Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Cramer grew up in the small town of Huttig, Arkansas, teaching himself to play the piano. After finishing high school, he returned to Shreveport, where he worked as a pianist for the Louisiana Hayride radio show.
In 1952, he made his way to Nashville at a time when the use of piano accompanists in country music was growing in popularity. Before long, Cramer would become one of the busiest studio musicians in the industry, playing piano for stars such as Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline, The Browns, Jim Reeves, Roy Orbison, Don Gibson and the Everly Brothers, and many others. It is Cramer's piano that is heard, for example, on Presley's first national hit, "Heartbreak Hotel."
However, Cramer remained a virtual unknown to anyone but music industry insiders until he recorded a 45 rpm single in 1960 called "Last Date." An instrumental, the music exhibited a relatively new concept for piano playing known as the "slip note" style. The record went to Number two on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart. By the mid-1960s, Cramer had become a respected performer, making numerous record albums and touring with guitar maestro Chet Atkins and saxophonist Boots Randolph.
Floyd Cramer died of lung cancer in 1997 at the age of 64 and was interred in the Spring Hill Cemetery in the Nashville suburb of Madison, Tennessee.
In 2003, he was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee offers the "Floyd Cramer Competitive Scholarship."
Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
Floyd Cramer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blue eyes crying in the rain
When we kissed goodbye and parted
I knew we'd never meet again
Love is like a dying ember
Only memories remain
Through the ages I remember
Someday when we meet up yonder
We'll stroll hand in hand again
In a land that knows no parting
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Blue eyes crying in the rain
The song "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain" tells a melancholic story about lost love and the pain of separation. The lyrics describe a moment of farewell where the singer sees his lover's blue eyes filled with tears in the twilight. He knows that they will never meet again but the memory of her tears in the rain stays with him as a constant reminder of their love. The metaphor of love as a dying ember emphasizes the idea that once it fades away, only memories remain.
The singer's hope for a reunion in a place where there is no more separation suggests a belief in an afterlife or heaven. The repetition of the line "blue eyes crying in the rain" at the end of each stanza reinforces the emotional impact of the moment and creates a haunting effect on the listener. The song's simple melody and instrumentation complement the sentimental lyrics and enhance the mood of nostalgia and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
In the twilight glow I see her
As the sun sets, I catch a glimpse of her through the fading light.
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Her sad, teary eyes blend in with the raindrops falling from the sky.
When we kissed goodbye and parted
As we said our farewells with one last kiss, I knew we were saying goodbye forever.
I knew we'd never meet again
Deep down, I had a feeling that this would be the last time we'd see each other.
Love is like a dying ember
The passion and warmth of love fade away just like the glowing embers of a fire.
Only memories remain
All that is left of what once was is memories and moments in time.
Through the ages I remember
As time moves on, I still vividly recall the moments I spent with her.
Someday when we meet up yonder
In the afterlife, we will see each other once again.
We'll stroll hand in hand again
Just like old times, we'll walk together, holding hands with love in our hearts.
In a land that knows no parting
This time, we'll never have to say goodbye, as there will be no more separation or endings.
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Even in the afterlife, her tears will still fall as a remembrance of the love we once had.
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Repeating this line shows the continued presence of her sorrow and sadness for our lost love.
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Repeating this line shows the continued presence of her sorrow and sadness for our lost love.
Writer(s): Fred Rose
Contributed by Grayson I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.