crying

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"Crying" is a rock and roll ballad written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson and sung by Orbison.

History

The song was released as a 45rpm single by Monument Records in July 1961 and went to No. 2 on the Billboard pop music charts.

The song contains "a vivid combination of hurtful romantic longing combined with near operatic vocals" (Roy Orbison Biography, no date). It is remarkable in that Roy Orbison begins singing the climactic, final note slightly flat, sliding up by the end of the note to just under the correct pitch. That this was done for effect and this was confirmed in a live performance, Live at Austin City Limits, as well as on the 1987 re-recording from the album In Dreams: The Greatest Hits, on which he sang that note perfectly on key.

The song also appears on Orbison's 1962 album with the title Crying and his 1989 posthumous album A Black & White Night Live from the 1988 HBO television special.

In 1987, Orbison rerecorded the song as a duet with k.d. lang as part of the soundtrack for the motion picture, Hiding Out. Their collaboration won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. The duet version was a minor chart hit for the two, peaking at #42 on the Hot Country Singles chart. Rebekah Del Rio performed an a cappella Spanish language version of the song, entitled "Llorando" in the 2001 David Lynch film Mulholland Dr.; critics have described this sequence as the most powerful in the movie.^[1] The song had also previously been used on the soundtrack for the 1997 cult film Gummo, directed by Harmony Korine, in which two of the central characters even discuss the song at length.

In 2002, "Crying" was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it #69 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Carrie Underwood performed the song on the TV Talent show, American Idol (Season 4). She later went on to win the show, and is now a successful country music artist. Emily Vinette performed this song in the Top 10 episode of Canadian Idol's third season. Vinette was voted off the next night. Ashley Coulter performed the song in the top 6 episode of season 4. She was also voted off the next night. The winner of Australian Idol Damien Leith also performed the song, in 2006.

In a 2006 poll for a Channel 5 program Britain's Favourite Break-up Songs, "Crying" was voted 13th.

Other versions

The Lettermen recorded a version of "Crying" in 1964; it was included on their album She Cried. A version by Jay and the Americans reached #2 in the US in 1966. Don McLean also recorded a version of "Crying" in 1978. By 1980, it was an international number one hit in the UK and abroad, and a number five hit in the U.S.. Stephanie Winslow released a cover in 1980 as well, reaching #14 on the country singles charts with it.

Other artists who have covered the song include Lyn Paul, Brian Lane Green, Gene Pitney, k.d. lang, Waylon Jennings, Del Shannon, Bobby Vinton, Liza Minnelli, Billy Gilman, Don McLean, Deana Carter.

"Llorando", a Spanish version of "Crying", is featured in the movie Mulholland Drive performed at an eerie midnight theater called Club Silencio.

Popular Culture

• Crying was featured in an episode of Only Fools and Horses. The episode "Stage Fright" featured Raquel and a guest character Tony Angelino singing this song at a function. Unfortunately Tony had a rhotacism, causing him to pronounce his R's incorrectly, making "Crying" sound more like "Cwying".
• Crying is featured near the start of the first of the Australian telemovie trilogy Small Claims starring Rebecca Gibney and Claudia Karvan.
• Crying was featured in the movie Gummo. After huffing glue, Tummler remarks that his cross-dressing brother used to sing Crying. Tummler then proceeds to weakly sing parts of the song. The original version of the song is used during the last scenes of the movie.
• "Llorando" was also featured during the closing scenes of Prison Break, season 3.
• Carrie Underwood performed this song in the Top 3 episode of the popular singing show American Idol. Underwood later won the competition.
• Emily Vinette performed this song in the Top 10 episode of Canadian Idol's third season. Vinette was voted off the next night. Ashley Coulter performed the song in the top 6 episode of season 4. She was also voted off the next night.
• In the final round of the popular talent show America's Got Talent (season 2), ventriloquist Terry Fator made his puppet turtle Winston perform this song while impersonating Roy Orbison. Fator received the highest number of votes and won the competition and the one million dollar prize.
• On 2 February 2008 KD Lang speaking on BBC Radio's Saturday Live (BBC Radio 4 show) program said that Roy had told her that this song was written after he had seen an ex girlfriend at a burger stand.
• In early 2008, Crying was featured in an anti-drunk-driving commercial. It is sung karaoke-style.
• In the episode titled 1961 in Season 3, Episode 23 of Heroes, "Crying" is playing in the background, although this point in the plot is in May 1961, and the song wasn't released until July.
• In 2009 "Crying" was perfomed by Jamie Archer on the UK version of The X Factor.

External links

• Songfacts entry

References

1. ^ Taubin, Amy (September–October 2001). "In Dreams", Film Comment, 37 (5), p. 51–55.

Roy Orbison Biography. (no date). Retrieved July 19, 2006, from http://www.hotshotdigital.com/OldRock/RoyOrbisonBio.html