Self-taught on the guitar, Otis Whitman worked at a shipyard in Tampa while developing a musical career, eventually performing with a band known as the "Variety Rhythm Boys". Whitman's first big break came when agent Colonel Tom Parker heard him singing on the radio and offered to represent him. Signed with RCA Records, he was billed as the cowboy singer, "Slim Whitman" and released his first 45rpm single in 1948. He toured and sang at a variety of venues including on the popular radio show, the Louisiana Hayride.
He only became a full time musician in the early 1950s after he recorded a version of the Bob Nolan hit Love Song of the Waterfall that made it into the country music Top 10 chart. His next single, Indian Love Call, was even more successful, going to the No.2 position (and actually saving the world in the 1996 movie Mars Attacks! where it proves fatal to the invading Martians). A yodeler, Whitman avoided the "down on yer luck-buried in booze" songs, preferring instead to sing laid-back romantic melodies about simple life and love.
In 1955, in the United Kingdom, he had a No.1 hit on the pop music charts with Rose Marie. With eleven weeks at the top of the charts, the song set a record that lasted for thirty-six years. Soon after recording this big hit Whitman was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry and in 1957, along with other musical stars, he appeared in the film musical, Jamboree. Despite this type of exposure, he never achieved the level of stardom in the United States that he did in Britain where he had a number of hits during the 1950s and 60s. Throughout the early 1970s, he continued to record and was a guest on Wolfman Jack's musical television show, The Midnight Special. At the time, Whitman's recording efforts were yielding only minor hits and in 1974 he stopped making new records.
Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
Slim Whitman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blue eyes crying in the rain
When we kissed goodbye and parted
I knew we'd never meet again
Love is like a dying ember
Only memories remain
Through the ages I remember
Someday when we meet up yonder
We'll stroll hand in hand again
In a land that knows no parting
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Now my hair is turned to silver
all my tears I've shed in vain
I can see her star in heaven
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Blue eyes crying in the rain
The lyrics of Slim Whitman's Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, depict the emotions of the singer as he remembers a past romance, ending in a heart-wrenching farewell. The opening lines, "In the twilight glow I see her, blue eyes crying in the rain," creates a vivid picture of the singer's love interest; her crying blue eyes in the rain reflects the sadness of the separation. Despite being aware of the inevitable end and the memories that remain, the singer finds himself unable to escape the lingering emotions of the love that once was.
The singer then speaks of love as a dying ember, with only memories that remain. The line, "Through the ages I remember, blue eyes crying in the rain," highlights the lasting impact this one romance has left. The singer is enveloped in despair, he knows that there's no turning back, therefore he can only remember the moments he had with her. The last two verses describe the hope he still clings onto, acknowledging that in death, they will be reunited again, where they can be together without any parting. The song's ultimate resolution takes a spiritual outlook, focusing on an afterlife reunion.
Line by Line Meaning
In the twilight glow I see her
As the sun sets, I envision her
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Her sad blue eyes moistened by the rain
When we kissed goodbye and parted
As we said our farewells with a kiss
I knew we'd never meet again
I accepted the fact that we'd never cross paths again
Love is like a dying ember
Love can gradually fade away like an ember losing its heat
Only memories remain
The only thing left are the memories we shared
Through the ages I remember
As time goes on, I still recall
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Her sad blue eyes moistened by the rain
Someday when we meet up yonder
One day when we reunite in the hereafter
We'll stroll hand in hand again
We'll walk together holding hands once more
In a land that knows no parting
In a place where there is no separation
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Her sad blue eyes moistened by the rain
Now my hair is turned to silver
Now that my hair has turned to gray
all my tears I've shed in vain
All the tears I've cried were for naught
I can see her star in heaven
I envision her shining like a star in the sky
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Her sad blue eyes moistened by the rain
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Her sad blue eyes moistened by the rain
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Her sad blue eyes moistened by the rain
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Fred Rose
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Oliver Bloomfield
In the twilight glow I see them
Blue eyes crying in the rain
When we kissed goodbye and parted
I knew we'd never meet again
Love is like a dying ember
And only memories remain
And through the ages I'll remember
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Some day when we meet up yonder
We'll stroll hand-in-hand again
In a land that knows no parting
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Now my hair has turned to silver
All my life I've loved in vain
I can see her star in heaven
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Mike McDonnell
Slim is one of the greats through the ages. And still sounds bloody great today,
Eddie murphy
Great singer,,,straight from my past!! Can sing anything, and I love it!!
kenneth garrison
My comments would fail to express my admiration & love for his amazing voice control. Roy Orbison also astounded many pro singers. Some of my favorites were more appreciated in other countries.
Barry Woolner
lovely voice control, on all notes, smashing.
Sonny Dave
Great version by Slim!
Andre van tonder
Very beautiful. It is a duet of Slim Whitman and Virginia Lee. He toured in South Africa in the sixties and he teamed up with one of South Africa's best country singer ever, Virginia Lee. She was one of the best country singers South Africa ever had. There is another version of this duet posted on You Tube .
Ina smit
Wonder how many people know that Virginia could sing in 16 languages. She had the voice of an angel. I'm also from SA
Lily Ana
Love this song
Arie Ossel
Ik ben al 40 jaar fan van Slim en dit is nog altijd 1 van mijn favorieten .
Tom McCarthy
This is the best version of their song I have ever heard