The Sky Is Crying
Elmore James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
The sky is crying, look at the tears roll down the street
I'm waiting in tears looking for my baby, and I wonder where can she be?
I saw my baby one morning, and she was walking on down the street
I saw my baby one morning, yes she was walking on down the street
Made me feel so good until my poor heart would skip a beat
I got a bad feeling, my baby, my baby don't love me no more
I got a bad feeling, my baby don't love me no more
Now the sky's been crying, the tears rolling down my door
The lyrics of Elmore James's song "The Sky Is Crying" paint a vivid picture of despair and heartbreak. The opening lines "The sky is crying, look at the tears roll down the street..." effectively set the tone for the rest of the song as it serves as a metaphor for the protagonist's overwhelming emotions. The tears of the sky represent the tears of the singer that have slowly made their way into the street. He is waiting in tears, looking for his baby, and wondering where she could be. This suggests that the singer is desperately in search of his love, but she seems to have disappeared without a trace.
The second verse begins with the singer reminiscing about a moment when he saw his baby walking down the street. This memory filled him with joy and made his heart skip a beat. The contrast between this moment of happiness and the overall sadness of the song serves to highlight the devastating effects of heartbreak. The next two lines, however, reveal that the singer's joy is short-lived as he realizes that his baby doesn't love him anymore. This realization is what has caused his tears to flood the streets.
In the final verse, the singer comes to terms with the fact that his baby has left him. He has a 'bad feeling' that confirms his fears. The tears rolling down his door are a physical manifestation of his emotional pain. It's clear that the loss of his baby has had a profound impact on him.
Overall, "The Sky Is Crying" is a classic example of the blues genre. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and the melody is deeply emotional. The song's ability to convey the intense emotions associated with heartbreak has made it a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
The sky is crying, look at the tears roll down the street
It's raining heavily and the water is running down the street like tears
The sky is crying, look at the tears roll down the street
The sadness I feel is reflected in the rain falling from the sky and running down the street like tears
I'm waiting in tears looking for my baby, and I wonder where can she be?
I'm crying because my lover has left me and I'm searching for her, wondering where she could be
I saw my baby one morning, and she was walking on down the street
I saw my lover walking down the street one morning and it made me happy
I saw my baby one morning, yes she was walking on down the street
I saw my lover walking down the street and it lifted my spirits
Made me feel so good until my poor heart would skip a beat
Seeing my lover made me so happy that my heart skipped a beat
I got a bad feeling, my baby, my baby don't love me no more
I have a feeling that my lover doesn't love me anymore and it's making me sad
I got a bad feeling, my baby don't love me no more
My instincts tell me that my lover doesn't feel the same way about me and it's hurting me
Now the sky's been crying, the tears rolling down my door
The rain is falling heavily and the water is rolling down my door like tears, reflecting my sadness
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Elmore James
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James was born fifty miles north of Jackson (not to be confused with another Richland just south of Jackson). He began playing as a teen, under the names "Cleanhead" and "Joe Willie James", alongside musicians such as the first Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin' Wolf, and Robert Johnson. Read Full BioElmore James (Elmore Brooks, Richland, Mississippi, 27th January 1918 – Chicago, Illinois, 24th May 1963) was an American blues singer and guitarist. He was known as "The King of the Slide Guitar".
James was born fifty miles north of Jackson (not to be confused with another Richland just south of Jackson). He began playing as a teen, under the names "Cleanhead" and "Joe Willie James", alongside musicians such as the first Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin' Wolf, and Robert Johnson. During World War II James joined the United States Navy and was stationed in Guam.
Upon his discharge James returned to central Mississippi and eventually settled in Canton. He began recording with Trumpet Records in nearby Jackson in January 1951, first as sideman to the second Sonny Boy Williamson and others, then debuting as a session leader in August with what became his signature song, "Dust My Broom". It was a surprise R&B hit in 1952 and turned James into a star. His "I Believe" was another hit a year later. During the 1950s he recorded for the Bihari Brothers' Flair and Modern labels, as well as for Chess Records. His backing musicians were known as the Broomdusters. In 1959 he began recording what are perhaps his best sides for Bobby Robinson's Fire Records label. These include "The Sky Is Crying" (credited to Elmo James and His Broomdusters), "Stranger Blues", "Look On Yonder Wall", "Done Somebody Wrong", and "Shake Your Moneymaker", all of which are among the most famous of blues recordings.
The slide guitar riff from "Dust My Broom" is one of the best-known openings in all of blues.
Elmore James died of his third heart attack in Chicago in 1963, already a major influence on guitarists such as The Rolling Stones' Brian Jones. His classic "Done Somebody Wrong" and "One Way Out" were often covered by The Allman Brothers Band, who cited James as a major influence. James was also covered by blues-rock band Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble many times in concert. The most famous of these covers is Vaughan's take on James's legendary recording, "The Sky Is Crying". James is mentioned in The Beatles' song "For You Blue". While John Lennon plays the slide guitar, James' trademark, George Harrison says "Go, Johnny, go ... Elmore James got nothin' on this, baby." Another famous guitarist who admired Elmore James was Jimi Hendrix. On a sleeve of the posthumously released Hendrix CD Blues, there is a photo of Hendrix wearing his famous military jacket and holding Elmore James's vinyl.
johnny zell
The sky is crying,
Can you see the tears roll down the street.
The sky is crying,
Can you see the tears roll down the street.
I've been looking for my baby
And I've been wondering where can she be
I my baby early one morning
She was walking on down the street
I my baby early one morning
She was walking on down the street
You know it hurt me, hurt me so bad
It made my poor heart skip a beat
I got a real, real fine feeling
That my baby she don't love me no more
I got a real, real fine feeling
That my baby she don't love me no more
You know the sky's been crying
Can see you see the tears roll down my door
Songwriters: Elmore James
Karl Jensen
I'm 14 and i love Elmores music, a king of the Slide Guitar!
Jimmie McCoy
You my friend chose wisely, Elmore is the BEST. Check out Anna Lee
The Dissident Brit
@Karl Jensen Yes! I play guitar and harmonica, the latter I haven't played it for a while, but yes man. You gotta go for it while you still can!
Karl Jensen
@Mathieu Schuler Yes I do: Guitar, Blues Harp and Saxophon
Mathieu Schuler
Fantastic! Wish i had discovered him that early. I hope you start playin an instrument if ya dont already!
Zilliga Mothera
Good on ya!!!
Alan Taylor
Quite frankly, the best opening line to any song ever written!
urckrecords
We’ve all been there😢, only this man articulated it in the greatest way ever.
nyg1954
He doesn't get the credit he deserves. Wrote so many good songs.
The Dissident Brit
@Do It Now! video's yeah! It amazes me he was putting this sound out as early as '51. Howlin wasn't even making records until about '55/'56, amazes me. As part of the younger generation, I won't ever let blues die, and I'll always respect the edlers who brought us this music. Blues ain't dead yet! ;)