Spears moved from Texas to Nashville in 1964. She earned a Capitol Records contract in 1968. Her first hit was 1969's "Mr. Walker, It's All Over."
Spears won country fans over with her tough, bluesy style; however, it was not until 1975's "Blanket on the Ground" that she broke through to major stardom. The song hit number one on the country charts in the United States. The song did well in the United Kingdom, as well; the song climbed into the top five in the pop hits there.
Spears' followed up "Blanket on the Ground" with the top ten "What I've Got In Mind." "What I've Got in Mind" did even better in the United Kingdom, turning out to be a second top 5 British hit for her across the sea.
Spears had successes with "Misty Blue," "'57 Chevrolet," "Love Ain't Gonna Wait For Us," "If You Want Me," and others. 1981's remake of Tammy Wynette's 1960s hit, "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad," was Spear's last voyage into America's country top 20.
Her Greatest Hits album was a top 10 best seller, and furthered her fan base.
By the mid-1980s, her success in the United States had tapered off. However, she retained a following in the U.K., recording a number of albums for the British market that had limited or no release in America. This level of fame in Britain was summed up by the the magazine entitled Country Music People during the 1990s when an article described Spears as "The Queen Mother of Country music."
In 2005, Spears released the album "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry".
I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry
Billie Jo Spears Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die?
That means he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome, I could cry
The silence of a falling star
Light's up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome, I could cry
The lyrics of Billie Jo Spears's song "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" express a deep sense of loneliness and longing. The song begins with the sound of a lonely whipperwill, unable to fly due to the intensity of its sadness. The midnight train adds to the melancholy atmosphere, symbolizing the passage of time and the distance between the singer and her loved one. The singer feels so lonely that she could cry, and the mood becomes even sadder with the moon hiding behind a cloud, as if crying itself.
The second verse starts by asking if you have ever seen a robin weep when leaves start to fall, indicating that it has lost the will to live. This intensifies the feeling of hopelessness and despair, as if all the beauty has gone out of the world. Finally, the silence of a falling star makes the sky turn purple, and the singer wonders where her loved one could be. The song ends with a repetition of the line "I'm so lonesome, I could cry" emphasizing the intensity of her sadness.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you hear that lonesome whipperwill?
Have you heard the lonely bird singing?
He sounds too blue to fly
He sounds weighed down with sorrow and unable to take off.
The midnight train is whining low
The sound of the train is adding to my sadness.
I'm so lonesome, I could cry
I feel incredibly lonely and it's making me want to cry.
I've never seen a night so long
This night seems never-ending.
When time goes crawling by
Time is passing slowly and painfully.
The moon just went behind a cloud
Even the moon seems to be hiding from my loneliness.
To hide its face and cry
The moon is so sad that it's hiding and crying.
Did you ever see a robin weep
Have you witnessed a bird crying?
When leaves begin to die?
It's a sign that hope is fading.
That means he's lost the will to live
The loss of hope has taken away the bird's desire to keep living.
I'm so lonesome, I could cry
The sadness and loneliness is overwhelming.
The silence of a falling star
The quietness of a shooting star.
Light's up a purple sky
It illuminates a sky that is colored in shades of purple.
And as I wonder where you are
I'm consumed with thoughts of where you are.
I'm so lonesome, I could cry
It's a repetition of how lonely and sad I feel.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AngelaSmitherman
Love her version, her voice is amazing ♥️♥️👏🏻👏🏻
@ronkendall4543
Awesome version of a great song
@fullerbrush1
Great Singing By The Great Billie Jo Spears. Thanks for Posting.
@jonjeanwes
Your welcome fullerbrush1 ,she sings like a true country singer ,so sadly missed Thanks for listening-------John
@maxinegodoy1512
Hi, I have 19 years old and I from Argentina, really the voice of this woman is amazing and so so beautiful, I don't find another's songs of her, but is amazing
@jonjeanwes
Thanks Martu and yes Billie Jo Spears is a great singer and she's recorded
many songs and you will find her on youtube.Thanks again for listening
Best Wishes --------John
@denisroberts2937
Another beautiful singer she was special and different .
@jonjeanwes
Hello again Denis once again you've hit the nail on the head.Billie Jo is so
different but so good.Thanks for listening Best wishes -----John
@denisroberts2937
John wesson I like your choice of country artists, all this new so called country is not a patch on the real old country songs. Keep up the good choices you are making, thank you
@johnsandiford5978
Nice song,thanks for sharing John