Kitty Wells (born Muriel Deason on 30 August 1919 - 16 July 2012) is a coun… Read Full Bio ↴Kitty Wells (born Muriel Deason on 30 August 1919 - 16 July 2012) is a country singer from Nashville, Tennessee, known as the Queen of Country Music. During the 1950s she was the only female vocalist to consistently hit the top of the country charts and her stardom was on the same level as the biggest male vocalists of the period.

Wells' success in the 1950s and 1960s was so enormous that she still ranks as the sixth most successful female vocalist in the history of the Billboard country charts according to historian Joel Whitburn's book "The Top 40 Country Hits", behind Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Tammy Wynette, and Tanya Tucker. Wells was the third country music artist, behind Roy Acuff and Hank Williams, to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991 as well as being the seventh woman and first Caucasian woman to receive the honor. In 1976, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Whose Shoulder Will You Cry On
Kitty Wells Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Once you were my life and breath and you rode your free horse to death
Oh you trifled around too much then you lost your loving touch
Now whose shoulder will you cry on
You didn't love me all alone cause you can't love and do me wrong
I don't trust you no more so go knock on another's door
And whose shoulder will you cry on

Just let those hot tears burn your eyes they're just payments on the line

That made a wreck of me from that chain I've been set free
Now whose shoulder will you cry on
You didn't love me all alone

'Cause you can't love and do me wrong
I don't trust you no more

So, go knock on another door
Now whose shoulder will you cry on

Overall Meaning

In Kitty Wells's song Whose Shoulder Will You Cry On, the singer confronts her ex-lover who has betrayed her trust and lost her love. The opening lines reveal that the ex was once the center of her world, but he strayed too many times and eventually lost her affection. The singer's question "whose shoulder will you cry on?" serves as a warning that the ex's actions will have consequences and he will no longer have her to turn to when things go wrong.

The singer's resolve is clear - she doesn't trust him anymore and she wants him to find comfort elsewhere. She encourages him to let his tears fall as a form of penance for the damage he has caused. Through this painful experience, she has emerged stronger and is now free from the chain of their toxic relationship. The final lines of the song reveal that the singer is now looking to the future and has no interest in dwelling on the past.

Overall, the lyrics of Whose Shoulder Will You Cry On speak to the universal experience of heartbreak and the process of moving on after a relationship has failed. The singer's strength and resolve in the face of betrayal is inspiring and signals a new beginning for her.

Line by Line Meaning

Once you were my life and breath and you rode your free horse to death
You were once everything to me, but you pushed yourself too far and lost everything.

Oh you trifled around too much then you lost your loving touch
You played around too much and ended up losing your ability to love.

Now whose shoulder will you cry on
Now that you're alone, who will you go to for comfort?

You didn't love me all alone cause you can't love and do me wrong
You didn't truly love me because you were also being unfaithful and hurting me.

I don't trust you no more so go knock on another's door
I no longer have faith in you, so go find someone else to deceive.

Just let those hot tears burn your eyes they're just payments on the line
Let your tears flow, they're just the price you have to pay for your actions.

That made a wreck of me from that chain I've been set free
Your actions have destroyed me, but I've broken free from your hold.

Now whose shoulder will you cry on
Again, who will you go to for comfort now that you're alone?

You didn't love me all alone
Reiterating that your love was not genuine.

'Cause you can't love and do me wrong
You cannot love someone while also betraying them.

I don't trust you no more
I have lost all trust in you.

So, go knock on another door
Go find someone else to deceive as I will not be fooled again.

Now whose shoulder will you cry on
Closing the song with the same question to emphasize the loneliness of the person who betrayed their love.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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