The origins of the Nylons date back to 1978 when four experienced Toronto stage actors, Connors, Cooper, Morrison, and Simpson, used to get together in the back of a delicatessen to sing doo-wop together. They took their ensemble to parties and friend's houses and constant comments from people convinced them to take their unique a cappella act into the clubs. An acquaintence met at a party was about to open a new cabaret and invited them to debut there. They played there for six weeks, garnering rave critical and audience reviews. In 1979 Simpson retired from the group and Cole was brought on board. They very quickly established themselves as one of the area's classiest and most original ensembles and caught the attention of Attic Records. Their first album eventually went platinum in Canada (100,000 copies), and there followed four more releases on Attic that all sold at least gold in Canada (50,000 copies). They received the equivalent of a Dutch Grammy award and a gold disc for the One Size Fits All album and the Best Singer Award at 1986's Tokyo Music Festival. In 1987 Disney used their song That Kind Of Man in their feature The Tin Man, and their version of Up The Ladder To The Roof was used in the movie Made In Heaven. They also scored a second appearance on the Taft Broadcasting television show Throb after writing the theme song and a previous appearance on the program. In February 1991 founding member Connors left the group and in March of that year died of viral pneumonia. A new deal in 1991 with Scotti Brothers in the US and BMG in Canada saw the release of three more albums, and constant touring on either side of the border. Over the years various member changes have led to today's lineup of Morrison, Robinson, Mosbaugh, and Cassius. In 1997 they signed with Shoreline Records in the US, a label primarily devoted to vocal groups, and released the Fabric Of Life. Today they continue to tour the world to audience and critical acclaim.
Singles
1982 The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Attic) 1983 Silhouettes (Attic) 1983 That Kind Of Man (Attic) 1984 Take Me To Your Heart (Attic) 1984 Perpetual Emotion (Attic) 1984 Stepping Stone (Attic) 1984 Combat Zone (Attic) 1987 Kiss Him Goodbye (Attic) 1987 Happy Together (Attic) 1987 Chain Gang (Attic) 1989 Wild Fire (Attic) 1989 Drift Away (Attic) 1991 Call My Name (Attic) 1991 One Fine Day (Attic) 1992 Don't Look Any Further (Scotti Brothers)
Albums
1982 The Nylons (Attic) 1982 One Size Fits All (Attic) 1984 Seamless (Attic) 1987 Happy Together (Attic) 1989 Rockapella (Attic) 1991 Four On The Floor (Attic) 1992 Live To Love (BMG) 1993 Illustrious: A Collection Of Classic Hits (Attic) 1994 Harmony - The Christmas Songs (BMG) 1994 Because... (BMG) 1996 Run For Cover (BMG) 1997 Fabric Of Life (Shoreline) 1997 Perfect Fit (Windham Hill) [re-release of 1993's Illustrious]
Marc Connors (baritone; RIP 1991) Paul Cooper (tenor) Claude Morrison (tenor) Dennis Simpson (bass) Ralph Cole (bass; replaced Simpson 1979) Arnold Robinson (bass; replaced Cole 1981) Micah Barnes (tenor; replaced Cooper 1991) Billy Newton-Davis (baritone; replaced Connors 1992) Garth Mosbaugh (tenor; replaced Barnes 1994) Gavin Hope (baritone; replaced Newton-Davis 1994) Mark Cassius (baritone; replaced Hope 1997)
Grown Man Cry
The Nylons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I won't ask you to stay
I can love you when you're far away
Please, don't stop to say goodbye
Unless you want to see a grown man cry
After the party's over
And after the smoke has clearedJust take a look around
If there's anything you've left behind
It's safe with me, 'cause I will still be here
But I wonder if you know just what it is you want to do
Who you are, where you want to go, you know it's up to you
Don't be afraid to let it go and leave it all behind
'Cause I know it won't come back to me if it isn't really mine
[Chorus]
When the winter comes and you find yourself alone without your love
I can send my heart up to the sun and find you from above
Right now the only sky I see is a crazy shade of grey
But I know those clouds will disappear someday
Seems like you're always leaving; you're on the run
I'd count the times but I can't count; no I just can't
My foolish heart goes on believing you're the one
Show me the fair in farewell
[Chorus]
The Nylons's song "Grown Man Cry" is a heartrending ballad about a man coming to grips with the inevitability of a breakup. The song's chorus expresses the singer's desire for his partner not to say goodbye to him because he can't handle the heartache of seeing her leave. The lyrics speak of the aftermath of a party, where the smoke has cleared, and the singer implores his partner to take a long hard look around to discover what she may have left behind. He assures her that he is willing to be a safe harbor for whatever it may be. However, he wonders if his partner knows what she truly wants and who she is. He advises her not to be afraid to let go and leave it all behind.
The second verse of the song talks about the winter when the singer's partner may be alone without her love. He assures her that he will find her from above and comfort her. The singer then metaphorically refers to the present grey clouds overhead, assuring her that it will soon clear up.
The third verse speaks about the sadness of parting ways and conviction that the singer's partner is leaving. The singer cannot count the times she has left him, but his heart foolishly goes on believing that she is the one, making it hard for him to say farewell.
Overall, "Grown Man Cry" is a melancholy and sentimental song that speaks to the heartache of loving someone deeply enough to cry when they leave.
Line by Line Meaning
I won't ask you to stay
I won't pressure you to remain with me
I can love you when you're far away
I can still feel love for you even if we're apart
Please, don't stop to say goodbye
Please don't feel obligated to say goodbye to me
Unless you want to see a grown man cry
Unless you want to witness me show my emotional side
After the party's over
When the festivities have ended
And after the smoke has cleared
Once the commotion and chaos have ceased
Just take a look around
Just survey your surroundings
If there's anything you've left behind
If there's anything you've forgotten or left unintentionally
It's safe with me, 'cause I will still be here
You can trust me to keep your belongings secure because I'll still be present
But I wonder if you know just what it is you want to do
I'm curious if you've determined what decision you want to make
Who you are, where you want to go, you know it's up to you
It's ultimately your choice who you are and where you want to end up
Don't be afraid to let it go and leave it all behind
Don't be scared to release and abandon what's holding you back
'Cause I know it won't come back to me if it isn't really mine
I'm aware that what isn't genuinely mine won't return to me
When the winter comes and you find yourself alone without your love
When the season of coldness arrives and you're without your partner
I can send my heart up to the sun and find you from above
I can express my love to the heavens and locate you through it
Right now the only sky I see is a crazy shade of grey
At the moment, all I see is an abnormal, unclear sky
But I know those clouds will disappear someday
Nevertheless, I'm conscious that those clouds will dissipate sometime
Seems like you're always leaving; you're on the run
It appears that you're always departing and traveling
I'd count the times but I can't count; no I just can't
I would number the occasions, but I can't enumerate them, no, I cannot
My foolish heart goes on believing you're the one
My irrational heart continues to believe that you're 'the one'
Show me the fair in farewell
Demonstrate to me the fairness in 'farewell'
[Chorus]
Recurring part of the song
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind