Crying (Roy Orbison song)

"Crying"
Single by Roy Orbison
B-side	"Candy Man"
Released	July 1961
Length	2:46
Label	Monument 447
Writer(s)	Roy Orbison, Joe Melson
Roy Orbison singles chronology
"Running Scared" (1961) "Crying" (1961) "Dream Baby" (1962)

"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 made #1 on the United States Cashbox chart for a week on October 7, 1961, although it peaked at #2 on the rival Billboard Hot 100.

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 US chart hit for the two, peaking at #42 on the Hot Country Singles chart,^[1] though it was a more substantial hit in the UK in 1992, reaching #13 on the UK Singles Chart.

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".

Cover versions

• A version by Jay and the Americans reached #2 in the US in 1966.
• Three cover versions made country music charts over time. Charting with the song were Arlene Harden (#28 in 1970),^[2] Ronnie Milsap (#79 in 1976)^[3] and Stephanie Winslow (#14 in 1980).^[4]
• Don McLean covered the song in 1980, taking it to #5 on the Hot 100, #2 on Adult Contemporary, #6 Country, and #1 on the UK Singles Chart.
• Gene Pitney included the song in his 1999 album Gene Pitney Sings Great Ballads.
• Rebekah Del Rio performed an a cappella Spanish language version of the song, entitled "Llorando" in the 2001 David Lynch film Mulholland Drive.^[5]
• In 2007, Billy Gilman released it as a single.
• Clay Aiken recorded the song with Linda Eder on his 2010 album Tried and True.
• Latin sensation La India covered the song in a salsa style on her 2010 album, Unica.
• Il Divo included the song in the album Wicked Game (Il Divo album) in 2011.

Live cover performances

• 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 season 2 of the talent show America's Got Talent, 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 along with the one million dollar prize.
• In 2009 "Crying" was performed by Jamie 'Afro' Archer on the UK version of The X Factor.

Appearances in film, TV and other media

• "Crying" was featured in an episode of Only Fools and Horses. The episode "Stage Fright" featured Raquel and a guest character Tony Angelino (played by Philip Pope) 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.
• On 2 February 2008 k.d. lang speaking on BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live 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 the Sports Night episode "And the Crowd Goes Wild", Casey McCall wears sunglasses during the course of a day following an eye exam. His colleagues ridicule him for this, one of them saying, "Hit the high note in 'Crying' and I'll be impressed," in reference to Orbison and his trademark sunglasses.

References

1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 305. ISBN 0-89820-177-2. 
2. ^ Whitburn, p. 179
3. ^ Whitburn, p. 279
4. ^ Whitburn, p. 472
5. ^ 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

Preceded by "Theme from MASH" by Mash	UK number one single (Don McLean version) 21 June 1980 - 12 July 1980	Succeeded by "Xanadu" by Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra
Preceded by "Guitar Man" by Elvis Presley	RPM Country Tracks number-one single (Don McLean version) April 11-April 18, 1981	Succeeded by "Old Flame" by Alabama
Preceded by "Hollywood Love" by Carroll Baker	RPM Country Tracks number-one single of the year (Don McLean version) 1981	Succeeded by "Love Will Turn You Around" by Kenny Rogers