In 1958, Ben Nelson joined a doo wop group, The Five Crowns. Later that same year, The Drifters' manager fired the members of the group and replaced them with The Five Crowns, who had performed several engagements with The Drifters. He co-wrote the first hit by the new version of The Drifters, "There Goes My Baby" (1959). He also sang lead, using his birth name, on "Save the Last Dance for Me," a song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, "Dance With Me," "This Magic Moment," "I Count the Tears," and other The Drifters hits.
In 1960 he left the group after failing to gain a salary increase and a fairer share of the group's royalties. At this point he assumed the more memorable stage name Ben E. King in preparation for a solo career. Remaining on Atlantic, King scored his first solo hit with the stylish, Latin-tinged ballad "Spanish Harlem" (1961). "Stand by Me" was his next recording. "Stand by Me", written by King along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller was voted one of the Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America. "Stand by Me" and "Spanish Harlem" were named as two of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and were both also given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
King's records continued to place well on the pop charts until 1963, when British pop bands began to dominate the popular music scene. His hits after 1963 were "What is Soul?" (1967), "Supernatural Thing, part 1" (1975), and the re-issue in 1986 of "Stand by Me" following the song's use as the theme music to the movie of the same name.
My Heart Cries For You
Ben E. King Lyrics
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(Sighs for you, dies for you)
(And my arms long for you)
(Please come back to me)
If you're in Arizona, I'll follow you
If you're in Minnesota, I'll be there too
You'll have a million chances to start anew
My heart cries for you
Sighs for you, dies for you
And my arms long for you
Please come back to me
An unimportant quarrel was what we had
We have to learn to live with the good and bad
Together we were happy, apart we're sad
This loneliness is driving me mad
My heart cries for you
Sighs for you, dies for you
And my arms long for you
Please come back to me
Please come back to me
Please come back, come back, come back to me
The lyrics of the song "My Heart Cries For You" by Ben E. King express the emotional pain and longing of the singer for a lost love. The repetition of the phrases "my heart cries for you", "sighs for you", and "dies for you" emphasize the intensity of the singer's feelings, highlighting the depth of his emotional despair. He expresses his willingness to follow his love wherever she may be, and his insistence that his love for her is endless.
The second stanza speaks about the triviality of their quarrel and encourages the couple to accept both the good and the bad in their relationship. The singer longs for his former happiness but acknowledges that he is miserable in solitude. The song is an earnest plea for his lover to return, with the repetition of "please come back to me" evoking a sense of desperation.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart cries for you
I feel a deep emotional pain due to your absence
Sighs for you, dies for you
I crave for your return and feel like a part of me is missing without you
And my arms long for you
I feel physically incomplete without you and desire to hold you close
Please come back to me
I am begging you to return to me because I cannot bear the pain of being without you
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: CARL SIGMAN, PERCY FAITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind