Starting his entertainment career as a tap dancer, Jones joined a doo-wop group named The Berliners in 1954. They later changed their name to Sparks Of Rhythm.[1] In 1955 Jones co-wrote "Handy Man", which was recorded by the Sparks Of Rhythm in 1956 (after Jones left the group).
After recording with other groups, Jones went solo and, in 1959, teamed up with Otis Blackwell who reworked "Handy Man" which Jones recorded on the subsidiary MGM record label, Cub. When the flute player did not show up for the session, Blackwell famously whistled on the recording. "Handy Man," released in 1959, gave Jones his first U.S. and UK hit single. "Handy Man" went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. Later in that same year, Jones' recording of "Good Timin'" shot to #1 on the UK Singles Chart and #3 in the U.S. Both "Handy Man" and "Good Timin'" were million sellers, earning Jones two gold discs.
Jones' subsequent career was low key although it included three more UK chart entries in the following twelve months. "Handy Man", which introduced a rock falsetto singing style to the British audience, later scored hits for Del Shannon and James Taylor who both covered it.
Although Jones had but two Top 40 hits, both million sellers, he nevertheless kept active in the music industry as both a songwriter and recording artist and made personal appearances as he saw fit. He kept recording through most of the 1960s and remained with Cub until 1962, scraping the lower reaches of the charts with "That's When I Cried" and "I Told You So." He recorded for Ro-Jac and Vee-Jay over the next two years, and his work gradually took on a New York style uptown soul flavor.[1] From 1965-1967, he recorded for Roulette, Parkway, and Bell, none of which restored his commercial standing.
His considerable influence using falsetto extended to Del Shannon, who paid homage to Jones and also The Ink Spots for Shannon's falsetto style. Later singers who used falsetto included Lou Christie and Barry Gibb. Gibbs cited Shannon, in turn, as an influence for his disco vocalizations with the Bee Gees.
Jones released Grandma's Rock & Roll Party in the 1990s on CD, perhaps, in part due to his popularity in the UK Northern soul circles. It included new versions of "Handy Man" and "Good Timin'". In 2002, Castle/Sanctuary issued a double album anthology titled Good Timin': The Anthology.
That's When I Cried
Jimmy Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just like I always do
Someone was getting married
So I peeped in to see who
Got upon a ladder
To get a better view
And bless my soul, to my surprise
That's when I cried
That's when I cried
I saw him take you for his bride
And I broke right down and cried
Now darling I forgive you
But I never will forget
Just why you didn't marry me
You haven't told me yet
I'm feeling low with someone
Who loves somebody else
I thought it over good last night
And I felt sorry for myself
That's when I cried
That's when I cried
I just couldn't keep it no more inside
So I broke right down and cried
What's done is done already
That's all there is to that
You got me so bewildered
Till I don't know where I'm at
I can't believe you're married
Can't get it through my head
And every time it crossed my mind
I wished that I were dead
Today I saw you passing
"Hello," was all I said
And bless my soul, you looked at me
And you turned your pretty head
That's when I cried
That's when I cried
I put my foolish pride aside
And I cried, cried, cried
I cried
I cried
I cried
I cried
The lyrics to Jimmy Jones's song "That's When I Cried" are about a man who discovers that his beloved has gotten married to someone else. The man happens to pass by a churchhouse where he notices a wedding taking place, and upon closer inspection, he realizes that his former lover is the bride. The shock and pain of seeing her marrying someone else is too much for him to bear, and he breaks down in tears.
The man is clearly distraught and struggling to come to terms with the fact that his love is now someone else's wife. He is hurt and angry, but at the same time, he is also forgiving, telling his former lover that he forgives her but will never forget why she didn't marry him instead. He is in a state of emotional turmoil, feeling sorry for himself and lamenting the fact that he is in love with someone who loves somebody else.
The lyrics evoke a strong sense of sadness and heartbreak, as the man struggles to deal with the pain of seeing his former lover married to someone else. He wishes things could have been different, but knows that what's done is done.
Line by Line Meaning
I was passing by the churchhouse
I happened to be walking by the church building
Just like I always do
As I usually do
Someone was getting married
There was a wedding ceremony taking place
So I peeped in to see who
I looked inside to see who was getting married
Got upon a ladder
I climbed up on a ladder
To get a better view
To see more clearly
And bless my soul, to my surprise
To my amazement
My darling, it was you
It was you, my dear
That's when I cried
That's when I shed tears
I saw him take you for his bride
I witnessed you getting married to someone else
And I broke right down and cried
And I cried uncontrollably
Now darling I forgive you
I forgive you, my dear
But I never will forget
But I will always remember
Just why you didn't marry me
Why you chose not to marry me
You haven't told me yet
You haven't explained it to me
I'm feeling low with someone
I'm in a relationship with someone
Who loves somebody else
Who loves someone other than me
I thought it over good last night
I contemplated it thoroughly last night
And I felt sorry for myself
And I pitied myself
What's done is done already
What has happened cannot be undone
That's all there is to that
That's the end of it
You got me so bewildered
You have left me very confused
Till I don't know where I'm at
To the extent that I don't know what to do
I can't believe you're married
I can't accept that you're married
Can't get it through my head
It's hard for me to comprehend
And every time it crossed my mind
And whenever I think about it
I wished that I were dead
I felt like dying
Today I saw you passing
Today I saw you as you walked by
"Hello," was all I said
I only greeted you with a hello
And bless my soul, you looked at me
And to my surprise, you looked at me
And you turned your pretty head
And you looked away
I put my foolish pride aside
I stopped being prideful
And I cried, cried, cried
And I cried a lot
I cried
I shed tears
I cried
I shed tears
I cried
I shed tears
I cried
I shed tears
Contributed by Henry H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Fred
Funny how fickle the music public is. Two million sellers in row, then relative obscurity.
Darryl C Preston
...and, not a bad song at all.