Like many other successful musicians from Chicago, he studied music at DuSable High School under Walter Dyett. Griffin, was reputed to be the 'World's Fastest Saxophonist' in the jazz idiom, though as he aged, and as the jazz audience declined, this accolade all but disappeared.
In the 1940s and 1950s he worked in Lionel Hampton's and Joe Morris's bands, in the Jazz Messengers, and in the Thelonious Monk Quartet. From 1960 to 1962 Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Griffin led their own group. Having felt he had achieved much in the USA, his pinnacle on record arguably the 1957 Blowin' session on the Blue Note label with fellow tenor John Coltrane, he moved to Europe. He lived in France in 1963, moving to the Netherlands in 1978, and he still continued to record and tour until his death in 2008.
I Cried for You
Johnny Griffin Lyrics
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Over things you said to me; I couldn't even sleep
You forgot your promises, every single vow
All you did was laugh at me, but things are different now
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
Every road has a turning
That's one thing you're learning
Now I found two eyes just a little bit bluer
I found a heart just a little bit truer
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
How can I forget the hours that I worried through
Wondering the live long day just what next thing to do?
In those days you never thought anything of me
But the slave that was all yours and now at last is free
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
Every road has a turning
That's one thing you're learning
I cried for you; what a fool I used to be
Now I found two eyes just a little bit bluer
I found a heart just a little bit truer
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
The lyrics of Johnny Griffin's "I Cried for You" describe the pain and heartache the singer once experienced in a past relationship. The song begins with bitter memories of how the singer used to weep over the things their former partner said and how they couldn't even sleep. The partner had forgotten all their promises and every single vow, instead choosing to laugh at the singer. But as time has passed, things are different now, and the tables have turned. The singer now claims that it's the partner's turn to cry over them. Every road has a turning, and the partner is learning their lesson.
The second verse of the song expresses how the singer worried endlessly about their relationship, but their partner never thought anything of them. The singer was a slave to their partner's every whim until they finally found freedom from the oppressive relationship. The chorus repeats the message of the singer's triumph over their past pain and heartbreak. They've found someone else with eyes that are a little bluer and a heart that is a little truer. The song concludes with the repeated assertion that it's the partner's turn to cry over the singer.
Overall, "I Cried for You" is a song of empowerment concerning the singer's ability to move on and find someone who treats them better. It's a classic example of the theme of heartbreak and triumph over it, which is a universal and timeless topic in music.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember other days how I used to weep
I recall a time when I was in tears
Over things you said to me; I couldn't even sleep
Because of what you said, I couldn't fall asleep
You forgot your promises, every single vow
You broke every promise, every last vow
All you did was laugh at me, but things are different now
You ridiculed me back then, but things have changed
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
I shed tears for you, but now the tables have turned
Every road has a turning
Life is full of surprises and changes
That's one thing you're learning
You're starting to see that for yourself
I cried for you; what a fool I used to be
I realize now how foolish I was to cry for you
Now I found two eyes just a little bit bluer
I've found someone new who I think is better for me
I found a heart just a little bit truer
This new person has a heart that's more genuine
How can I forget the hours that I worried through
I can't forget all the time I spent worrying
Wondering the live long day just what next thing to do?
Constantly questioning what my next move should be
In those days you never thought anything of me
You didn't value me back then
But the slave that was all yours and now at last is free
But now, the person who was completely devoted to you is finally free from your grasp
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GUS ARNHEIM, ARTHUR FREED, ABE LYMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind