Somebody's Crying

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"Somebody's Crying"
Single by Chris Isaak
from the album Forever Blue
B-side
ReleasedMay 15, 1995 (1995-05-15)
Length2:46
LabelReprise
Songwriter(s)Chris Isaak
Producer(s)Erik Jacobsen
Chris Isaak singles chronology
"Solitary Man"
(1993) 		"Somebody's Crying"
(1995) 		"Go Walking Down There"
(1995)

"Somebody's Crying" is a song by American musician Chris Isaak from his fifth album, Forever Blue (1995). The song was released as the album's first single on May 15, 1995, reaching number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and becoming a top-five hit in Australia and Canada. It also appears on his 2006 Best of Chris Isaak compilation. A live version is included on Isaak's 2008 Live in Australia album.

Inspiration and lyrics[edit]

Isaak wrote the song shortly after a breakup with his girlfriend. Isaak had attended a friend's party, but soon realized that he did not want to be there.[1] He went inside a walk-in closet, closed the door, grabbed a guitar that was leaning against the back wall, and wrote "Somebody's Crying."[1]

Lyrically, the song describes one's yearning for a former lover, and the fear of communicating again with that person.[2] In a 1995 interview, Isaak compared the lyrics to a way children often speak:

Most of us are as terrified of love as little kids are terrified of the world. Little kids come up to you and say, "I know someone who loves you" or "I know someone who likes you." They say it like, I'm not going to really come out and say it. And for adults, it's probably the same way. They never really get beyond that fear.[2]

Release and reception[edit]

"Somebody's Crying"
Sample of "Somebody's Crying", taken from Chris Isaak's 1995 album Forever Blue.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Somebody's Crying" peaked at number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 1995, making it Isaak's second-highest-charting single after "Wicked Game", which reached number six in 1991.[3] "Somebody's Crying" also peaked at number 27 on the Adult Contemporary chart,[4] number 34 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart,[5] and number 36 on the Top 40/Mainstream chart.[6] Elsewhere, the song peaked at number five in Australia and number 22 in New Zealand, marking Isaak's highest chart placement in the former country.[7][8] It charted the highest in Canada, climbing to number four on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart.[9] The single was not as commercially successful in the United Kingdom, reaching number 81 on the UK Singles Chart.[10]

"Somebody's Crying" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance in 1996, losing to Tom Petty's "You Don't Know How It Feels".[11]

Music video[edit]

The music video for "Somebody's Crying" was released in 1995 and was directed by Bill Pope.[12] In contrast to the song's melancholy lyrical content, the video presents a more upbeat story of a summer romance, and features Isaak riding a surfboard, a favorite pastime of his.[13] Isaak said, "I thought it would be more fun to do. More and more I'm trying to keep a little bit of fun in what I'm doing."[13] Actors Jennifer Rubin, Jenna Elfman, Zen Gesner, and Chris Penn appear in the video. The video received a 1995 MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Male Video but lost to Tom Petty's "You Don't Know How It Feels".[citation needed]

Track listings[edit]

Standard 7-inch, CD, and cassette single[14][15][16]

  1. "Somebody's Crying" – 2:46
  2. "Changed Your Mind" – 3:50

UK and Australian CD single[17][18]

  1. "Somebody's Crying" – 2:46
  2. "Changed Your Mind" – 3:50
  3. "The Little White Cloud That Cried" (written by Johnnie Ray) – 2:19

Charts[edit]

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States May 8, 1995
Reprise [25]
United Kingdom May 15, 1995 CD [26]
United States May 23, 1995 Contemporary hit radio [27]

In popular culture[edit]

The song was played during parts of two episodes of the Fox television series Party of Five in 1995.[28][29] It was also featured in a 1995 episode of MTV's Beavis and Butt-head.[30] An acoustic performance of the song by Isaak is included in the 2000 DVD compilation, MTV Unplugged: Ballads.[31]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Chris Isaak to play the Tennessee Theatre" (Press release). Reprise Records. July 16, 2008. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
  2. ^ a b Goldberg, Michael (June 1995). "Chris Isaak walks a lonely road". Addicted to Noise. Archived from the original on September 29, 2000. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
  3. ^ a b "Chris Isaak Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Chris Isaak Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Chris Isaak Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Chris Isaak Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Chris Isaak – Somebody's Crying". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Chris Isaak – Somebody's Crying". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2729." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  11. ^ "1995 Grammy Winners". Grammy Awards. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  12. ^ MTV Videos. MTV.com. Retrieved on June 22, 2009.
  13. ^ a b Bowles, Jennifer (May 26, 1995). "Singer's breakup with girlfriend inspires recording". The Ledger. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  14. ^ Somebody's Crying (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Chris Isaak. Reprise Records. 1995. 7-17872.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ Somebody's Crying (US CD single liner notes). Chris Isaak. Reprise Records. 1995. 2-17872.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ Somebody's Crying (US cassette single sleeve). Chris Isaak. Reprise Records. 1995. 4-17872.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ Somebody's Crying (UK CD single liner notes). Chris Isaak. Reprise Records. 1995. WO295CD, 9362-43529-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ Somebody's Crying (Australian CD single liner notes). Chris Isaak. Reprise Records. 1995. 9362435292.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9856." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  20. ^ "Chris Isaak – Somebody's Crying" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  21. ^ "Chris Isaak Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  22. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1995". ARIA. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  23. ^ "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1995". RPM. Retrieved April 11, 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  24. ^ "RPM Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1995". RPM. Retrieved April 11, 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  25. ^ "New Music for May". Radio & Records. No. 1092. April 28, 1995. pp. 70, 75.
  26. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. May 13, 1995. p. 39. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  27. ^ "Selected New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1095. May 19, 1995. p. 31. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  28. ^ "Party of Five" - "Ready or Not". IMDb.com. Retrieved on June 22, 2009.
  29. ^ "Party of Five"- "Dearly Beloved". IMDb.com. Retrieved on June 22, 2009.
  30. ^ "Beavis and Butt-head" - "Spanish Fly". IMDb.com. Retrieved on June 22, 2009.
  31. ^ MTV Unplugged: Ballads. Amazon.com. Retrieved on June 22, 2009.
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