Buy Me a River
Three Lyrics


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Now you say you're lonely
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
I cried a river over you

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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Three (3)'s song Buy Me a River are about heartbreak and revenge. The singer expresses his feelings of hurt and betrayal towards his former lover who cheated on him. He tells her that now she is lonely and crying, she can cry him a river because he has already cried a river over her. The repetition of the phrase "cry me a river" emphasizes the emotional turmoil the singer is feeling and makes it clear that he is no longer interested in her apologies.


The second verse reveals that the singer was driven out of his mind by her behavior, but she never shed a tear. He remembers all the things she said to him, including telling him that love was too common and that she was finished with him. However, she has now tried to come back to him and claim she loves him. The singer doesn't believe her and asks her to prove it by crying him a river, just as he did when he was heartbroken by her actions.


This song is a classic example of the revenge song genre in pop music. It was originally released in 1953 by Julie London, but the Three (3) version was released in 1969 and became a hit in the UK. The lyrics are simple but powerful, and the repetition of the phrase "cry me a river" has become iconic.


Line by Line Meaning

Now you say you're lonely
You claim to be alone


You cried the whole night through
You shed tears all night long


Well you can cry me a river, cry me a river
I don't believe your tears or your plea for sympathy


I cried a river over you
I was hurt deeply by your actions


Now you say you're sorry
You claim to feel remorseful


For being so untrue
For being dishonest


You drove me, nearly drove me out of my head
You caused me a lot of stress and mental anguish


While you never shed a tear
You didn't show any remorse or emotion


Remember, I remember all that you said
I recall all the hurtful words you spoke


Told me love was too plebeian
You said our love was too common or low-class


Told me you were through with me
You said you were done with our relationship


And now you say you love me
You claim to have feelings of love for me


Well just to prove you do
But your words are not enough, you need to back them up


Come on and cry me a river, cry me a river
Show me your emotions and prove your love


Go on and cry me a river, cry me a river
I want to see real emotion from you


I cried a river............over you
I was hurt deeply by your actions and words




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Arthur Hamilton

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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