Though her recording career had begun in the late 1970s with her eponymous debut album, it was with 1990's I Fell in Love that Carter's career really took off, with the album and title song topping the US country albums and singles charts, respectively. The album, which featured straight-ahead, retro-sounding country (her prior work had combined country, rock and roll and pop sounds), was among the first successes of the 1990s "neotraditionalist" movement in country. 1993's Little Love Letters featured the hit "Every Little Thing", which was accompanied by one of the top-rated music videos of the year.
Carter's winning stream ended with 1995's Little Acts of Treason, which, while critically well received, failed to achieve the commercial success of the Carter's two previous releases.
She also found limited amounts of fame with the song "It takes one to know me", which was released on the albums "Johnny Cash the Legend" and "Johnny and June duets". Originally recorded in 1977 with a full string backing group, it was lost in a tape collection in Hendersonville and uncovered in 2003. It was then remastered by her brother John Carter Cash. In the remastered version, John added his and his wife Laura's backing vocals and a guest appearance from Carlene herself - more than 35 years after she wrote and recorded the song.
She was played by Victoria Hester in the movie Walk the Line.
The track 'Every Little Thing' is also featured in the pinball machine 'Red and Ted's Road Show' released by Williams Electronic Games in 1994. Carter also does the voice of one of the main characters in the pinball game
Cry
Carlene Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's only admiration
I cannot hide this infatuation
A young adolescent, such an innocent child
You win a contest for every little girl smiled
But all those tears she made you cry, cry, cry
Let your mama make 'em go bye, bye, bye
Poor little boy now why, why, why
It's not my concern
But my sympathy is yours
And if you're lonely
You can sleep on my floor
I'll lend you an ear or an arm and a leg
But strictly plutonic
For every topic
Heartache's a scratch but love is an itch
She must've scratched you make you hurt like this
Poor little boy now why, why, why
Cry baby, cry baby, cry, cry, cry
You can cry sugar
You can cry honey
You can cry money but don't you cry tears
Cry me a river or cry me a lake
Cry like the rain but don't you ever cry like a train
Well love is a fall and heartache's a bitch
She must've sent you flyin' over the fence
Poor little boy now why, why, why
Cry baby, cry baby, cry cry cry
Cry honey, cry honey, cry cry cry
Cry baby, cry baby, why, why, why
Cry sugar, cry honey, bye bye bye
The lyrics to Carlene Carter's song "Cry" can be interpreted as a plea to a young boy who has been hurt by a girl. The singer expresses their admiration for the boy's resilience in light of his heartache and offers to provide comfort and support. The line, "Heartache's a scratch but love is an itch" could be interpreted as a commentary on the fleeting nature of heartbreak compared to the never-ending pursuit of love.
The lyrics also suggest that the girl who hurt the boy did so intentionally and repeatedly, as evidenced by the line "You win a contest for every little girl smiled/But all those tears she made you cry." The singer acknowledges that they cannot erase the hurt caused by the girl but offers a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on.
The chorus of "Cry baby, cry baby, cry cry cry" reinforces the message that it's okay to express one's emotions, no matter how painful. However, the singer encourages the boy to cry sweetly rather than bitterly, telling him to "cry sugar" and "cry honey" rather than crying like a "train."
Overall, the lyrics to "Cry" convey a message of empathy, offering support and understanding to someone who has been hurt.
Line by Line Meaning
Excuse my stare
I'm sorry if I'm staring at you
It's only admiration
I really like you
I cannot hide this infatuation
I'm very attracted to you
A young adolescent, such an innocent child
You're young and innocent
You win a contest for every little girl smiled
You have a great smile
But all those tears she made you cry, cry, cry
Someone hurt you and made you cry
Let your mama make 'em go bye, bye, bye
Let your mom comfort you and make you feel better
Poor little boy now why, why, why
I feel sorry for you
Cry baby, cry baby, cry cry cry
It's okay to cry
It's not my concern
It's not my business
But my sympathy is yours
But I feel sorry for you
And if you're lonely
If you're feeling lonely
You can sleep on my floor
You can stay at my place
I'll lend you an ear or an arm and a leg
I'll listen to you and help you as much as I can
But strictly plutonic
But only as friends
For every topic
About anything you want to talk about
Heartache's a scratch but love is an itch
It's easier to get over being hurt than it is to stop wanting someone
She must've scratched you make you hurt like this
She probably hurt you a lot
You can cry sugar
You can cry all you want
You can cry honey
You can cry on my shoulder
You can cry money but don't you cry tears
You can give me money but don't cry
Cry me a river or cry me a lake
Cry as much as you want
Cry like the rain but don't you ever cry like a train
Cry softly, not loudly and obnoxiously
Well love is a fall and heartache's a bitch
Falling in love can be rough
She must've sent you flyin' over the fence
She probably hurt you really badly
Cry honey, cry honey, cry cry cry
It's okay to cry
Cry baby, cry baby, why, why, why
Why are you hurting?
Cry sugar, cry honey, bye bye bye
You can cry, but eventually you'll feel better
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Deana Kay Carter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lenny Grassa
Rockpile as the backing band, makes it that much better!
David87124
Good quality sound:)
snafujag100
Love it..Thanks!!
Marion Heyenga
Amazing 👍👍👍💕💕💕.... Good job
Don Frameli
I love her
Marion Heyenga
👍👍👍💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕
Special Orchestra Gair Linhart
Dave Edmonds...Yeah!!!!
Eddie Parker
EddieParker man this little girl makes you wont move fantastic little gal so darn cute man 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍🌹😘😍❤️💕
Wxsa Wxsa
Rockin carleane CRY JOHNNYS LITTLE GIRL DONE GOOD!