I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry
Dottie West Lyrics


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Hear the lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds to blue to fly
The midnight train is a-winding low
I'm so lonesome I could cry

I've never seen a night so long
When time keeps crawling by
The moon is gone behind the clouds
To hide his face and cry

Have you ever seen a robin weep
When leaves have turned to brown?
Like me he's lost his will to live
I'm so lonesome I could cry

The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple haze




And yes I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Dottie West's song "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" talks about the feeling of intense loneliness that is overwhelming and causes one to feel lost and sad. The song starts with a lonesome whippoorwill that sounds too blue to fly, emphasizing the feeling of being trapped in one's emotions without any way to escape. The midnight train winding low and the moon hiding behind the clouds symbolizes a sense of longing, like there is something missing in one's life. The singer of the song is so lonesome that they feel like crying, and they have never seen a night so long as time keeps crawling by.


The second verse of the song talks about how the singer feels like a robin who has lost his will to live. The comparison of the robin weeping to the singer's emotions highlights that they are at a point where they have lost hope and feel like they have nothing to live for. The third verse talks about the silence of a falling star lighting up a purple haze, and the singer is wondering where the person they miss is. This verse adds a sense of longing for someone who might be the reason for the singer's loneliness.


Overall, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is a song that captures the emotional pain of loneliness and speaks to the tendency of humans to feel lost and empty when they are without connections to others.


Line by Line Meaning

Hear the lonesome whippoorwill
The sound of a lonesome bird attempting to fly is being heard.


He sounds too blue to fly
The whippoorwill appears sad and unable to soar.


The midnight train is a-winding low
The train is making a low sound while passing by at midnight.


I'm so lonesome I could cry
The feeling of extreme loneliness is making the artist want to cry.


I've never seen a night so long
The artist finds this particular night endlessly drawn out.


When time keeps crawling by
Time is moving extremely slowly for the singer.


The moon is gone behind the clouds
The moon has disappeared behind some clouds.


To hide his face and cry
As if the moon is crying, he is hiding behind the clouds.


Have you ever seen a robin weep
Have you ever witnessed a robin bird shedding tears?


When leaves have turned to brown?
The leaves have turned brown during the fall but the robin appears to still be mourning.


Like me he's lost his will to live
The robin seems to have given up the desire to continue living, just like the singer.


I'm so lonesome I could cry
The feeling of extreme loneliness is making the artist want to cry.


The silence of a falling star
When a shooting star falls, it creates a sense of quietness that the singer is observing.


Lights up a purple haze
The falling star creates a purple shade around itself that is visible.


And yes I wonder where you are
The singer is wondering about the whereabouts of a person close to them.


I'm so lonesome I could cry
The feeling of extreme loneliness is making the artist want to cry.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

1943Grandpa

I've been looking for this since I heard a piece of it years ago on a Coloumbo episode. It was one of those magical moments that just resonate in such a special way. I had given up! This rendition is just so unique.

Anette Richard

Me too, think columbo episode was sex and the married detective, that's what brought me here.

Donald Ewert

Dottie gives me goose bumps with those tears in her voice💧🌈

steve grosso

Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo was the episode. I've been searching for the artist and the original song for years. If you type in Columbo with this title you will hear that song published by Neil Sater who has been searching also. It is such a beautiful version and the artists voice is simply haunting. I love Dottie's version also. She had such a beautiful voice. Sara

mario aranda

nice version, tempo and feel just right .... then again

fatboybabushka

This is very close to the version on Rest In Peace, Mrs. Columbo ... but I don't think this is it. But I'm still looking and when I find it I'll post it on my facebook page.

kcrtu

Did you ever have any luck?

Stunning beauté

I feel that!

Don Hawkins

Dottie has another later version of this..i like it better...

MyJustified

@1943Grandpa Hi Thanks for commenting, I never knew Dottie's version was played on Columbo, anyway there is lots more of Dottie on my channel

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