Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was a Washington, D.C… Read Full Bio ↴Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was a Washington, D.C.-born singer best known for her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America". She was one of America's most beloved entertainers, with a radio, TV and recording career that spanned five decades, and which reached its most-remembered zenith in the 1940s.

Her musical career began in earnest when she was discovered in 1930 by Columbia Records vice president Ted Collins, who became her longtime partner and manager and who put her on the radio in 1931. She sang the controversial top twenty song of 1931, "That's Why Darkies Were Born". She starred in the 1932 movie Hello Everybody!, with co-stars Randolph Scott and Sally Blane, and in 1943 she sang "God Bless America" in the wartime picture This is the Army. Irving Berlin had written the song in 1938 for her, and it is considered "the second National Anthem" of the United States. Its popularity and constant airplay led Woody Guthrie to pen the original version of "This Land Is Your Land" in protest at the Berlin tune's unquestioning complacency.

Kate began making records in 1926; among her biggest hits were "River, Stay 'Way From My Door" (1931), "The Woodpecker Song" (1940), "The White Cliffs of Dover" (1941), "Rose O'Day" (1941), "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" (1942), "There Goes That Song Again" (1944), "Seems Like Old Times" (1946), and "Now Is the Hour" (1947). Her theme song was "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain", the lyrics of which she helped write. She greeted audiences with "Hello, everybody!" and signed off with "Thanks for listenin'."

Her oversized figure made her the occasional butt of derision from fellow performers and managers. Despite the occasional ridicule, Smith was a major star of radio, usually backed by Jack Miller's Orchestra. She began in 1931 with her twice-a-week NBC series, Kate Smith Sings (which quickly expanded to six shows a week), followed by a series of shows for CBS: Kate Smith and Her Swanee Music (1931-33), sponsored by La Palina Cigars; The Kate Smith Matinee (1934-35); The Kate Smith New Star Revue (1934-35); Kate Smith's Coffee Time (1935-36), sponsored by A&P; and The Kate Smith A&P Bandwagon (1936-37).

For eight years (1937-45), The Kate Smith Hour was a leading radio variety show, offering comedy, music and drama with appearances by top personalities of films and theater. The nationwide audience was introduced to comedy by the show's resident comics, Abbott and Costello and Henny Youngman, while a series of sketches led to The Aldrich Family as a spin-off in 1940. She continued into the 1950s on the Mutual Broadcasting System, CBS, ABC and NBC, doing both music and talk shows.

An unusual part of her career began on December 11, 1969, when the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team played her rendition of "God Bless America" before the game. Philadelphia beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 6-3. The team would begin to play the song before home games every once in a while, and the perception developed that the team was more successful on these occasions, so the tradition grew.

Kate Smith, who never married, died of diabetes at the age of 79 in Raleigh, North Carolina, several years after converting to Roman Catholicism. (from Wikipedia)

I Cried for You
Kate Smith Lyrics

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I remember other days how I used to weep
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

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

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

Overall Meaning

The song "I Cried For You" by Kate Smith is a heart wrenching tale of love lost and moving on. The lyrics reveal the singer's emotional struggles as she remembers the pain and heartache caused by her lover's broken promises and dismissive behavior. In the past, she wept over the things he said, losing sleep and feeling powerless. He laughed at her and did not take her seriously. However, the tables have turned and now it's his turn to feel the pain. The singer declares that she cried for him once, but now it's his turn to cry over her. Through time and experiences, she has learned that every road has a turning and she is now able to see the light. She found someone who is just a little bit bluer, a heart that is just a little bit truer. She is no longer the slave in the relationship and she's moving on.

The song's lyrics express a common theme of heartbreak and the process of healing through self-reflection and moving on. The singer is able to rise above her past pain and become stronger through the experience. The phrase "every road has a turning" indicates that life is full of moments of growth and change, and the mistakes and lessons learned along the way shape us into who we are.

Line by Line Meaning

I remember other days how I used to weep
I recall a time when I would cry excessively over the things you said to me.

Over things you said to me; I couldn't even sleep
Your hurtful words affected me so much that I couldn't even find rest at night.

You forgot your promises, every single vow
You broke every promise and vow you made to me.

All you did was laugh at me, but things are different now
You used to mock me, but now the tables have turned.

I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
I wept for you in the past, but now it's your turn to suffer the pain of heartbreak.

Every road has a turning
Every situation has the potential to change and take a different course.

That's one thing you're learning
You're starting to understand that things can turn around unexpectedly.

I cried for you; what a fool I used to be
I realize now that I was foolish to waste my emotions on someone who didn't value me.

Now I found two eyes just a little bit bluer
Now I've found someone whose eyes are even more beautiful than yours.

I found a heart just a little bit truer
I've found someone whose heart is more genuine and sincere than yours ever was.

Now it's your turn to cry over me
Now you have to suffer the same pain that you caused me.

How can I forget the hours that I worried through
I can't forget the countless hours I spent worrying about our relationship.

Wondering the live long day just what next thing to do?
I spent every day wondering what I could do to fix our problems.

In those days you never thought anything of me
Back then, you didn't care about my feelings or wellbeing.

But the slave that was all yours and now at last is free
I used to be completely devoted to you, but now I've broken free from your control.

Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gus Arnheim, Arthur Freed, Abe Lyman

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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