Born in Hope Valley, Rhode Island, with his parents Mr. & Mrs. William Gilman Jr., Gilman first received notice as a performer at age seven, attracting the attention of a local vocal coach, Angela Bacari, who later became his manager. Eventually he met with Ray Benson (of Asleep at the Wheel) who helped him record demos, including "Roly Poly". Two months later he was signed by Sony Music Nashville.
His 2000 debut album, One Voice, had a very widely-played single that crossed over well into top 40 airplay. The album reached multi-platinum status, and earned a Grammy nomination. Generally touted as a child prodigy, Gilman appeared on various talk shows. Classic Christmas (which was certified gold) was released later in the year.
He released Dare to Dream (certified gold) on Sony BMG Music Entertainment/Epic Records in 2001, and in 2003 released Music Through Heartsongs, an album inspired by the poetry of Mattie Stepanek. Later in 2003, he performed at a benefit for The Station nightclub fire. In May 2005, he released Everything and More, his first album since his voice changed.
Billy's latest album, self-titled, was released in September 2006 on the Image Entertainment label. The first single off the upcoming album, Southern Star, heralds a return to his country music roots. Billy is scheduled to begin working on his next album with Eddie Galan and Andrew Lane of Trilogy Productions.
Crying
Billy Gilman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could smile for a while
Then I saw you last night
You held my hand so tight
When you stopped to say "hello"
You wished me well
You couldn't tell
Cryin' over you
Then you said "so long"
Left me standin' all alone
Alone and cryin'
Cryin', cryin', cryin'
It's hard to understand
That the touch of your hand
Can start me cryin'
I thought that I was over you
But it's true, oh so true
I love you even more than I did before
But darlin' what can I do
For don't love me and I'll always be
Cryin' over you, cryin' over you
Now, now that you're gone
And from this moment on
I'll be cryin'
Cryin', cryin', cryin'
It's hard to understand
That the touch of your hand
Can start me cryin'
Cryin', cryin', cryin'
I'm cryin', cryin' over you
The lyrics to Billy Gilman's song "Crying" tell the story of a person who thought they were over a past love but realizes they still have strong feelings when they unexpectedly see them again. The first verse describes how the person was doing fine for a while, could smile for a while until they saw their past love the previous night. The second verse talks about how the past love approached them, and held their hand tightly and wished them well but couldn't tell that they had been crying over them. The chorus describes the emotions of the individual as they realize that they still love their past love, and now that they're gone, they'll be crying a lot.
The third verse reveals that the individual thought they were over their past love, but now they realize that they love them even more than before. However, they are painfully aware that their former love doesn't feel the same way, as they left them standing alone and crying. The song ends with the chorus, repeating that they will be crying over their past love.
Line by Line Meaning
I was all right for a while
I was doing okay with life without you.
I could smile for a while
I could pretend like everything was fine without you for some time.
Then I saw you last night
Then I saw you last night, which reminded me of you again.
You held my hand so tight
You held my hand so tightly like you used to, which made me feel something again.
When you stopped to say 'hello'
When you stopped to say hello and greeted me.
You wished me well
You wished me well and were genuinely kind.
You couldn't tell
You didn't know that I've been crying over you.
That I've been cryin' over you
I've been crying over you even after I thought I was over you.
Cryin' over you
I've been sobbing because of you.
Then you said 'so long'
Then you said goodbye.
Left me standin' all alone
Left me standing all alone with my thoughts of you.
Alone and cryin'
I was alone and crying because of you.
It's hard to understand
It's difficult to comprehend how just the touch of your hand can make me feel this way.
That the touch of your hand
The touch of your hand can be so powerful.
Can start me cryin'
That it's able to make me cry so easily.
I thought that I was over you
I thought I had moved on from you entirely.
But it's true, oh so true
But the truth is that I still love you very much.
I love you even more than I did before
I've realized that I have even more love for you than I had before.
But darlin' what can I do
But sweetheart, what can I possibly do about that?
For don't love me and I'll always be
Because you don't love me in the same way and I'll always feel this way
Cryin' over you, cryin' over you
Crying over you, it's what I do because I can't help it.
Now, now that you're gone
Now that you're gone, it's even worse.
And from this moment on
From this moment on, it's going to be even harder.
I'll be cryin'
I'll be crying over you for a long time.
I'm cryin', cryin' over you
I'm crying over you and can't seem to stop.
Lyrics © Orbi-Lee Music, Barbara Orbison Music Company, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, R-Key Darkus
Written by: Joe Melson, Roy Orbison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Don Raabe
Yep, Billy should of been the winner. His voice is flawless
ladymctech
I don't even watch The Voice religiously but he is my favorite contestant ever.
Patricia Edwards
Wow. I remember him singing this as a young boy and that sent chills down my spine. My goodness his voice has always been EXTREMELY STRONG and full of emotions. It really makes my heart melt.💕💕🙏🙏🐻
Steve Wentworth
Underrated giant voice!
Jaspyology
this performance gives me chills and goosebumps. he caught “the spirit”. Billy SANG that damn song!
She wee
Wish we could hear more of this guy
JANE westpold skrøvseth
WOW WHAT AN AMAZING VOICE,LOVE IT AND THIS ONE I HEAR EVERYDAY 💞💞💞💞👏👏😢😢
~CherryTree~
He sings every song like a master piece.
Rochelle Fox
HIS VOICE IS SO AWESOME!!!
Aljon Maro
Breathtaking!