Headley began playing the music of her native country at a young age, including calypso, reggae and soca. She moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana in the United States at the age of fifteen when her father was offered a job as pastor of McKee Street Church of God (in Anderson, Indiana).
After graduating from Northrop High School, Headley attended Northwestern University to study communications and musical theatre. In 1997, she played Nala in The Lion King, the Broadway musical. Headley's performance was well-received and she then originated the title role in the Broadway adaptation of Aida, earning the Tony Award for Best Actress in 1999.
Headley released her debut album, This Is Who I Am, in October 2002 on RCA Records. Although its first single, "He Is", was not very successful, the second single, "I Wish I Wasn't", achieved moderate success and earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Headley was also nominated for Best New Artist.
On September 6, 2003, Headley married Brian Musso, formerly of the New York Jets. Her second album, In My Mind, was delayed due to the various executive shake-ups associated with RCA parent BMG's merger with Sony, and Headley joked that it should have been called Caught Up instead. Under BMG North America chairman/CEO Clive Davis for the first time, Headley released the album in January 2006. The title track was released as the first single; it was produced by India.Arie collaborator Shannon Sanders, and its music video was directed by Diane Martel. The song reached number-one on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
Why Should I Cry
Heather Headley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But those blessings turn to regret from all the things you put me through
I remember at night you used to hold me till the sun rose the next day
Now you sleep and just turn away while my heart is on display
And I say
[Chorus: x2]
Why should I cry one more night?
Why does my heart say, get up and walk away
Why do I stay?
Why, why, why
There's a reason why I cry every day
There's a reason why things don't go your way
There's a reason why I kneel down in pray
There's a reason why I'm still around today
Can't you see that I'm hurtin' eternally?
I need affection and good Lord therapy
I need you know as an urgent delivery
To get rid of the pain inside of me
[Chorus: x2]
Why should I put up lies?
Am I afraid to say goodbye?
I've loved you so, baby I can't deny
But now it's time to dry my eyes
It's Hard to think of what was changed when I feel like it was all in vain
Can't be right and feel this wrong
This heart of mine is just
[Chorus: x3]
The lyrics to Heather Headley's song "Why Should I Cry" tells the emotional story of a woman who is struggling to decide whether to stay or leave a relationship that has turned from a blessing to a curse. At the beginning of the song, she remembers the happy times when she felt blessed to be loved by her partner. However, as time goes on, she experiences regret as she is hurt by the things he puts her through. She reminisces about the times when he used to hold her until the sun rose, but now he sleeps, turns away, and ignores her feelings. She questions why she should cry one more night, why she should pretend to be happy, and why she continues to stay in a relationship that is causing her so much pain.
As the song progresses, the woman continues to reflect on her feelings. She acknowledges that there is a reason why she is crying every day and why things are not going her way. She turns to prayer as a means of coping with her pain and recognizes that she needs both affection and therapy to heal from her emotional trauma. She desperately pleads with her partner to understand her pain and help her find a way to get rid of the hurt she feels inside.
In the final verse, the woman questions why she should continue to put up with lies and fake happiness instead of being honest and saying goodbye. Even though she loves her partner, she needs to dry her eyes and move on, even if it means accepting that what they had was not meant to be. Ultimately, the woman is struggling to find the strength to walk away from a relationship that has caused her so much pain.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a time I felt I was blessed To be loved by you
I used to feel lucky to have your love
But those blessings turn to regret from all the things you put me through
However, your actions have made me regret being with you
I remember at night you used to hold me till the sun rose the next day
I reminisce about how you used to hold me all night until the morning sun came up
Now you sleep and just turn away while my heart is on display
But now you sleep and ignore my vulnerable heart
Why should I cry one more night?
Why should I continue to cry every night?
Why should I smile when it hurts inside?
Why should I put on a smile when I'm hurting inside?
Why does my heart say, get up and walk away
Why does my heart tell me to leave and move on?
Why do I stay?
Why am I still sticking around?
There's a reason why I cry every day
I cry every day for a reason
There's a reason why things don't go your way
Things aren't going your way for a reason
There's a reason why I kneel down in pray
I kneel down and pray for a reason
There's a reason why I'm still around today
I'm still here for a reason
Can't you see that I'm hurtin' eternally?
Don't you see that I'm in eternal pain?
I need affection and good Lord therapy
I need love and spiritual healing
I need you know as an urgent delivery
I need you now, urgently
To get rid of the pain inside of me
To heal the pain inside of me
Why should I put up lies?
Why should I pretend everything's okay?
Am I afraid to say goodbye?
Am I scared to leave?
I've loved you so, baby I can't deny
I loved you so much, I can't deny it
But now it's time to dry my eyes
But now it's time for me to stop crying
It's Hard to think of what was changed when I feel like it was all in vain
It's hard to understand what went wrong when it feels like everything was for nothing
Can't be right and feel this wrong
This can't be the right relationship for me if I feel this unhappy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RASHEEM SHARRIEF PUGH, VADA NOBLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind