She trained at the University of Toronto and the Banff Centre for the Arts. In 1996 she got a Chalmer's Grant which allowed her to stop waitressing and devote herself to music full time. Pulling in favours from friends and family, she made her first CD, Youkali. It featured cabaret songs by Weill, Satie and Poulenc - not quite opera, but close. She was signed to Marquis/EMI shortly thereafter. Following the release of her second CD, Slow Fox, her worldwide distribution outside of Canada was snatched up by Teldec/Warner. So her third CD, Real Emotional Girl, was released internationally, and she ended up touring her cabaret show around Europe and North America. Her fourth CD, Naked Beauty, is receiving critical and popular praise.
Patricia does actually sing opera at times, mostly contemporary stuff. Recent highlights include opening the 2007 season in Weill’s Threepenny Opera with Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre Company and touring the Juno winning opera Constantinople by Christos Hatzis to Covent Garden’s Royal Opera House . She recently appeared on jazz clarinetist Don Byron's CD, A Fine Line, and has been touring with him as well. She's also had the good fortune to appear in television shows, including the Ken Finkelman series Foolish Heart, her own Bravo! special, and the CBC/Rhombus special Youkali Hotel. Patricia makes her home in Toronto and feels pretty lucky to be able to travel all over the world, singing great tunes.
All text from biography at http://www.patricia-ocallaghan.com/
Cry Me A River
Patricia O'Callaghan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You cried the whole night through
Well you can cry me a river, cry me a river
I cried a river over you
Now you say you're sorry
For being 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
Go on and cry me a river, cry me a river
I cried a river............over you
In Patricia O'Callaghan's version of "Cry Me a River," the singer addresses someone who comes back to her after causing her pain and heartbreak. When the person tells her about their own loneliness and sorrow, the singer responds by telling them that they can "cry me a river" - almost as a way to say that they are getting what they deserve after causing her so much pain. She then goes on to recount how the person's previous actions drove her out of her mind and how they belittled her feelings for them. Despite this, when the person returns and professes their love, the singer wants them to prove it by crying the same kind of river that she herself cried over them.
The song is a classic example of a torch song, a genre of songs that often explore themes of unrequited love or romance gone wrong. The metaphor of "crying a river" speaks to the powerful feelings of sadness and heartbreak that can often accompany lost love. In O'Callaghan's version, the slow tempo and sultry vocals add to the melancholy quality of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Now you say you're lonely
You claim that you feel alone and don't have anyone to turn to for companionship or support.
You cried the whole night through
You spent the entire night shedding tears and feeling sorry for yourself.
Well you can cry me a river, cry me a river
If you want to express your sadness, feel free to do so in front of me. I will listen.
I cried a river over you
I suffered greatly because of you and what you did to me.
Now you say you're sorry
You admit that you did something wrong and feel remorseful about it.
For being so untrue
You realize that you were dishonest or disloyal to me in some way.
You drove me, nearly drove me out of my head
Your actions were so upsetting and distressing that they pushed me to the brink of madness.
While you never shed a tear
Despite how deeply you hurt me, you never showed any remorse or emotion about it.
Remember, I remember all that you said
I haven't forgotten any of the hurtful things you told me in the past.
Told me love was too plebeian
You belittled the concept of love and acted as if it was beneath you.
Told me you were through with me
You declared that our relationship was over and that you wanted nothing more to do with me.
And now you say you love me
You claim to have developed feelings for me again.
Well just to prove you do
If you want to convince me that your feelings are genuine, you need to demonstrate it.
Come on and cry me a river, cry me a river
If you're truly sorry and want to show me that you care, express your emotions to me.
Go on and cry me a river, cry me a river
I am willing to listen to you and support you as you work through your feelings.
I cried a river............over you
I have already experienced a great deal of pain because of you, and I don't want to go through it again. But if you need to cry and express yourself, I will be here for you.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARTHUR HAMILTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind