- This article is about the original "Cry Me a River". For the song with the same title by Justin Timberlake see "Cry Me a River" (Justin Timberlake song). For the Joyce Carol Oates stage play, see Black (play).
"Cry Me a River" is a popular song. It was written by Arthur Hamilton and was published in 1953. It is about a loss of a relationship.
A torchy, jazzy blues tune, "Cry Me a River" was originally written for Ella Fitzgerald to sing in the film Pete Kelly's Blues (1955). But the producer insisted Hamilton remove the word "plebeian" since "audiences wouldn't accept a black woman in the 1950s using that word." . Hamilton tried but eventually refused to make the change, and the song was dropped. Fitzgerald first released a recording of the song on Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! in 1961.
The song's first release and most famous recording was by actress/singer Julie London in 1955. This version featured in the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It and was released as a single in April 1957 (UK #22). More recently, the song has featured on the soundtracks of the films Passion of Mind (2000) and V for Vendetta (2005).
In 1970, British Blues Rocker Joe Cocker made the charts with a rendition in his classically gravelly voice on the album Mad Dogs and Englishmen. In 1995, British actress Denise Welch's double-A side "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"/"Cry Me a River" spent three weeks in the UK singles chart, reaching #23.
Versions in other languages
- Portuguese - "Chora um Rio" was composed by Artur Nestrovsky and released by Ná Ozzetti and André Mehmari
- French - "Pleurer Des Rivières", translated by Boris Bergman, recorded by Viktor Lazlo in 1985.
- Spanish - "Te Lloré Un Río", recorded by Maná
- Finnish - "Joet tulvimaan itke" was recorded by the Harmony sisters in 1956 with lyrics by Saukki.
Recorded versions
- Realtime (quartet)
- Cliff Adams
- George Adams
- Aerosmith
- Barbie Anaka
- Leslie Anders
- Brian Auger
- Paolo Nutini
- Björk
- Patti Austin
- Sil Austin
- Joan Baez
- Cheryl Bentyne
- Long John Baldry
- Michael Ball
- Shirley Bassey
- BB Band
- Jeff Beck
- Andrea Benanti
- George Benson
- Marie Bergman
- Gene Bertoncini
- Heather Bishop
- Bonnie Bramlett
- Kayle Brechler
- Ray Brown Trio
- Ray Bryant
- Betty Buckley
- Jim Campilongo
- Kate Ceberano & Wendy Matthews
- Ray Charles
- The Chelsea Strings
- Chick Pea
- The Cliks
- Sonny Criss
- Ann Crumb
- Vic Damone
- Bobby Darin
- Skeeter Davis
- Mauro DeFedericis
- Dumpster Juice
- Lisa Ekdahl
- George Faith
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Fourplay Quartet
- Noel Freidline Quintet
- Leata Galloway
- Crystal Gayle
- Benny Golson
- Dexter Gordon
- Claudine Longet
- Lesley Gore
- Davy Graham
- Owen Gray
- John Greaves
- Jerry Grillo
- Merle Haggard
- Arthur Hamilton
- Harmony Sisters (Finnish version)
- Gene Harris
- Camille Harrison
- John Hasbrouck
- David Hazeltine
- Jennifer Heaney
- Jeff Hedberg
- Joe Cocker
- Combustible Edison
- Harry Connick Jr.
- Chris Connor
- Jackie Henderson
- Missy Higgins
- Richard Hindman
- Jim Howe Trio
- Hu & the Hilltops
- Marc Hunter
- Illumination
- Jacintha
- Jai
- Doug James
- Etta James
- Harry James & his New Jazz Band
- J. J. Johnson
- Nora Jones
- Duke Jordan
- Bob Kaper & the Strings of Paris
- Ron Kaplan
- Melissa Kassel
- Mark Keller & Friends
- Stan Keiser
- Rebecca Kilgore
- Sonji Kimmons
- Peggy King
- The Kingbees
- Marie Knight
- Ithamara Koorax
- Kasia Kowalska
- Diana Krall
- Karin Krog
- Gene Krupa
- Joachim Kuhn
- Scott Coulter
- Van Craven
- Rita Lee
- Julie London
- Tania Maria
- John Martyn
- Brad Mehldau
- Mina
- Hugo Montenegro
- Alison Moyet
- Anne Murray
- Olivia Newton John
- Frank Pourcel
- Linda Ronstadt
- Marion Ryan
- Bobby Rydell
- Janet Seidel
- Dinah Shore
- Nina Simone
- Dakota Staton
- Barbra Streisand
- Swans
- Dinah Washington
- Mari Wilson, 1983
- Caetano Veloso
- Elaine Paige
- Ná Ozzetti (Portuguese Version)
- Viktor Lazlo (French Version)
- Lost Prophets
- Maná (Spanish Version)
- Denise Welch
- Frank Sinatra Jr.
- Bruce Abbott
- Ligia Piro
- Rick Astley
- Sam Cooke
- Jill Corey
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Monday July 21, 2008 at 23:59:01 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
- This article is about the original "Cry Me a River". For the song with the same title by Justin Timberlake see "Cry Me a River" (Justin Timberlake song). For the Joyce Carol Oates stage play, see Black (play).
"Cry Me a River" is a popular song. It was written by Arthur Hamilton and was published in 1953. It is about a loss of a relationship.
A torchy, jazzy blues tune, "Cry Me a River" was originally written for Ella Fitzgerald to sing in the film Pete Kelly's Blues (1955). But the producer insisted Hamilton remove the word "plebeian" since "audiences wouldn't accept a black woman in the 1950s using that word." . Hamilton tried but eventually refused to make the change, and the song was dropped. Fitzgerald first released a recording of the song on Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! in 1961.
The song's first release and most famous recording was by actress/singer Julie London in 1955. This version featured in the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It and was released as a single in April 1957 (UK #22). More recently, the song has featured on the soundtracks of the films Passion of Mind (2000) and V for Vendetta (2005).
In 1970, British Blues Rocker Joe Cocker made the charts with a rendition in his classically gravelly voice on the album Mad Dogs and Englishmen. In 1995, British actress Denise Welch's double-A side "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"/"Cry Me a River" spent three weeks in the UK singles chart, reaching #23.
Versions in other languages
- Portuguese - "Chora um Rio" was composed by Artur Nestrovsky and released by Ná Ozzetti and André Mehmari
- French - "Pleurer Des Rivières", translated by Boris Bergman, recorded by Viktor Lazlo in 1985.
- Spanish - "Te Lloré Un Río", recorded by Maná
- Finnish - "Joet tulvimaan itke" was recorded by the Harmony sisters in 1956 with lyrics by Saukki.
Recorded versions
- Realtime (quartet)
- Cliff Adams
- George Adams
- Aerosmith
- Barbie Anaka
- Leslie Anders
- Brian Auger
- Paolo Nutini
- Björk
- Patti Austin
- Sil Austin
- Joan Baez
- Cheryl Bentyne
- Long John Baldry
- Michael Ball
- Shirley Bassey
- BB Band
- Jeff Beck
- Andrea Benanti
- George Benson
- Marie Bergman
- Gene Bertoncini
- Heather Bishop
- Bonnie Bramlett
- Kayle Brechler
- Ray Brown Trio
- Ray Bryant
- Betty Buckley
- Jim Campilongo
- Kate Ceberano & Wendy Matthews
- Ray Charles
- The Chelsea Strings
- Chick Pea
- The Cliks
- Sonny Criss
- Ann Crumb
- Vic Damone
- Bobby Darin
- Skeeter Davis
- Mauro DeFedericis
- Dumpster Juice
- Lisa Ekdahl
- George Faith
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Fourplay Quartet
- Noel Freidline Quintet
- Leata Galloway
- Crystal Gayle
- Benny Golson
- Dexter Gordon
- Claudine Longet
- Lesley Gore
- Davy Graham
- Owen Gray
- John Greaves
- Jerry Grillo
- Merle Haggard
- Arthur Hamilton
- Harmony Sisters (Finnish version)
- Gene Harris
- Camille Harrison
- John Hasbrouck
- David Hazeltine
- Jennifer Heaney
- Jeff Hedberg
- Joe Cocker
- Combustible Edison
- Harry Connick Jr.
- Chris Connor
- Jackie Henderson
- Missy Higgins
- Richard Hindman
- Jim Howe Trio
- Hu & the Hilltops
- Marc Hunter
- Illumination
- Jacintha
- Jai
- Doug James
- Etta James
- Harry James & his New Jazz Band
- J. J. Johnson
- Nora Jones
- Duke Jordan
- Bob Kaper & the Strings of Paris
- Ron Kaplan
- Melissa Kassel
- Mark Keller & Friends
- Stan Keiser
- Rebecca Kilgore
- Sonji Kimmons
- Peggy King
- The Kingbees
- Marie Knight
- Ithamara Koorax
- Kasia Kowalska
- Diana Krall
- Karin Krog
- Gene Krupa
- Joachim Kuhn
- Scott Coulter
- Van Craven
- Rita Lee
- Julie London
- Tania Maria
- John Martyn
- Brad Mehldau
- Mina
- Hugo Montenegro
- Alison Moyet
- Anne Murray
- Olivia Newton John
- Frank Pourcel
- Linda Ronstadt
- Marion Ryan
- Bobby Rydell
- Janet Seidel
- Dinah Shore
- Nina Simone
- Dakota Staton
- Barbra Streisand
- Swans
- Dinah Washington
- Mari Wilson, 1983
- Caetano Veloso
- Elaine Paige
- Ná Ozzetti (Portuguese Version)
- Viktor Lazlo (French Version)
- Lost Prophets
- Maná (Spanish Version)
- Denise Welch
- Frank Sinatra Jr.
- Bruce Abbott
- Ligia Piro
- Rick Astley
- Sam Cooke
- Jill Corey
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Monday July 21, 2008 at 23:59:01 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
Copyright © 2008, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.