Cry Me A River
Joe Harnell His Piano And Orchestra Lyrics
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You cry the whole night thorough
Well, you can cry me a river, cry me a river
I cried a river over you
Now you say you're sorry
For bein' so untrue
Well, you can cry me a river, cry me a river
You drove me, nearly drove me out of my head
While you never shed a tear
Remember, I remember all that you said
Told me love was too plebeian
Told me you were through with me and
Now you say you love me
Well, just to prove you do
Come on and cry me a river, cry me a river
I cried a river over you
I cried a river over you
I cried a river over you
The lyrics of "Cry Me a River" are a classic tale of revenge by a woman scorned. The singer is addressing their ex-lover who has come back, claiming to be sorry for their past actions. The singer responds by telling them to cry her a river, to cry as much as they want, because the singer has already cried her own river over the pain and heartache that the ex-lover caused.
The song first touches upon the loneliness and tears that accompany a break-up. The use of the phrase "cry me a river" emphasizes the pain caused, and the feeling that the ex-lover has finally tasted some of the bitterness of a broken heart. The line "I cried a river over you" highlights the depth of the singer's pain, and the lengths they had to go to cope with the heartache.
The second verse reminisces on the past, specifically on the pain that the ex-lover caused, as well as the words they used to break off the relationship. The use of "plebeian" emphasizes how the ex-lover thought their love belonged to a higher class and that the relationship was beneath them. The last line of the verse, "I cried a river over you," is a reminder of the pain that never subsided.
The final verse, however, takes a twist, as the ex-lover comes back and professes their love. The singer tells them to prove it by crying a river, to prove that their love is genuine and that they truly understand the pain they caused. The final line is a reminder of the singer's own pain, though it's unclear whether or not the relationship will resume.
Line by Line Meaning
Now you say you're lonely
You claim to be feeling lonely
You cry the whole night thorough
You cry excessively throughout the night
Well, you can cry me a river, cry me a river
You can cry to me all you want, but it won't change anything
I cried a river over you
I was devastated over losing you
Now you say you're sorry
You apologize for your past behavior
For bein' so untrue
For not being honest in our relationship
You drove me, nearly drove me out of my head
You caused me so much pain and stress that I nearly went crazy
While you never shed a tear
But you didn't ever seem to feel bad about it
Remember, I remember all that you said
I have a clear recollection of everything you told me
Told me love was too plebeian
You told me that our love was too simple and not sophisticated enough
Told me you were through with me and
You said you were done with our relationship
Now you say you love me
Now you claim to love me
Well, just to prove you do
To prove your love to me
Come on and cry me a river, cry me a river
You can cry to me again, but it won't change anything
I cried a river over you
I was devastated over losing you
I cried a river over you
I was devastated over losing you
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Arthur Hamilton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@laurentien00
Thanks a lot for this music hcrun. The rythm is nicely complicated and the orchestra is very sharp. As a kid, this is the music that my family used to listen in the car on one 8 track player in the Mercury Meteor when going to ski at Mont Habitant in the Laurentian mountains north of Montreal. Great memories go with this music which I always liked.
@hcrun
@laurentien00 My pleasure and I thank you for your comments. I, like you, grew up with this music: a favourite aunt had this LP and when I visited I always played it. Lots of good memories are associated with Harnell's Bossa Nova Pops. :)