Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain

"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" is a song written by songwriter Fred Rose. Originally performed by Roy Acuff, the song was later recorded by Willie Nelson as part of his 1975 album Red Headed Stranger. Both the song and album would become iconic in country music history, and jump start Nelson's success as a singer and recording artist. (He had thus far been primarily successful as a songwriter for other artists.)

Song history

Originally recorded in 1947 by Acuff, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" was recorded by Hank Williams in 1951 for the Mother's Best Flour Hour. Other early remakes of the song were made by Donn Reynolds (MGM single - June 1957), Ferlin Husky (album Ferlin's Favorites - November 1959), Slim Whitman (album Country Favorites - 1959), Gene Vincent (recorded October 15, 1958/ album Crazy Times! -1960), Bill Anderson (album...Sings Country Heart Songs - January 15, 1962), John D. Loudermilk (album Country Love Songs Plain and Simply Sung Country Love Songs Plain and Simply Sung - August 1968), (Hank Snow)] (album, 'Greatest Hits" ) and Conway Twitty (album Hello Darlin' - June 1970).

The version by Willie Nelson, recorded for his 1975 concept album, Red Headed Stranger, which was about a fugitive preacher on the run from the law after killing his wife, was lauded by country music historian Bill Malone as "a fine example of clean, uncluttered country music, [with] a spare arrangement that could have come straight out of the 1940s."^[1] Rolling Stone noted the song was delivered with his "jazz-style phrasing" and was "the beating heart of Red Headed Stranger."^[2]

Chart success and legacy

Prior to the success of "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," Nelson had enjoyed widespread success primarily as a songwriter, with such songs as "Crazy" (Patsy Cline) and "Hello Walls" (Faron Young). As a performer, meanwhile, Nelson had hit the Top 10 of the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart just twice; it had happened in 1962, once as a solo artist ("Touch Me") and again as part of a duet with Shirley Collie ("Willingly"). Thereafter, Nelson had approached the Top 20 on occasion, but went 13 years without a Top 10 hit.

In October 1975, the song became Nelson's first No. 1 hit as a singer, and at year's end was the third-biggest song of 1975 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.^[3] In addition, the song gained modest airplay on Top 40 radio, reaching number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[4]

In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" #302 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.^[5]

Chart performance

Later versions

• Elvis Presley finally recorded "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" (having sung it privately with friends and family for years while accompanying himself on piano) in the Jungle Room at Graceland on 7 February 1976. This was the last known song that Elvis Presley sang (at the piano in the rest area of his Racquetball Court located to the rear of Graceland) before his death on August 16, 1977.^[6]
• Ken Kincaid, a New Zealand singer recorded a version which appears on the B side of his 1982 single "Cindy", CBS BA 222 941.^[7][8]
• Linda Good's version of the song was featured on the compilation album Sony/ATV Nashville Classic Covers, Vol.1 (2008).^[9]
• UB40 covered the song in their 2013 album Getting Over the Storm.^[10]

Sources

References

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics