Song Lyric Sunday — Crying Over You

Fandango

For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday theme, Jim Adams gave us “End,” “Finish,” “Over,” and “Stop” as the themes. He was referring to the easing up of the lockdown restrictions for the coronavirus pandemic. But I went with a much more personal perspective with my choice of Roy Orbison’s song, “Crying.”

“Crying” was written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson and was recoded by Orbison for his third studio album, Crying. Released in 1961, it was a number 2 hit in the U.S.

Orbison said that he wrote this song about an encounter he had with an old flame with whom he was still in love. He refused to say how much she meant to him, and when he ran into her again it was too late.

“Crying,” was an almost operatic ballad of lost love that builds up to a Boléro-like climax at the end. Orbison had an incredible voice that could span a range of three octaves, a range that was beyond that of most rock ‘n roll singers at the time, which enabled him to make the song work through to the crescendo.

Many male recording artists at the time didn’t typically write songs about crying over a girl, but Orbison said he wanted to show that crying was not weakness, but sensitivity.

Here are the lyrics to the song:

I was all right for awhile
I could smile for awhile
But I saw you last night
You held my hand so tight
As you stopped to say, “Hello”

Oh, you wished me well
You, you couldn’t tell
That I’d been crying over you
Crying over you

When you said, “So long”
Left me standing all alone
Alone and crying, crying
Crying, crying

It’s hard to understand
But the touch of your hand
Can start me crying

I thought that I was over you
But it’s true, so true
I love you even more
Than I did before

But, darling, what can I do?
For you don’t love me
And I’ll always be crying over you
Crying over you

Yes, now you’re gone
And from this moment on
I’ll be crying, crying
Crying, crying
Yeah, crying, crying
Over you

26 thoughts on “Song Lyric Sunday — Crying Over You”

  2. Richmond Road May 24, 2020 / 4:32 am

    Oh … I can’t let this one go without giving a shout to my mate Mike, who did a version with Jess Cornelius not so long ago.

    I’ve posted it before. Sorry to bore you.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Lisa Coleman May 24, 2020 / 7:37 am

    I had this on a 45. Brings back a lot of memories. Roy Orbison was so extremely talented.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. msjadeli May 24, 2020 / 11:52 am

    One of the Great Songs by one of the Great Musical Artists. “I was alright for awhile, I could smile for awhile…”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  12. aisasami May 31, 2020 / 3:34 am

    The only song I know of Roy Orbison is “Pretty Woman” but “Crying” was a good listen!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Fandango May 31, 2020 / 9:18 am

      He had a number of big hits in the 60s.

      Like

      Reply

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