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The Beatles — Cry Baby Cry
Album: White Album
Avg rating:
7.8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1283








Released: 1968
Length: 3:00
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Cry, baby, cry
Make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better

The king of Marigold was in the kitchen
Cooking breakfast for the queen
The queen was in the parlour
Playing piano for the children of the king

Cry, baby, cry
Make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better
So cry, baby, cry

The king was in the garden
Picking flowers for a friend who came to play
The queen was in the playroom
Painting pictures for the children's holiday

Cry, baby, cry
Make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better
So cry, baby, cry

The duchess of Kirkcaldy always smiling
And arriving late for tea
The duke was having problems
With a message at the local bird and bee

Cry, baby, cry
Make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better
So cry, baby, cry

At twelve o'clock a meeting 'round the table
For a séance in the dark
With voices out of nowhere
Put on specially by the children for a lark

Cry, baby, cry
Make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better
So cry, baby, cry

Cry, cry, cry, baby
Make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better
Cry, baby, cry
Cry, cry, cry
Make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better
So cry, baby, cry

Can you take me back
Where I've been from?
Can you take me back?

Can you take me back
Where I've been from?
Brother, can you take me back?
Can you take me back?

Mm, can you take me
Where I've been from?
Can you take me
Back?
Comments (139)add comment
 virwill7 wrote:

Hopefully Bill will never tire of slipping this gem into the rotation every once in a while.



Ya. Thanks
no cryin' now....
 kingart wrote:


For me, Abbey Road hands down no debate. 



For me it's the White Album. More songs, more variety. It was their Grunge album.....
Whatever one feels about this song or the album itself the fact is that some were growing up with their music and being part of the soundtrack of their lives they just can't but not having good renewing sensation after hearing it. I am one of them! 
Hopefully Bill will never tire of slipping this gem into the rotation every once in a while.
 Admittedly this was the last Beatle album I got 'in to' and is probably my least favourite but it still has some awesome cuts on it!

ziakut wrote:
I've always felt this album could have been a single LP. Cut the filler tunes like "Wild Honey Pie", "Why Don't We Do It In The Road" etc. and throw on "Hey Jude"...since it doesn't have an album home. Feels like by the time 1969 happened...The Beatles could do whatever they wanted and the public would devour it.
 

 ziakut wrote:
I've always felt this album could have been a single LP. Cut the filler tunes like "Wild Honey Pie", "Why Don't We Do It In The Road" etc. and throw on "Hey Jude"...since it doesn't have an album home. Feels like by the time 1969 happened...The Beatles could do whatever they wanted and the public would devour it.
 
Never, ever would I cut "Why Don't We Do It In The Road".  Love that song.  
I've always felt this album could have been a single LP. Cut the filler tunes like "Wild Honey Pie", "Why Don't We Do It In The Road" etc. and throw on "Hey Jude"...since it doesn't have an album home. Feels like by the time 1969 happened...The Beatles could do whatever they wanted and the public would devour it.
 LaurieinTucson wrote:
I had one with white records.
 

Me too!  Now I don't  :(
 gjr wrote:


my own internal debate - if i could take one album and one album only to that desert island - which would it be?  the white album with all of its completely wild variances and total range of music types OR abbey road the brilliant masterpiece??

somebody please help......the internal debate will rage on........
 

For me, Abbey Road hands down no debate. 
Long Live  RP
Cry Baby Cry with The Beatles from White Album  is ONLY A 7 for me
Another amazing one from these folks!
Was happily surprised to hear the the first two lines in Firefly!
 gjr wrote:


my own internal debate - if i could take one album and one album only to that desert island - which would it be?  the white album with all of its completely wild variances and total range of music types OR abbey road the brilliant masterpiece??

somebody please help......the internal debate will rage on........
 
Abbey Road IMHO
 ziakut wrote:
Nice to hear a lesser known tune from this album.
 
I agree but Cry Baby Cry
is not my favorite song
Nice to hear a lesser known tune from this album.
Love the White Album!
 Emwolb wrote:

Since Bill decided not to finish the song properly...I will (pun intended)

"can you take me back where I came from, can you take me back...

can you take me back where I came from, woman can you take me baaaaaaack..

can you take me back

"can you take me back where I came from, can you take me back..." 


I always thought of that little ditty more as the introduction to "Revolution 9".
This one for me is what the atmosphere of The Beatles was about. There will never be another.

Rest in peace John and George!
I dug it when The Beatles were as psychedelic and melodically bold and unorthodox with piano, guitar, and vocals as Syd Barrett & Co.
 ScottFromWyoming wrote:
It used to be a B-side of a 45 in the jukebox of a bar I used to go to 25 years ago. Not sure what the A-side was.
Moderately amusing: That single's MONO
 
You have to wonder what 3-minute excerpt they used, or if they did a "single version remix"?
 Emwolb wrote:

Since Bill decided not to finish the song properly...I will (pun intended)

"can you take me back where I came from, can you take me back...

can you take me back where I came from, woman can you take me baaaaaaack..

can you take me back

"can you take me back where I came from, can you take me back..."

 



 
Ya Bill!!! C'mon man, you have to play the whole thing! Mandatory.
 On_The_Beach wrote:

In what alternate universe was "Revolution 9" a 45?
Ah, "Capitalist Records"; never mind.

 
It used to be a B-side of a 45 in the jukebox of a bar I used to go to 25 years ago. Not sure what the A-side was.

Moderately amusing: That single's MONO  
Happy Birthday!!! October 9, 1940
 Emwolb wrote:

Since Bill decided not to finish the song properly...I will (pun intended)

"can you take me back where I came from, can you take me back...

can you take me back where I came from, woman can you take me baaaaaaack..

can you take me back

"can you take me back where I came from, can you take me back..."

 



 

 alexpohlenz wrote:
Please, I beg... No Beatles any more... 

 
Are you insane? Pretty lonely out there eh?
 Skydog wrote:
 i got my 10 up on the board and play this one next Bill it follows
 
In what alternate universe was "Revolution 9" a 45?
Ah, "Capitalist Records"; never mind.
 JasondotG wrote:

This guy really hates The Beatles. 

https://www.radioparadise.com/?name=Members&file=userinfo&showdata=ratelow&u=181021

His vote history consists of nothing but ranking Beatles tracks at 1. That and a Finn Bro's song. It's so strange and hilarious! 

 

 
Got a bad childhood  

Since Bill decided not to finish the song properly...I will (pun intended)

"can you take me back where I came from, can you take me back...

can you take me back where I came from, woman can you take me baaaaaaack..

can you take me back

"can you take me back where I came from, can you take me back..."

 



 i got my 10 up on the board and play this one next Bill it follows 


 alexpohlenz wrote:
Please, I beg... No Beatles any more... 

 
This guy really hates The Beatles. 

https://www.radioparadise.com/?name=Members&file=userinfo&showdata=ratelow&u=181021

His vote history consists of nothing but ranking Beatles tracks at 1. That and a Finn Bro's song. It's so strange and hilarious! 

 
 bam23 wrote:
There is nothing about this song that should work, but after all these years it still calls for a pause to listen. At least for me.

 
It's quite likable for me by itself, but the White Album is truly greater than the sum of its parts. After all, this is the last track before "Revolution 9"....
Great, great, and great! {#Cheers}
 bam23 wrote:
There is nothing about this song that should work, but after all these years it still calls for a pause to listen. At least for me.

 
This is truth.
Yet another quirky little nugget from the magnificent White Album!
Aside of ob-la-da and a couple of overly risky attempts on the white, all Beatles is godlike and will always be for someone, and it's all that counts.
There is nothing about this song that should work, but after all these years it still calls for a pause to listen. At least for me.
 k-man wrote:

You mean over-rated like Beethoven, Mozart, Coltrane, Miles, Elvis, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Kanye?


And Cry Baby Cry a stinker? I guess that explains Kanye ...


As far as rock music goes, The Beatles are in their own league.

 
Kanye? You sir are having a laugh.
 alexpohlenz wrote:
Please, I beg... No Beatles any more... 

 

 alexpohlenz wrote:
Please, I beg... No Beatles any more... 

 
You've got no chance of that.
Please, I beg... No Beatles any more... 
 GTT wrote:
I especially love all the weird little Beatle songs, like this one.

 
Me too - not their best technically but it's what made them, as someone else said, totally in a league of their own. Rocky Racoon is a prime example.
 rdo wrote:

{#Lol}  OK, OK, I see I am out voted.  I rate them pretty high here, but they seem to have a lot of stinkers getting played here.

 
instead of stinkers you could call them  esoterica and be forgiven,, probably
the stand-alone standard bearers in which all others would attempt to follow..{#Yes}
I especially love all the weird little Beatle songs, like this one.
 rdo wrote:
Has the time come to admit the Beatles are over-rated?
 
You mean over-rated like Beethoven, Mozart, Coltrane, Miles, Elvis, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Kanye?


And Cry Baby Cry a stinker? I guess that explains Kanye ...


As far as rock music goes, The Beatles are in their own league.
 WonderLizard wrote:

No.

 
{#Lol}  OK, OK, I see I am out voted.  I rate them pretty high here, but they seem to have a lot of stinkers getting played here.
 rdo wrote:
Has the time come to admit the Beatles are over-rated?
 

Check back in 20 years and the answer will still be no.
 rdo wrote:
Has the time come to admit the Beatles are over-rated?
 
No!!
 rdo wrote:
Has the time come to admit the Beatles are over-rated?
 
No.
One of the most frequent and welcome Beatle refrains in my head...
 rdo wrote:
Has the time come to admit the Beatles are over-rated?
 
no
 rdo wrote:
Has the time come to admit the Beatles are over-rated?
 

No.
 unclehud wrote:

The White Album is actually two discs, therefore a larger quantity of music, and one can completely sidestep the "quality" debate.

 
my three albums:
Physical Graffiti
Exile on Main Street 
London Calling

maximizing quantity and quality
Has the time come to admit the Beatles are over-rated?
 gjr wrote:
my own internal debate - if i could take one album and one album only to that desert island - which would it be?  the white album with all of its completely wild variances and total range of music types OR abbey road the brilliant masterpiece??

somebody please help......the internal debate will rage on........
 
The White Album is actually two discs, therefore a larger quantity of music, and one can completely sidestep the "quality" debate.
 gjr wrote:
my own internal debate - if i could take one album and one album only to that desert island - which would it be?  the white album with all of its completely wild variances and total range of music types OR abbey road the brilliant masterpiece??

somebody please help......the internal debate will rage on........
 
Hah, those would probably be my 2 top choices as well, at least from the Beatles. As much as I love Abbey Road, I think I'd have to go with the White Album.


One of the better tunes from this awkwardly successful album.
 bachbeet wrote:
Great song from a great album.

 

my own internal debate - if i could take one album and one album only to that desert island - which would it be?  the white album with all of its completely wild variances and total range of music types OR abbey road the brilliant masterpiece??

somebody please help......the internal debate will rage on........
big stud Romeo Tuma wrote:
This song is soooo good for the ears...
 

I be the holy ghost of big stud Romeo Tuma...  time flies when we're having fun...  love this song...  brings tears to my eyes...
 
 lemmoth wrote:
Worth repeating from AllMusic:

So much has been said and written about the Beatles — and their story is so mythic in its sweep — that it's difficult to summarize their career without restating clichés that have already been digested by tens of millions of rock fans. To start with the obvious, they were the greatest and most influential act of the rock era, and introduced more innovations into popular music than any other rock band of the 20th century. Moreover, they were among the few artists of any discipline that were simultaneously the best at what they did and the most popular at what they did. Relentlessly imaginative and experimental, the Beatles grabbed a hold of the international mass consciousness in 1964 and never let go for the next six years, always staying ahead of the pack in terms of creativity but never losing their ability to communicate their increasingly sophisticated ideas to a mass audience. Their supremacy as rock icons remains unchallenged to this day, decades after their breakup in 1970

It's hard to convey the scope of the Beatles' achievements in a mere paragraph or two. They synthesized all that was good about early rock & roll, and changed it into something original and even more exciting. They established the prototype for the self-contained rock group that wrote and performed its own material. As composers, their craft and melodic inventiveness were second to none, and key to the evolution of rock from its blues/R&B-based forms into a style that was far more eclectic, but equally visceral. As singers, both John Lennon and Paul McCartney were among the best and most expressive vocalists in rock; the group's harmonies were intricate and exhilarating. As performers, they were (at least until touring had ground them down) exciting and photogenic; when they retreated into the studio, they were instrumental in pioneering advanced techniques and multi-layered arrangements. They were also the first British rock group to achieve worldwide prominence, launching a British Invasion that made rock truly an international phenomenon.

 

See now that is the definition of "the only band that matters!"{#Yes} The Beatles are one of the few groups that fully live up to all of the accolades imo.
Worth repeating from AllMusic:

So much has been said and written about the Beatles — and their story is so mythic in its sweep — that it's difficult to summarize their career without restating clichés that have already been digested by tens of millions of rock fans. To start with the obvious, they were the greatest and most influential act of the rock era, and introduced more innovations into popular music than any other rock band of the 20th century. Moreover, they were among the few artists of any discipline that were simultaneously the best at what they did and the most popular at what they did. Relentlessly imaginative and experimental, the Beatles grabbed a hold of the international mass consciousness in 1964 and never let go for the next six years, always staying ahead of the pack in terms of creativity but never losing their ability to communicate their increasingly sophisticated ideas to a mass audience. Their supremacy as rock icons remains unchallenged to this day, decades after their breakup in 1970

It's hard to convey the scope of the Beatles' achievements in a mere paragraph or two. They synthesized all that was good about early rock & roll, and changed it into something original and even more exciting. They established the prototype for the self-contained rock group that wrote and performed its own material. As composers, their craft and melodic inventiveness were second to none, and key to the evolution of rock from its blues/R&B-based forms into a style that was far more eclectic, but equally visceral. As singers, both John Lennon and Paul McCartney were among the best and most expressive vocalists in rock; the group's harmonies were intricate and exhilarating. As performers, they were (at least until touring had ground them down) exciting and photogenic; when they retreated into the studio, they were instrumental in pioneering advanced techniques and multi-layered arrangements. They were also the first British rock group to achieve worldwide prominence, launching a British Invasion that made rock truly an international phenomenon.
I had one with white records.
My first album.  Came with four cool mini posters of each Beatle.
 kingart wrote:
So far from Slow Down Twist and Shout I Wanna Hold Your Hand, only 6-7 years apart, as if from the same men singing to each other from different dimensions. Yet — if someone completely unaware of the Beatles should listen to the 1963 and the 1969 quartet, they could probably say they are the same people. 
 
Those 3 early songs you mentioned were from 1964 and Cry Baby Cry is 1968, so it's only a 4 year difference. Incredible growth, creativity and change in a short amount of time. They sound like completely different bands.
So far from Slow Down Twist and Shout I Wanna Hold Your Hand, only 6-7 years apart, as if from the same men singing to each other from different dimensions. Yet — if someone completely unaware of the Beatles should listen to the 1963 and the 1969 quartet, they could probably say they are the same people. 
 gatorade wrote:
Nothing ever will come close to the greatness of the While LP.
 
 
Hold on a while there.
Great song from a great album.

Great Song from The BEST album of All Time.




This song always makes me think of Wash and Mal now... :(
 gatorade wrote:
Nothing ever will come close to the greatness of the While LP.
 
My fave Beatles album, too.  {#Cheers}
Nothing ever will come close to the greatness of the While LP.
 
 tulfan wrote:
Although I know not why, this is and has remained one of, if not my total favorite off the White Album.
The things that really move us always operate above the level of reason and logic. A wonderful aspect of life!

Masterful
The production here really serves the song well.  The jangling piano, slightly distorted vocal (sounds phased at times), flattened out bass and growling guitars coming in an out to tickle the melody all make the song a package that's better than its parts. 

And it still sounds "fresh" — though it would never be heard on my local "Fresh Music" station. . . .

 Hannio wrote:


Odd.  The White Album always seemed to me to be a loose collection of songs that didn't make it onto other albums.  I guess if you listen to it long enough, it becomes its own context.
 


Agreed! I grew up with "white album" thinking of the music as a whole but in retrospect it sounds like individual tunes written and played to fill an album. The good news is all but a few are stellar.
 Jungle_Jim wrote:
This song sounds funny out of context of the White Album - I take the White Album as a whole. While this song is not the strongest thing to lift from it, amongst the other songs it becomes part of the rich tapestry.
 

Odd.  The White Album always seemed to me to be a loose collection of songs that didn't make it onto other albums.  I guess if you listen to it long enough, it becomes its own context.
Wow. I was just thinking during the last PT song how much it reminded me of this song!! As it blatant rip-off reminding me of the Beatles. Hmmmm...

The Beatles - Cry Baby Cry
Porcupine Tree - Pure Narcotic

cry baby cry
Another great tune from the magnificent White Album.
drile
 arsenault wrote:
nice...
funny i don't think i have ever heard this song..
an indictment of regular radio...
and an indication i never bought the white album.
maybe if they hadn't insisted on making it a 2cd set when it would fit on one.
 
Actually, it's over 93 minutes long, so it would not fit on a single CD.

It would still be 84 minutes even if "Revolution #9" were removed (which would be a great improvement).  I think a CD can hold at most 80 minutes.

Porcupine Tree followed by Cry Baby Cry (what a great underplayed Beatles song); This is why we love RP.  

rock on Bill 
 
I used to have this album on LP. It had white records.
Oh yeah.  This hits the spot.
I just listened to the white album a few hours ago, for the first time in maybe seven or eight years, while I did some simple work that let me focus on the music. I had forgotten just how awesome the whole thing is.

Love this song. A great example of a minimalist Lennon track.


Ahhhh!

Someone just opened a window...

{#Good-vibes}
 WonderLizard wrote:
The day this came out, I walked down Geary St. in San Francisco to Daughtrey's, a wonderful, hole-in-the-wall, family owned hi-fi store, which carried a dizzying array of LPs and 45s. Took it back to the dorm at U. of S.F. and played it all night on my roommate's portable record player while a bunch of us crammed for an English exam the next day. Must have played it 3-4 times straight through...
 
That's all well and good, but how did you do on the test?!? {#Think}
 SquatterMadras wrote:
Outstanding - really really enjoyed that.

I will be digging out the White Album again tonight !
 

It is the EP that I would take to a desert island if I were allowed only one...

 zborgerd wrote:


Really. There are plenty of songs out there that are better than those by the Beatles. It's like the people that tell me that bands like Limp Bizkit make good songs. I know that they are full of crap and are just lemmings that listen to crappy music because they're tought to like it. Sure, The Beatles have some incredible songs, but many of them are ho-hum in my opinion. But hey... To each his own.

I'll give this one a 6, but definately is not deserving a 10.
 

The other important thing to remember is that the Beatles were writing songs that were introspective and free-associating—as opposed to dance music—that were ahead of their time and paved the way for so many other songwriters. So at the time, virtually all of thier songs were breaking new ground.

This song sounds funny out of context of the White Album - I take the White Album as a whole. While this song is not the strongest thing to lift from it, amongst the other songs it becomes part of the rich tapestry.
nice...
funny i don't think i have ever heard this song..
an indictment of regular radio...
and an indication i never bought the white album.
maybe if they hadn't insisted on making it a 2cd set when it would fit on one.


chills...  
 

 jagdriver wrote:
More Fabs, please. From this collection alone, Sexy Sadie is terrific, as are a host of others.
 
{#Iamwithstupid}

Although I know not why, this is and has remained one of, if not my total favorite off the White Album.
The day this came out, I walked down Geary St. in San Francisco to Daughtrey's, a wonderful, hole-in-the-wall, family owned hi-fi store, which carried a dizzying array of LPs and 45s. Took it back to the dorm at U. of S.F. and played it all night on my roommate's portable record player while a bunch of us crammed for an English exam the next day. Must have played it 3-4 times straight through...
 Relayer wrote:
Every song by the Beatles deserves a rating of 10. Maybe not "Revolution #9"
 
Don't pass me by is really cheap song, maybe 7. Agreed on most of other songs.

 susanakers wrote:
Someone had asked for background info for "Cry Baby Cry," on the White album. Supposedly, it is about an old fairy tale that John Lennon remembered from his youth and includes the popular add-on at the end "Can You Take Me Back" (Paul singing) with a few seconds of accordian-playing at the very end.
 
Which add-on from Paul Bill didn't play on RP — What is this AM Radio??

the drumming on this album is my personal fav.
The best from the best.
Someone had asked for background info for "Cry Baby Cry," on the White album. Supposedly, it is about an old fairy tale that John Lennon remembered from his youth and includes the popular add-on at the end "Can You Take Me Back" (Paul singing) with a few seconds of accordian-playing at the very end.
Outstanding - really really enjoyed that. I will be digging out the White Album again tonight !
FANTASTIC segue, thank you!
1wolfy wrote:
One of my favs too..I wish they would play "can you take me back where I came from" at the end..It would complete the song for me.
I was VERY surprised BillG cut off the end...I love that part.
One of my favs too..I wish they would play "can you take me back where I came from" at the end..It would complete the song for me.Deadwing wrote:
MY favorite Beatles song
I love this song. It's especially cool how the channels are so SEPARATED...the "new" stereo sound as used beautifully by Sir George Martin.
MY favorite Beatles song
daisky wrote:
You are free to think that the beatles are overrated, but you have come up with the most stupid comparison to demonstrate your point that it is impossible to take seriously.
totally agree on that one, beatles to limp bizkit? you gotta be yankin' our chains, no one's that dense!
zborgerd wrote:
... There are plenty of songs out there that are better than those by the Beatles. It's like the people that tell me that bands like Limp Bizkit make good songs. I know that they are full of crap and are just lemmings that listen to crappy music because they're tought to like it. ...
Not liking a band because too many other people have been 'taught to like them', is no different liking a band because you've been 'taught to like them'.
More Fabs, please. From this collection alone, Sexy Sadie is terrific, as are a host of others.
AC wrote:
This track, in particular, is as fresh as tomorrow morning's coffee. If you didn't know it, and you heard it, you could easily believe it was a contemporary release. And the White Album came out in, what? '69 or '70? This stuff is, like, a third of a century old fer crissakes. Genius. We'll not see their like again in our lifetimes.
Well put. I think the white Album came out in '68 which makes it 40 years old next year! Love this track and almost all the rest of the White Album.
Wonderful! Thanks Bill.
zborgerd wrote:
Really. There are plenty of songs out there that are better than those by the Beatles. It's like the people that tell me that bands like Limp Bizkit make good songs. I know that they are full of crap and are just lemmings that listen to crappy music because they're tought to like it. Sure, The Beatles have some incredible songs, but many of them are ho-hum in my opinion. But hey... To each his own. I'll give this one a 6, but definately is not deserving a 10.
You are free to think that the beatles are overrated, but you have come up with the most stupid comparison to demonstrate your point that it is impossible to take seriously.
Did I need another reason to love RP...not really but I'll take it.
Can you take me back where I came from, can you take me back?
Makes me think of Wash... :(
Great song from arguably the greatest pop/rock album of all time. The White Album is certainly in my top 5.
Shesdifferent wrote:
Post Script on that.....every song from The White Album deserves a top rating!
Well of course !!
NICE!
Relayer wrote:
Every song by the Beatles deserves a rating of 10. Maybe not "Revolution #9"
Post Script on that.....every song from The White Album deserves a top rating!
Relayer wrote:
Every song by the Beatles deserves a rating of 10. Maybe not "Revolution #9"
Really. There are plenty of songs out there that are better than those by the Beatles. It's like the people that tell me that bands like Limp Bizkit make good songs. I know that they are full of crap and are just lemmings that listen to crappy music because they're tought to like it. Sure, The Beatles have some incredible songs, but many of them are ho-hum in my opinion. But hey... To each his own. I'll give this one a 6, but definately is not deserving a 10.