physically and metaphorically, indicating that the singer is isolated and alone in the dark. In the third verse, the singer uses the image of a robin weeping when leaves begin to die. The robin symbolizes a sense of loss, and this image provides a powerful metaphor for the singer's own sense of loss and despair. Finally, the silence of the falling star lights up a purple sky, and the singer wonders where his loved one is.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you hear the lonesome whippoorwill?
Did you ever hear the sorrowful sound made by the whippoorwill bird that cannot fly high?
He sounds too blue to fly
The bird sounds melancholy and incapable of flying high up in the sky.
The midnight train
Is whining low
The train that passes in the night is making a sorrowful, low-pitched noise.
And I'm so lonesome I could cry
The singer is so lonely that he feels like crying to release his sorrow.
Did you ever see
A night so long
When time goes crawlin' by?
Have you ever seen a night that seems to never end, where time seems to move incredibly slowly?
The moon just went
Behind a cloud
The moon is no longer visible as it moves behind a cloud.
And I'm so lonesome I could cry
The singer is so lonely that he feels like crying to release his sorrow.
Did you ever see
A robin weep
When leaves begin to die?
Have you ever seen a robin bird cry when the leaves start to fall, a sign that it has lost the will to live?
That means he's lost
The will to live
The bird's weeping is a symbol of its surrender to the inevitability of death.
And I'm so lonesome I could cry
The singer is so lonely that he feels like crying to release his sorrow.
The silence of
A fallin' star
Lights up a purple sky
As a shooting star falls silently, it illuminates the purplish sky.
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry
In his loneliness, the singer wonders where the person he longs for is currently located.
Yeah, I could cry
I could cry
I could cry
I could cry, oh
I could cry, I could cry
The singer repeats that he could cry several times, indicating the depth of his sadness.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@susanberner5177
His voice and this song makes the room hush. No one sounds like BJ and no one ever will. Thank you for your music, Mr. Thomas. It will be enjoyed forever.
@danconner504
This guy doesn't need a bunch of musical instruments to back him, he is the total package of the musicial industry
@zhifaraandhara4125
👍
@margowakefield3295
Now singing with the Angels. 💖
@trishhappel5095
Exactly 💯
@bellalugo2230
Yes that's right
@michaelmarsh2133
Great voice
@ehardin54
This video brought me to tears. 😓 Today BJ Thomas would have been 80 years old. For me, his voice is still the most distinctive and wonderful male vocalist in music history. I'm 68 years old and I had the privilege of seeing and listening to him for the first time when I was 18. It's saddened me so much last May when he passed away. End up until he had to start his cancer treatments, his voice remained the same without change. 💯 Thank you for all of your beautiful music BJ Thomas. 🎵🎙️🎼❤️ And Happy Heavenly Birthday.🎈🎈🎈
@larrybill9141
Hello patty how are you doing!!
@oviedoc5454
I wouldn't dare disagree with you because BJ truly was a once in a generation talent; however, I would hasten to add: Keith Whitley was right up there with him.