Dionne Warwick (born December 12, 1940 in East Orange, New Jersey, as Marie… Read Full Bio ↴Dionne Warwick (born December 12, 1940 in East Orange, New Jersey, as Marie Dionne Warrick) is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer, actress and television presenter. Having been in a partnership with songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David for years, Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest hit makers of the entire rock era (1955–2012), based on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Charts. As of January 2013, Warwick ranks second behind only Aretha Franklin (who has a total of 88 charted Billboard singles) as the most-charted female vocalist of all time with 56 of Dionne's singles making the Billboard Hot 100 between 1962 and 1998.

Known as the artist who "bridged the gap," Warwick's soulful blend of pop, gospel and R&B music transcended racial, cultural, national, and musical boundaries.

Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, Warwick collaborated with many of her musical peers, including Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson, Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osbourne, Kashif and Stevie Wonder. Warwick was also host of the hit television music show, "Solid Gold." In addition, she recorded several theme songs, including "Champagne Wishes & Caviar Dreams," for the popular television series "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous," and "The Love Boat," for the hit series from Aaron Spelling. More recently, Warwick recorded her first Christmas album entitled "My Favorite Time of the Year" featured jazzy interpretations of many holiday classics. In 2007, Rhino Records re-released the CD with new cover art, a critically acclaimed Gospel album, "Why We Sing," for Rhino/Warner Records, and a new jazz album, "Only Trust Your Heart," a collection of standards, celebrating the music of legendary composer Sammy Cahn for Sony Red/MPCA Records.

Dionne Warwick has won 5 Grammy Awards during her music career:
• 1969: "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the single, "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"
• 1971: "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the single, "I'll Never Fall in Love Again"
• 1979: "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" for the single, "Déjà Vu"
• 1979: "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the single, "I'll Never Love This Way Again"
• 1986: "Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal" for the single, "That's What Friends Are For"
Dionne Warwick was born in a musical family of which numerous superstars arose.
Warwick's sister Dee Dee Warwick had a successful singing career, Warwick's aunt is gospel singer Cissy Houston, and one of Warwick's cousins is Whitney Houston.

I Cry Alone
Dionne Warwick Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I cry alone
When no one else can hear me
When friends come by to cheer me
I smile and say I feel okay

But I cry alone
Each lonely night without you
But when they talk about you

I make believe I never grieve

And here in my room
When no one else can find me
I lock the door behind me
And I cry

Please come home, come back to me
Oh, how I long to kiss you
If friends say I don't miss you
They just don't know
How I cry alone

If friends say I don't miss you

They just don't know
How I cry alone

Overall Meaning

Dionne Warwick's song "I Cry Alone" is a heart-wrenching ballad about longing for someone who is no longer there. The first verse describes the façade that the singer puts on for the people around her. Despite the attempts of friends to cheer her up, she still feels the pain of loneliness and finds herself crying alone each night. The second verse delves deeper into the singer's sense of isolation. Even when she is with others, thoughts of the person she misses cause her grief. However, she holds back her emotions and makes it seem as though she is fine.

The chorus brings forth the raw emotion of the song. The singer can no longer put up any pretense, and she breaks down in her room where no one can see her. The longing for her beloved is so intense that she pleads for their return. The last line of the chorus indicates that there have been people who have brushed off her pain and suggested that she doesn't miss her loved one. However, they cannot comprehend the emotions that she is going through as she continues to cry alone.

Overall, the song is a poignant reflection of the human condition. It depicts the lengths people will go to in order to mask their pain, even when they feel utterly alone. The lyrics capture the feeling of trying to hold onto a lost love and the hopeless desperation that can come along with it.

Line by Line Meaning

I cry alone
I weep by myself

When no one else can hear me
I weep when no one's around to listen

When friends come by to cheer me
When well-wishers visit to keep me company

I smile and say I feel okay
I pretend to be happy and fine

But I cry alone
But still I weep by myself

Each lonely night without you
Every night feels desolate without you

But when they talk about you
But when your name comes up in conversation

I make believe I never grieve
I pretend that I'm not sad and hurting

And here in my room
When I'm in my bedroom

When no one else can find me
When nobody else is able to locate me

I lock the door behind me
I lock the door to keep others out