Everybody knows where you go when the sun goes down
I think you only live to see the lights of town
I wasted my time when I would try, try, try
Cause when the lights have lost their glow, you’ll cry, cry, cry
[Verse 2]
Soon your sugar-daddies will all be gone
You’ll wake up some cold day and find you’re alone
You’ll call for me but I’m gonna tell you: “Bye, bye, bye!”
When I turn around and walk away, you’ll cry, cry, cry
[Chorus]
You’re gonna cry, cry, cry and you’ll cry alone
When everyone’s forgotten and you’re left on your own
You’re gonna cry, cry, cry
[Verse 3]
I lie awake at night to wait ’til you come in
You stay a little while and then you’re gone again
Every question that I ask, I get a lie, lie, lie
For every lie you tell, you’re gonna cry, cry, cry
[Verse 4]
When your fickle love gets old, no one will care for you
Then you’ll come back to me for a little love that’s true
I’ll tell you no and then you’ll ask me: “Why, why, why?”
When I remind you of all of this, you’ll cry, cry, cry
[Outro]
You’re gonna cry, cry, cry and you’ll want me there
It’ll hurt when you think of the fool you’ve been
You’re gonna cry, cry, cry
“Cry! Cry! Cry!” is a song that was written and performed by singer/song writer, Johnny Cash. The song was originally released in 1955 and reached #14 on the charts.[1] The early success of the song led to a featured spot on the Louisiana Hayride Tour and kicked off the career of Johnny Cash in the process.[2] The song sold over 100,000 copies in the southern states alone. Cash then began to tour with Elvis Presley (among other artists from the record business) soon after its release.[3]
In 1954, before the release of the song “Cry! Cry! Cry!,” Cash signed with Sun Records after he came home from serving with the United States Air Force.[4] During that time, he wrote the song “Hey, Porter” which was met with little excitement from the executives at his record label. He was then told to come back with a song that Sun Records owner, Sam Phillips, would be able to sell.[5] Cash went home and wrote the song “Cry! Cry! Cry!” overnight and came back and performed it to Phillips the following day. The song was then coupled with “Hey Porter” and released as the B-side of the record. For the recording of the song, Johnny Cash was backed by “The Tennessee Two”, Luther Perkins on guitar and Marshall Grant on bass.[1]
The song was included on Cash’s first album, 1957’s With His Hot and Blue Guitar, one of the first albums released by Sun Records.
Appearance in Walk the Line
The fact that it was Cash’s first successful tune was mentioned several times in the dialogue of the 2005 film, Walk the Line. While it appeared on the film’s soundtrack album, it was not performed in the film (two deleted scenes show the Johnny Cash character, as played by Joaquin Phoenix, composing the song in the basement of his house and later listening to it on the radio).
Covers
Marty Stuart released a cover of the song in 1989; his version peaked at #32.
Norah Jones covered the song; her version was included on the bonus CD Live at The Living Room, available with the album The Fall (2009) in Japan and in the U.S.A. through iTunes and Target.
