As a member of the United States Merchant Marine, Husky entertained the troops on his ship in World War 2. After the war, Husky became a DJ in Missouri and Bakersfield, California, where he began using the moniker Terry Preston in order to hide his rural roots. He also recorded " Gone " under the name of Terry Preston and was a semi-hit.. He re-recorded it in later 50's and was a hit.. As a honky tonk singer, Husky signed with Capitol Records in 1953 under the guidance of Cliffie Stone, also the manager for Tennessee Ernie Ford. With Capitol Records, he reverted to his given name. A few singles failed before "A Dear John Letter" with Jean Shepard became a #1 hit. The followup was called "Forgive Me John".
In 1955, Husky had a solo hit with "I Feel Better All Over (More Than Anywhere's Else)"/"Little Tom", and developed Simon Crum as a comic alter ego. As Crum, Husky signed a separate contract with Capitol Records and began releasing records, the biggest of which was 1959's "Country Music is Here to Stay" (No. 2 for three weeks).
In the late 1950s, Husky had a long string of hits, including the #1 "Gone", (he first recorded Gone as Terry Preston in 1952) and he began an acting career on the Kraft TV Theatre program and the film Mr. Rock & Roll. Bob Ferguson's "Wings of a Dove" became his biggest hits, topping the country charts for ten weeks and attaining #12 on the pop charts. Although he didn't have any more number 1's, between 1961 and 1972 he had over two dozen hits with the biggest of which being the Top 5's, "Once" (1967) and "Just For You" (1968). In late 1972, after over 20 years with Capitol Records, Ferlin signed with ABC Records, where he scored several Top 40 hits into 1975 with the biggest of his hits there being the Top 20 "Rosie Cries A Lot" (1973). Ferlin briefly retired in 1977 following heart surgery but resumed touring after that. He remains a popular concert draw, performing at the Grand Ole Opry and elsewhere.
I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry
Ferlin Husky Lyrics
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The midnight train is whinin' low I'm so lonesome I could cry
I've never seen a night so long when time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind a cloud to hide his face and 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
Ferlin Husky's "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is a song that depicts deep sorrow, loneliness, and longing. The opening lines introduce a lonesome whippoorwill whose melancholy sound resonates deeply with the singer's own feelings. The singer also hears the midnight train which enhances his loneliness. The line "I'm so lonesome I could cry" is repeated several times, emphasizing the singer's sadness and isolation. The chorus "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" connects the singer's loneliness to the loss of will to live, that is the deepest level of sadness.
The song's imagery is poignant, from the moon hiding behind the cloud to the silence of a falling star lighting up a purple sky. These are all expressions of how the natural world feels the sorrow of the singer. The song takes a deeper emotional intensity as it progresses, exhibiting an increasing sense of emptiness and despair of the singer's condition.
"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is a masterful composition of melancholy and forlornness. It is a song that touches the soul of any individual who has ever experienced these feelings. The song's simplicity and starkness give it the power to touch hearts and move people all over the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear that lonesome whippoorwill he sounds too blue to fly
I can hear a sad whippoorwill bird that cannot even find the strength to fly due to its loneliness.
The midnight train is whinin' low I'm so lonesome I could cry
The sound of the distant, melancholy train in the night only intensifies my own feelings of profound isolation and sorrow.
I've never seen a night so long when time goes crawling by
This night seems endless and every second feels like an eternity.
The moon just went behind a cloud to hide his face and cry
Even the moon seems to be sharing my pain and is crying behind a cloud to conceal its own tears.
Did you ever see a robin weep when leaves began to die
The sight of a robin crying when the leaves start to fall signifies that it has lost all hope and will to live, just like me.
That means he's lost the will to live I'm so lonesome I could cry
Seeing the robin's tears only reinforces my own despair and hopelessness.
The silence of a falling star lights up a purple sky
The hush of a shooting star illuminates a violet sky and creates a bittersweet ambiance.
And as I wonder where you are I'm so lonesome I could cry
As I ponder about where you might be, the depths of my loneliness intensify, bringing me to tears.
I'm so lonesome I could cry
I am drowning in a sea of loneliness, feeling so isolated and depressed that the only comfort I can find is in weeping.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind