I'm So Lonesome I Could C
Cassandra Wilson Lyrics


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Hear that lonesome winter bird
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I'm so lonesome I could cry

Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves began to die
That means he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome I could cry

The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are




I'm so lonesome I could cry
I'm so lonesome I could cry

Overall Meaning

Cassandra Wilson's song "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is a heartbreaking rendition of Hank Williams' classic. The song is an expression of loneliness and sadness, and Wilson's performance perfectly captures the emotional weight of the lyrics. In the first stanza, Wilson talks about a lonely winter bird singing a melancholic tune that seems too sad to even fly. The imagery of the bird struggling to take flight represents the heavy burden of loneliness that can weigh us down and prevent us from moving forward.


In the second stanza, she sings about a robin weeping when the leaves begin to die, a metaphor for someone losing the will to live. The song's melancholic tone is captured perfectly with the lines, "That means he's lost the will to live, I'm so lonesome I could cry." In the final stanza, Wilson talks about the silence of a falling star lighting up a purple sky. This line represents the emptiness and longing that come with loneliness. As she wonders where her love is, she can't help but feel the weight of her loneliness.


Overall, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is a beautiful yet mournful song that speaks to the heart of loneliness and emotional pain.


Line by Line Meaning

Hear that lonesome winter bird
Listen to that sad bird of winter


He sounds too blue to fly
He sounds so sad he can't even fly


The midnight train is whining low
The train in the middle of the night is making a sorrowful sound


I'm so lonesome I could cry
I am extremely lonely and sad that I could cry


Did you ever see a robin weep
Have you ever seen a robin cry


When leaves began to die
When the leaves start to fall off the trees


That means he's lost the will to live
That indicates that the robin has lost its desire to live


I'm so lonesome I could cry
I am extremely lonely and sad that I could cry


The silence of a falling star
The quietness that accompanies a shooting star


Lights up a purple sky
It brightens up the sky and turns it purple


And as I wonder where you are
And while I question your whereabouts


I'm so lonesome I could cry
I am extremely lonely and sad that I could cry




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Rhonda Bland

She is one of my favorite vocalist. Her live shows are just AWESOME!! LOVE HER!!!

Ola Akinlade

Completely underrated artist. Absolute legend of a singer. She handles this like she created it. Hasn't got enough recognition and the strings in the piece are amazing

Brave Now

What an absolutely beautiful voice Cassandra has. Consummate musician.

Rick Cornell

Still my favorite Cassandra Wilson cover, after all of these years (and "Blue Light Til Dawn" is still my favorite album....)

lulubluemoon

Mine too

Natalie Lipscomb

Mine too !😊

buckskinfringes79

Thanks Van for transmitting so much emotion with your song and thank you Cassandra for opening other avenues to appreciate these wonderful words and music.

Master Channel

Fabulous violin solo

Linda Chavers

Yes, awesome!

Free Radt

Again, another amazing version of one of many CLASSIC songs written by Van Morrison and yet she sings it as if it were meant to be HER song. WTG Cassandra! You are simply nothing less than WONDEROUS!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE U!!!

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