Hank Thompson (September 3, 1925 – November 6, 2007) was a country-western … Read Full Bio ↴Hank Thompson (September 3, 1925 – November 6, 2007) was a country-western music entertainer whose career spanned six decades, and who has sold over 60 million records worldwide.

Thompson's musical style, characterized as Honky Tonk Swing, is a mixture of big-band instrumentation, fiddle and steel guitar that supports his distinctive, gravelly baritone vocals on songs he often writes himself. His backing band, The Brazos Valley Boys, was voted the No.1 Country Western Band for 14 years in a row by Billboard Magazine.

He decided to pursue his musical talent after serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II as a radioman and studying electrical engineering at the university level. His first single was "Whoa Sailor" in 1946. The year 1952 brought his first #1 disc, "The Wild Side of Life", which contained the memorable line "I didn't know God made honky-tonk angels" (which inspired the Kitty Wells response, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels"). Other hits followed in quick succession in the 1950s and 1960s. Although not as prominent in later decades, he has remained an active and respected performer in the field, finding new audiences as a result of the resurgence of a harder-edged sound in country music.

Hank Thompson was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989 and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1997. He was born 3 September 1925 in Waco, Texas, and passed away at home in Keller, Texas, on 6 November 2007, just four days after cancelling his final tour.

Cryin' in the Deep Blue Sea
Hank Thompson Lyrics

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Well, I went to see my baby
She said stay away from me
'Cause I'm a hot wire
And you're a flat tire
And I'm a-lettin' you go, you see

[Chorus]
And now, I'm gone

You can look for me
Down by the ocean
Cryin' in the deep blue sea

Well, I never thought my baby
Would ever say goodbye
That goes to show
That a man don't know
Just how the cards can lie

[Chorus]

She left me here to weep and moan
Nothin' but the doggone blues
I've made my bid
But she flipped her lid
And now I've got the walkin' shoes

And so, I'm gone
You can look for me
Down by the ocean
Cryin' in the deep blue sea

Well, the tears I shed this mornin'
And the tears I shed last night
I cried, by gosh

But it just can't wash
My baby from my sight

[Chorus]

When I looked out on the ocean
Lord, it was deep and wide
Well, my baby's gone
And I can't go on
So I hung my little head and cried

[Chorus]

Where?

Down by the ocean
Cryin' in the deep blue sea

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Cryin' in the Deep Blue Sea" by Hank Thompson express the heartache and sorrow of someone who has just been rejected by their lover. The opening lines of the song paint a picture of the singer going to see his lover, but instead of receiving a warm welcome, he is turned away with harsh words. The metaphor of "hot wire" and "flat tire" is used to describe the incompatibility of the two individuals. The singer realizes that the relationship has run its course and accepts that his lover is breaking up with him.

In the chorus of the song, the singer declares that he is gone and can be found by the ocean, crying in the deep blue sea. It is clear that he is devastated by the breakup and feels lost without his lover. The verse "nothin' but the doggone blues" emphasizes his sadness, and he admits that he made his bid, but his lover flipped her lid. The final verse expresses the depth of his sorrow, describing how the singer looks out at the vast ocean, realizing that his lover is gone and he is unable to go on without her.

Line by Line Meaning

Well, I went to see my baby
I visited my lover

She said stay away from me
She requested that I not be near her

'Cause I'm a hot wire
She is high-strung or unpredictable

And you're a flat tire
I am dull or boring

And I'm a-lettin' you go, you see
She is breaking up with me

[Chorus]
Refrain or repeating section of the song

And now, I'm gone
I have left

You can look for me
If you are searching for me

Down by the ocean
Near the sea

Cryin' in the deep blue sea
I am crying while being near the sea

Well, I never thought my baby
I did not expect my lover