Song Title: Cry Me A River
Recorded by Julie London
Composed by Arthur Hamilton
Released in 1955
First appeared on the album Julie Is My Name on the Liberty label
Julie London was sultry lounge singer with a deep smoky voice who was at the peak of her popularity for a 10 year period between 1955 & 1965. It's hard not to notice that Ms. London was a stunningly gorgeous, statuesque redhead and she became the epitome of female sexuality during the "Mad Men" era of Dwight Eisenhower, communist witch hunts and three Martini lunches.
Ms. London didn't have the vocal range of Ella Fitzgerald but she developed her own trademark singing style which was restrained and elegant. Her lingering vocal phrases created a mood of erotic tension that raised more than a few eyebrows... It was an era when squeaky clean, wholesome singers like Doris Day and Patti Page were the best selling female recording artists.
Julie London was a minimalist who preferred singing with a trio or a quartet. She generally avoided overblown string and brass arrangements and ensembles of chorus singers who frequently intruded on the simple beauty of song. Some the best performances of jazz vocalists in the Fifties and Sixties were marred by overdubbed string arrangements and insipid chorus singers.
Cry Me A River became Julie London's signature song and I've always been mesmerized by her effortless, almost lazy vocal in the song. It's the perfect kiss-off song. Julie's vocal style tells us she's cried a river over this guy in the past and she won't be bothered with making the effort to send him off with an emotional farewell.
Julie London's persona was the inspiration for the animated character, Jessica Rabbit, the curvaceous nightclub singer in the 1988 film
Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Jessica Rabbit was voiced by actress Kathleen Turner.
The composer of
Cry Me a River was Arthur Hamilton who was primarily a soundtrack composer. Hamilton included Julie London's version of
Cry Me a River in his soundtrack for the 1956 rock and roll film
The Girl Can't Help It with Jayne Mansfield. Julie appears in the film singing the song, along with some historic film performances by first generation rockers like Little Richard, Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps, Eddie Cochran and Fats Domino. I first became intrigued with Julie London when I saw her hypnotic performance of
Cry Me A River in
The Girl Can't Help It.
Julie's vintage 1955 version of
Cry Me a River has more recently appeared on the soundtrack of the 2005 cult movie
V for Vendetta, starring Natalie Portman.
Cry Me A River lyrics
Now you say you're lonely,
You cry the whole night through.
Well you can cry me a river,
Cry me a river,
I cried a river over you.
Now you say you're sorry,
For being so untrue.
Well you can cry me a river,
Cry me a river,
I cried a river over you.
You drove me, nearly drove me,
Out of my head;
While you never she'd a tear.
Remember, I remember,
All that you said;
Told me love was too plebian,
Told me you were through with me
And Now you say you love me,
Well, just to prove you do,
Come on and cry me a river,
Cry me a river,
I cried a river over you x4