Formed in 1972, the Nighthawks underwent several personnel changes before stabilizing the lineup of Mark Wenner (harmonica), Jimmy Thackery (lead guitar), Jan Zukowski (bass guitar), and Pete Ragusa (drums). Keyboard player Greg Wetzel joined the band in 1983 and has continued to play at special performances as an "alumni" of the band.
The membership of the band remained relatively stable until 1987. At that time, tired of the band's extensive touring schedule, Thackery (lead guitar) departed. Following his departure, several players temporarily filled the lead guitar spot. These included Danny Morris and Pete Kanaras.
In 2003, the band featured in the first episode of the second season of The Wire with "Sixteen Tons".
Kanaras (lead guitar) and Zukowski (bass guitar) departed the band in 2004. They were replaced by DC musicians Paul Bell (lead guitar) and Johnny Castle (bass guitar)
#2 The Nighthawks were an American rock & roll band from Amarillo, Texas with Eddie Reeves (rhythm guitar & vocals); Bob Venable (lead guitar); John Thompson (bass); Mike Hinton (drums).
The Sky Is Cryin'
The Nighthawks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you see the tears roll down the street.
The sky is crying,
Can you see the tears roll down the street.
I've been looking for my baby
And I've been wondering where can she be
I my baby early one morning
I my baby early one morning
She was walking on down the street
You know it hurt me, hurt me so bad
It made my poor heart skip a beat
I got a real, real fine feeling
That my baby she don't love me no more
I got a real, real fine feeling
That my baby she don't love me no more
You know the sky's been crying
Can see you see the tears roll down my door
The Nighthawks's song "The Sky Is Cryin'" is a blues classic that describes a man's heartbreak and search for his lost love. The opening line "The sky is crying, can you see the tears roll down the street" suggests that the singer is personifying the weather to mirror his own sense of despair. The rain is seen as a symbol of his tears as he is mourning the loss of his lover. The second line "I've been looking for my baby and I've been wondering where she can be" highlights the central theme of the song, which is the singer's determination and desperation in finding his missing lover.
The second verse recalls a moment when the singer saw his lover early one morning walking down the street. He felt hurt because it suggested that she was walking away from him. The following lines "It made my poor heart skip a beat" express the physical pain and emotional heartache he feels because his lover appears to be leaving him. The final verse, "I got a real, real fine feeling that my baby she don't love me no more" reinforces the sense of abandonment and loss suggested throughout the entire song. The last line "You know the sky's been crying, can see you see the tears roll down my door" is a melancholic expression of the singer's continuing sense of grief.
Line by Line Meaning
The sky is crying,
The weather is rainy and gloomy.
Can you see the tears roll down the street.
The rainfall is so heavy that it looks like tears are rolling down the street.
I've been looking for my baby
The singer is worried about the whereabouts of his loved one.
And I've been wondering where can she be
The singer is questioning himself where his loved one could be.
I saw my baby early one morning
The singer saw his loved one walking down the street early in the morning.
She was walking on down the street
The singer saw his loved one walking down the street.
You know it hurt me, hurt me so bad
The singer is deeply hurt by the thought of his loved one not being with him anymore.
It made my poor heart skip a beat
The singer's heart is racing with anxiety and fear about the situation.
I got a real, real fine feeling
The singer has a strong intuition about his loved one's feelings towards him.
That my baby she don't love me no more
The singer thinks that his loved one doesn't have feelings for him anymore.
You know the sky's been crying
The singer is using the weather as a metaphor for his own emotional state.
Can see you see the tears roll down my door
The singer's sadness is reflected in his surroundings as his door is wet from the rain.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Elmore James
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kyle Owens
on Moving Up In Class
In the lyric line, "When I asked you out to dinner babe, you brought along Goodtime Slim,", that should I believe be "D-town Slim" (ie signifying Detroit)
Kyle Owens
on Moving Up In Class
Rather, I believe that chorus part should read :
'Cause you were dirty dealing mama and you're,
No, never dragging me down;
Kyle Owens
on Moving Up In Class
Moving Up in Class by The Nighthawks
I used to love you every morning babe and kiss you through the night,
I used to whisper in your ear that everything will be alright;
But now you're running loose, with a friend of mine in town,
I've got to let you go babe y'know I've got to put you down;
[Chorus} I'm moving up,
I'm moving up in class this time around,
'Cause you were dirty dealing mama and you...
You're never dragging me down;
You're too funky honey!
You cuss just like a sailor babae, you eat just like a hog,
'Treat you daddy low down and dirty, just like a no-good dog;
When I asked you out to dinner babe, you brought along Goodtime Slim,
He don't give you no money honey, but I KNOW what you're giving him;
[chorus}
Well I give you all my money babe, but you stay out late at night,
You come home nuggie-dirty, all you ever do is fuss and fight;
But I'm gonna leave you babe, I'm gonna leave you far behind,
Where there ain't no where to go but up in class, I tell you I ain't lyin';
[chorus]