Joe Cocker – Cry Me A River

I wanted to post something by Joe Cocker from the now legendary Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. I have a Joe Cocker 1980s song in my drafts but I wanted to do another song from that tour.

I was lucky enough to see him one time. He was opening up for Tina Turner on October 20, 2000, in Gaylord Arena. It was a hell of a double feature with those two performers. Cocker still had that voice and he sounded excellent.

This song was written in 1953 by Arthur Hamilton. The first release of this song was by Julie London in 1955. London was Jack Webb’s wife at the time and she is probably best known for her role in Emergency.

Mad Dogs and Englishmen kicked off on March 20, 1970, and ended on May 16, 1970. Cocker’s manager, Dee Anthony, saw an opportunity to capitalize on Cocker’s rising fame and organized a new tour. A band was quickly put together by musical director Leon Russell. It included an eclectic mix of musicians, backup singers (such as Rita Coolidge), and even a dog mascot.

The tour was immortalized in the live album Mad Dogs & Englishmen, released in August 1970. It became a critical and commercial success. It is still considered one of the great live albums in rock.

The album peaked at #95 on the Billboard 100, #46 in Canada, and #2 in New Zealand. Looks like New Zealand is the only country that got it right.

The song peaked at #11 on the Billboard 100 and #15 in Canada in 1970.

Arthur Hamilton:  “I had never heard the phrase. I just liked the combination of words… Instead of ‘Eat your heart out’ or ‘I’ll get even with you,’ it sounded like a good, smart retort to somebody who had hurt your feelings or broken your heart.” 

I Will See You Next Weekend!

Cry Me A River

Why don’t you, why don’t youWhy don’t you cry me a river?

Now you say that you’re lonelyAfter being so untrue

I want you to cry (cry me a river)Want you to cry (cry me a river)All over me (cry me a river)I want you to cry (cry me a river)Yeah, over me (cry me a river)Hey, yeah, cry (cry me a river)Yeah, I cried a river over you

Now you say that you’re sorryOh, for being so unkind

I want you to cry (cry me a river)Cry for me (cry me a river)Oh! (cry me a river)Over me (cry me a river)Want you to cry (cry me a river)Right on me, yeah (cry me a river)Oh, I cried a river over you

You drove me, nearly drove me out of my headNever shed a tearRemember, I remember all that you saidTold me love was a stupid thingYou were through with me

Cry me a riverCome on love (cry me a river)Won’t you cry? (cry me a river)Oh, yeah (cry me a river)Oh, cry (cry me a river)Cry me a river (cry me a river)Oh, I cried a river over you

You drove me, nearly drove me out of my headOoh, never shed a tearRemember, I remember all that you saidTold me love was a stupid thingYou were through with me

Cry me a riverYes, cry (cry me a river)I want you to cry (cry me a river)Cry me a river (cry me a river)Ah (cry me a river)Cry me (cry me a river)Oh, I cried a river over you

Yeah, I cried a river over you(I cried a river over you)Over you (I cried a river over you)Over you (I cried a river over you)

I, I cried (I cried a river over you)Let me (I cried a river over you)I cried a river (I cried a river over you)Cry me a river (I cried a river over you)Over the mountain (I cried a river over you)(I cried a river over you)Baby, I cried a river over you

One, two, three, fourCry me a riverCry me a riverCry me a riverCry me a riverYeah (cry me a river, cry me a river)Cry, cry a river over you

Thanks againThank you very much

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

44 thoughts on “Joe Cocker – Cry Me A River”

  4. I like Julie’s. Wonder if she ever tried to get a script done where she could sing a little, somehow, for ‘Emergency’? Cocker, yep very distinctive voice and Leon Russell, that’ll help a record no matter who’s.

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    1. Yea man I picked up on your Friday “The Letter” vibe a while back…had to get this one in. Not a bad cut on that album.
      What a contrast with London’s version.

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      2. The only reason I do is because of the seventies Emergency! show. She was a bit older but still looked the same.

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  6. Joe Cocker and Tina Turner sounds like one kill bill to me. I envy you, Max! 🙂

    To me Cocker, and Tina Turner for that matter, fall into a category of artists who automatically improve the quality of songs they perform. From a strictly musical perspective, not all songs Tina Turner did after her successful comeback with the “Private Dancer” album were necessarily great. But her incredible delivery, especially live, made them decent enough to listen to.

    “Cry Me a River” sounds like a perfect match for Cocker. He had some pretty good albums in the ’80s. “Sheffield Steel” (1982) and “Cocker” (1986) come to my mind first. I frequently listened to both at the time and absolutely loved the music. I haven’t revisited any in a long time but feel I would still dig them.

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    1. It was a killer show with those two. I’m happy she did Nutbush City Limits and Hotlegs…which she still had!
      Cocker was more subdued than his past but that voice hadn’t changed. The song I have in my drafts is “When The Night Comes”

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      2. He did have quite a few hits in the 80s…Leave Your Hat On is one of them as well!
        I didn’t think anyone else would remember! cool

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      4. You know him much more than I do! He was one of the great singers. I also like his version of She Came in Through the Bathroom Window

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      5. Yes, Cocker did some great renditions of Beatles songs, obviously, the biggie being “With a Little Help From My Friends”, which I would consider one of the best-ever remakes. Do you know Cocker’s version of “I’ll Cry Instead?” I love that one as well!

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  7. About as perfect a song as perfect can get. Dayum! Used to have it in some form but what not sure. The backup with Leon, the horns, and the female vocals is so … yeah! I wonder if that’s where Leon met Rita? Joe Cocker is difficult to watch but I can listen to him all day long.

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    2. p.s. I just went to discogs and bought the album. Looking at wiki, several of the musicians are ones Chris O’Dell mentioned in her book. Can’t wait until it gets here. I’m sure I had this album and I think it was on 8 track.

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  8. ‘Mad Dogs’ was hyuuuge here. Russell can rock up any song it would seem. He sure put the afterburners on the London version- yet oddly, they both still sound good. That doesn’t happen often when you reconfigure a song.

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  9. Julie London’s album art was some of the finest pinup art ever done. She was GORGEOUS, and that voice…

    I had the “Mad Dogs & Englishmen” album, lent it to a friend, and never got it back. Loved that album! The movie was okay, too.

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    1. Oh she was gorgeous in the 1970s! I remember her on Emergency!. I looking up some shots of her now in the 50s….yep!

      That album is great…I want to see the film….I did but it’s been a long time.

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  10. I like that Cocker does something new with it, but it can’t compete with the original. The way she spits out that first ‘NOW you say you’re sorry…’ One of the great break-up songs.

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  12. Pingback: Joe Cocker – Cry Me A River – MobsterTiger

  14. Joe Cocker’s odd gyrations as a performer did great service toward acceptance of the physically challenged special education community.You could be yourself no matter how grotesque you acted with your hands, mouth. I liked his emotionally raucous sound then as well

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