Knight was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Slaughters, Kentucky. His extended family lives in the same area of Kentucky. Knight has three brothers and a sister. When he was three years old, he asked for a plastic guitar for Christmas. At 15, he became serious and began teaching himself John Prine songs on his older brother's guitar. In an interview, Knight commented "At one point I could play probably 35-40 John Prine songs.
Knight earned a degree in agriculture from Western Kentucky University. He worked for ten years as a mine reclamation inspector and as a miner's consultant for the Kentucky Department of Surface Mining.
Knight started composing when he was 26, but didn't start performing until he was 30. He got his first record deal when he was 37.
On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Chris Knight among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
Cry Lonely
Chris Knight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you can't hold back your tears
And you're so afraid to be alone
You know I'm always right here
You cry lonely, and I come runnin'
I come to your rescue, I'll chase your blues away
You cry lonely, but you don't really want me
You always say your heart is breakin'
Then you hear the wolf outside your door
I know you, you just use me
Till you don't need me anymore
You cry lonely, and I come runnin'
I come to your rescue, I'll chase your blues away
You cry lonely, but you don't really want me
And I won't be there one of these days
Someday when you know you really love me
You're gonna cry my name, and I'll be gone
You cry lonely, and I come runnin'
I come to your rescue, I'll chase your blues away
You cry lonely, but you don't really want me
And I won't be there one of these days
I won't be there
When you cry my name
I won't be there
When you cry my name
The lyrics to Chris Knight's song "Cry Lonely" talk about someone who always comes running to be with their lover whenever they feel lonely or sad. The song starts with the image of rain running down the window and the person feeling like they cannot hold back their tears. The lover always tells their partner that they will be there for them whenever they need them, but they do not really want them. The person in this relationship is only using their partner to chase away the blues, but they will not be there one day.
The chorus reiterates how the person always comes running, but the partner does not really want them. The line "You cry lonely, but you don't really want me" indicates that the partner is only using their lover as a band-aid solution to their loneliness. The last verse states that someday, the partner will realize that they actually love their lover, but they will be gone by then. The repetition of the line "I won't be there when you cry my name" emphasizes that the person will not always stick around to be used by their partner.
Overall, the lyrics to "Cry Lonely" convey the idea of a one-sided relationship where one person is always there for the other, even though the other person does not really want them. It speaks to the loneliness and desperation that people feel when they are in relationships where they are not truly loved.
Line by Line Meaning
When the rain runs down your window
When things get tough and it seems like life is coming down hard on you.
And you can't hold back your tears
When you feel overwhelmed by the circumstances that make you cry.
And you're so afraid to be alone
When you're not really comfortable with your own company and need someone to be there for you all the time.
You know I'm always right here
You feel like there's someone who you can always count on to be there for you.
You cry lonely, and I come runnin'
You only cry when you're alone, and there's someone who always comes running to take care of you.
I come to your rescue, I'll chase your blues away
The person who comes to help when you're feeling down and out takes away your problems and makes you feel better.
You cry lonely, but you don't really want me
Even though you're always crying for help, you don't really want the person who comes to rescue you.
And I won't be there one of these days
The person who always comes to your rescue will eventually not be there when you need them the most.
You always say your heart is breakin'
You tend to complain about problems in your life, even if they're not that bad.
Then you hear the wolf outside your door
Your problems seem to follow you around no matter where you go, and there's always something out to get you.
I know you, you just use me
The person who always comes to your rescue knows that you're only taking advantage of them.
Till you don't need me anymore
Eventually you'll move on and won't require the person who always comes to rescue you.
Someday when you know you really love me
At some point in the future, you'll realize how much you actually need the person who always comes to your rescue.
You're gonna cry my name, and I'll be gone
But by then it'll be too late, because the person who always comes to your rescue will have left.
I won't be there
The person who always comes to your rescue won't be there for you any longer.
When you cry my name
When you need the person who always comes to your rescue the most.
I won't be there
The person who always comes to your rescue won't be there anymore.
When you cry my name
When you need help the most.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GARY NICHOLSON, CHRIS KNIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind