Cry Baby Cry

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"Cry Baby Cry"
"Cry Baby Cry" cover
Song by The Beatles
from the album The Beatles
Released 22 November 1968
Recorded 16 July 1968
Genre Rock
Length 3:03
Label Apple Records
Writer(s) Lennon-McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
The Beatles track listing
Savoy Truffle
(10 of disc 2)
"Cry Baby Cry"
(11 of disc 2)
Revolution 9
(12 of disc 2)

"Cry Baby Cry" is a song by the Beatles from the White Album, and it is the final song on the album featuring the group's instrumental presence. It is about an old fairy tale that John Lennon remembered from his youth.[citation needed]

When asked about "Cry Baby Cry" in 1980, Lennon replied, "Not mine. A piece of rubbish."[1] The "Not mine" part is a mistake either in Lennon's memory or in the transcription of the audio tape being used by the interviewer. Paul McCartney said, "Cry Baby Cry was another of John's songs from India."[2]

The track also includes a very short unrelated song performed by McCartney, whose most prominent line is "Can You Take Me Back," appearing directly before "Revolution 9". This portion of the song does not appear in the lyrics shown written for the album.

Immediately following "Can You Take Me Back", a short and barely audible conversation takes place between producer George Martin and Alistair Taylor (Brian Epstein’s personal assistant). Taylor is apologising to Martin, apparently for neglecting to bring a bottle of wine for him to the session. While this was included as part of the track for Cry Baby Cry on the CD release, it is sometimes considered the beginning of Revolution 9[3][4]

Taylor: "...bottle of claret for you if I'd realized. I'd forgotten all about it, George, I'm sorry."
Martin: "Well, do next time."
Taylor: "Will you forgive me?"
Martin: "Mmm... yes..."
Taylor: "Cheeky bitch."[4]

[edit] Trivia

  • The "Duchess of Kirkcaldy" mentioned in the song was a creation of Lennon's, most likely inspired by the Beatles' gig in the town of the same name in 1963.[2]
  • George Martin plays harmonium on this track (introduced after the first statement of "make your mother sigh". This was the same harmonium Lennon used on 'We Can Work It Out'.
  • The original lyrics were "Cry baby cry, make your mother buy". Lennon said he got the words from an advertisement.[citation needed]
  • The song is referenced in a line from the Firefly episode "Serenity."

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ David Sheff, All We Are Saying, p. 200
  2. ^ Barry Miles, Many Years From Now, p. 487
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ a b Steve's Beatle Page

[edit] External link