Cry Like a Baby

The Box Tops

About Cry Like a Baby

"Cry Like a Baby" is a 1968 song written by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, and performed by The Box Tops. The song reached #2 in April 1968 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position which it held for two weeks. It was kept out of the top spot by Bobby Goldsboro's "Honey", which stayed at #1 for five weeks. "Cry Like a Baby" also reached #2 on Cashbox for one week. It stayed on the Hot 100 for 15 weeks and Cashbox for 14 weeks. It was awarded a gold disc for selling over one million copies in the United States. Spooner Oldham explained in an interview how the song came to be: Dan Penn was producing The Box Tops, he had produced a #1 record called "The Letter". He recorded that in Memphis when he and I were both living there. So he calls me one day and says, "Spooner, will you help me try to write a song for Alex (Chilton) and the Box Tops?" He says, "People have sent me some songs, but I don't think any of them really fit. This record company's been after me about three weeks for a follow-up single." And I said, "Sure, I'll try to help write a song for you." We got together in the studio one evening with our little notes of our five or ten best ideas or titles. We each pulled one out and they eventually ended up in the garbage. 


Year:
1968
2:32
92 
#1

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When I think about the good love you gave me
I cry like a baby
Living without you is driving me crazy
I cry like a baby
Well, I know now, that you're not a plaything
Not a toy, or a puppet on a string

As I look back on a love so sweet
I cry like a baby
Oh, every road is a lonely street
I cry like a baby
I know now that you're not a plaything
Not a toy, or a puppet on a string

Today we passed on the street, and you just walked on by
how my heart just fell to my feet
and like a fool I began to cry

Oh when I think about the good love you gave me
I cry like a baby
Living without you is driving me crazy
I cry like a baby
I know now,that you're not a plaything
I cry like a baby, cry like a baby

Every road is a lonely street
I cry like a baby, cry like a baby
Living without you is driving me crazy
I cry like a baby, cry like a baby
I cry, I cry, I cry

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The Box Tops

The Box Tops were a Memphis rock group from the 1960s. They are best known for the hits "The Letter", "Cry Like a Baby", and "Soul Deep" and are considered a major blue-eyed soul group of the period. They performed a mixture of current soul music songs by artists such as James and Bobby Purify and Clifford Curry, pop tunes such as "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Keith Reid, Gary Brooker and Matthew Fisher of Procol Harum, and songs written by their producers, Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, and Chips Moman. Vocalist Alex Chilton went on to front the powerpop band Big Star and to launch a career as a solo artist, during which he occasionally performed songs he had sung with the Box Tops. more »

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Written by: DAN PENN, SPOONER OLDHAM

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Songwriters
"Cry Like a Baby" was penned by the iconic songwriting duo, Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn.
Release Year
The song was released in February 1968 by The Box Tops and became a major hit.
Chart Success
Achieving massive popularity, "Cry Like a Baby" reached No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Genre
The song falls under the genres of blue-eyed soul and pop, showcasing the versatility of The Box Tops.
Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn
These renowned songwriters typically collaborated on soul songs, and they’ve worked on several famous songs apart from "Cry Like a Baby", such as "A Woman Left Lonely" and "It Tears Me Up".
Title Track
The song was not only successful on its own, but it’s also the title track of The Box Tops’s second studio album.
Achievements
"Cry Like a Baby" has been certified gold by the RIAA for sales surpassing a million copies.
Lead Singer
The lead vocals of the song were rendered by Alex Chilton, who was merely 17 when the song was recorded.
Musical Style
The song, in contrast to the upbeat rock and roll style prevalent during the 1960s, showcased a more laid-back and melodic style, thus setting it apart.
Covers
The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Kikki Danielsson and Lynn Anderson. Cher also included it in her album "3614 Jackson Highway" which is a tribute to the southern soul sound.
Legacy
This influential song remains a classic, continuing to be a favorite on oldies radio stations.
Honors
The prominence of "Cry Like a Baby" has led it to be inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

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    Cry Like a Baby

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1968

    Billboard #2


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