In 1957 while still in high school, Tillotson was making records and performing on stage; as a student at the University of Florida, he had his own musical variety show on regional television. Following graduation in 1959 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Communications, he signed with Cadence Records and moved to New York City to pursue his music career. In 1960, he recorded his first hit, a composition entitled "Poetry in Motion" (written by Anthony/Kaufman), that went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and #1 on the UK Singles Chart.
A "crossover" artist, several of Tillotson's songs were successful on both the country music charts and pop charts. He earned a Grammy Award nomination for another of his own compositions, "It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin," and also for the song "Heartaches by the Number," nominated for Best Vocal Performance of 1965. He also appeared in the 1963 film "Just for Fun" and sang the theme song for the 1965 Sally Field television comedy "Gidget".
In a career spanning more than 40 years, Tillotson has recorded 26 singles that made it onto Billboard's charts, and performed at venues across the United States and other places around the globe.
He was featured in the 1966 camp comedy The Fat Spy starring Jayne Mansfield, Jack E. Leonard, Phyllis Diller, Brian Donlevy and Jordan Christopher & the Wild Ones. This film was featured in the 2004 documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (#46).
I'm So Lonely I Could Cry
Johnny Tillotson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I'm so lonesome I could cry
I've never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind the clouds
Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die
That mean's he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome I could cry
The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder just where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry
The lyrics to Johnny Tillotson's song "I'm So Lonely I Could Cry" evoke a deep sense of loneliness and longing. The opening lines introduce us to the melancholic atmosphere, with the sound of a lonesome whippoorwill that seems too despondent to even fly. This depicts a profound state of sadness and hopelessness. The midnight train's mournful whine further amplifies the feeling of isolation and sorrow.
The second verse describes the unbearable length of the night, emphasizing the slow passage of time, which exacerbates the sense of loneliness. The moon hiding behind the clouds and crying symbolizes the singer's pain and sadness, as if even nature empathizes with his emotional state. Comparing his own loneliness to the weeping of a robin when the leaves start to fall indicates a loss of motivation to live. The robin's response to the changing seasons reflects the singer's own loss of purpose and vitality.
The final verse uses the image of a falling star illuminating a purple sky to underscore the singer's deep longing and yearning for someone. The falling star's silence accentuates the absence of his loved one and intensifies his loneliness. He wonders about their whereabouts, highlighting his longing and the emptiness he feels without them.
Overall, the lyrics of "I'm So Lonely I Could Cry" convey a profound sense of solitude, heartbreak, and longing. The imagery of nature and its connection to the singer's emotional state adds depth and emotion to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
Listen to the melancholic sound of the lonely whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly
His sorrowful song reflects his inability to find joy and freedom
The midnight train is whining low
The train's mournful sound echoes through the night
I'm so lonesome I could cry
I feel an overwhelming sadness and loneliness, enough to bring tears
I've never seen a night so long
This night seems to stretch endlessly, emphasizing the feeling of loneliness
When time goes crawling by
The passage of time feels slow and tedious
The moon just went behind the clouds
The moon is hiding behind the clouds, symbolizing a hidden sorrow
To hide its face and cry
It conceals itself as it sheds tears of sadness
Did you ever see a robin weep
Have you witnessed a robin shedding tears?
When leaves begin to die
When the leaves start falling and nature fades, indicating a loss and decay
That mean's he's lost the will to live
The robin's tears suggest it has lost its desire to continue living
I'm so lonesome I could cry
I am consumed by such deep loneliness that it brings me to tears
The silence of a falling star
The quietness accompanying a shooting star's descent
Lights up a purple sky
It illuminates the sky in shades of purple
And as I wonder just where you are
As I ponder the unknown location of your presence
I'm so lonesome I could cry
The intensity of loneliness overwhelms me, leading to tears
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@miltonmoore7687
Johnny Tillotson
sounded better on
this song than anyone else because
his voice was more
expressive and beau-
tiful than anyone else who recorded it. Hank
could write 'em, but
it took two pop vocalists, JohnnyTillotson and
AL Martino, to come
along and nail the
touching poetry that
Hank Williams set to
music. (Download
Al Martino singing
TAKE THESE CHAINS FROM MY HEART by
HW, and songs by
other writers in this
genre like IT'S A SIN;
STILL; I REALLY DON'T WANT TO
KNOW; YOU WIN AGAIN; BOUQUET OF
ROSES, etc. Tillotson,
Martino, and also Gene Pitney were the
greatest country singers who never were!)
@pjf654
1962.......Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I'm so lonesome I could cry
I've never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind the clouds
To hide it's face and cry
Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die
That mean's he's lost his will to live
I'm so lonesome I could cry
The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry......1962
@onebgg
I agree as well, nobody sang this song this way, with this much emotion, and with a great arrangement; it;s the best cover ever.
@sybilian
Hank would be proud of the treatment of his beautiful lyrics.
@ChristianMartins1995
A classic country, very well sung
@VealParmigiana
In my opinion, this is Johnny Tillotson's best recording.
@sapphiretaurus
A beautiful version. Johnny puts his own signature on it, and makes it his own as much as B.J. Thomas did.
@MapleSyrupBoyEh
Love all of Johnny's songs, but this is one of my favourites. On top of this, he sings this classic song better than any other artist. Thanks for posting this wonderful rendition of I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry and making me feel like a teenager again. Keep up the good work!
@pamelagatti4541
❤🎉🎉😢😮tonyvitale eden hill
@jerryrice8860
Hank the Drifter was a huge influence on Johnny as well as Dion. Two 81-year-old kids now still with incredible voices and talent!
@kathleenveronica9453
he is a great singer I love it so much you are the best singer in the world 🌎 ❤️ ♥️ 💕 💖 💙 🌎 ❤️ ♥️ 💕 💖 💙 🌎 ❤️ ♥️ 💕 💖 💙 🌎 ❤️ ♥️ 💕 💖 💙 🌎 ❤️ ♥️ 💕
@rwlhorsefarm
Hank Williams was born and raised in Georgiana, he wrote this song about the time I was born. I mom knew him and when he sang at bars she would go and dance.
Now Johnny Tillotson has sung it. many people have redone this son. Hank Williams did many song that are still popular today. He was a legend. He was born just of the street from my house in Georgiana, I think I drove by it for you to see one time when you were here. hugs, dad