The Soul-Baring Anthem of Uncontrollable Heartbreak and Regret
Oh, the magic of the radio dial in 1961. We were just coming into our own, weren’t we? The world was changing fast, but some things—the sheer, crippling agony of a broken heart—remained timeless. And then, from the airwaves, came a sound like nothing else: the voice of The Big O, Roy Orbison, soaring above a minor-key Bolero rhythm, delivering a melodrama that felt deeply, achingly personal. We’re talking, of course, about “Crying,” the song that would forever define the sound of majestic, operatic despair.
This unforgettable single, co-written by Orbison and his frequent collaborator Joe Melson, hit the streets in July 1961 on the Monument label. It wasn’t just a hit; it was a cultural moment, securing a stunning peak position of No. 2 on the prestigious US Billboard Hot 100 chart. While Ray Charles’s upbeat smash, “Hit the Road Jack,” famously blocked it from the top spot, Billboard nonetheless recognized “Crying” as the No. 4 song of 1961 for the entire year, underscoring its immense popularity and impact. Across the Atlantic, the single performed admirably, reaching No. 25 on the UK Singles Chart, proving that raw heartache translated perfectly on both continents. It was the lead single from his third album, also titled Crying, which followed in January 1962.
The story behind this devastating ballad is rooted in a real-life, regretful encounter. Orbison himself recounted that the inspiration came from seeing an ex-girlfriend years after their breakup. He was in a barber shop and saw her across the street. In that moment, he wanted to go over, forget the past, and reconcile, but his stubbornness—or perhaps fear—kept him rooted. He drove off and immediately regretted the lost opportunity, realizing, “Boy, you really made a mistake. You didn’t play that right at all.” That feeling of emotional turmoil, of silent, internal weeping over a chance missed and a love still held dear, is the very essence captured in the lyrics. “I was alright, for a while, I could smile, for a while,” the song begins, painting a picture of a man who thought he had moved on, only to have a simple “hello” and a tight hand-hold shatter his carefully constructed emotional façade.
The true genius of “Crying” lies in its construction and, of course, the extraordinary vocal performance. At a time when male rock and roll often championed a rougher, more macho bravado, Orbison—the mysterious figure in dark glasses—presented a character of profound vulnerability. He created what critics would call “rock-and-roll arias,” miniature musical dramas that built to an overwhelming emotional climax. In “Crying,” the arrangement—with its slow, almost Latin-flavored percussion and sweeping strings, courtesy of Jim Hall’s arrangement—mirrors the narrator’s emotional breakdown. The voice starts low, a somber rumble of controlled sadness, but as the realization hits—”For you don’t love me, and I’ll always be…”—it breaks into a magnificent, near-operatic cry, soaring impossibly high on the word “crying,” an octave-leaping vocal feat that earned him the nickname “The Caruso of Rock.” This was music that dared men to feel, to openly express the desolation of loss. It was a powerful, beautiful rejection of emotional stoicism, and it’s why the song felt like a universal truth to millions of listeners—we all knew that kind of unbearable, silent grief.
Over the decades, “Crying” has been rightly hailed as a masterpiece. It earned a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2002 and was ranked highly on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Its enduring quality led to a successful 1978 cover by Don McLean and, years later, a poignant, Grammy-winning 1987 duet re-recording by Orbison and k.d. lang, introducing the heartbreak to a new generation. Yet, it’s the 1961 original, with its unparalleled blend of musical sophistication and devastating sincerity, that remains the gold standard, the perfect soundtrack for looking back on the loves we thought we were “alright” without, until they walked back into the room.
If you want to hear that famous vocal, check out Roy Orbison’s live performance of the song in This Live Performance of Crying. This video is a live performance of “Crying,” featuring the singer, and shows why his powerful voice was so unique.