About The Song
“Crying” is a song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson for Orbison’s third studio album of the same name (1962). It was released as a single by Monument Records in mid-July 1961 and reached the top position on the United States Cashbox chart for a week in October 1961. On the Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at No. 2, missing out on the No. 1 spot by Ray Charles’ “Hit the Road Jack.”
“Crying” by Roy Orbison is a song about heartbreak and vulnerability. The lyrics describe a man who is struggling to move on from a past love, despite his best efforts to pretend that he’s moved on. The encounters with his former lover bring back all the emotions he had been suppressing. The song is a monument in the pantheon of heartbreak tunes and captures the essence of heartache. It’s a representation of the raw human condition of loss and the longing that often ensues.
Video
Lyrics
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