| "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Willie Nelson | ||||
| from the album Red Headed Stranger | ||||
| Released | July 1975 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Recorded | February 9–12, 1975 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:21 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer(s) | Fred Rose | |||
| Producer | Willie Nelson | |||
| Willie Nelson singles chronology | ||||
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"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" is a song written by songwriter Fred Rose. Originally performed by Roy Acuff, the song was later recorded by Willie Nelson as part of his 1975 album Red Headed Stranger. Both the song and album would become iconic in country music history, and jump start Nelson's success as a singer and recording artist. (He had thus far been primarily successful as a songwriter for other artists.)
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Originally recorded in 1945 by Acuff, the song was later recorded by Hank Williams in 1951 for the Mother's Best Flour Hour. Gene Vincent recorded the song on 15 October 1958. The song was later recorded by Willie Nelson as part of his concept album, Red Headed Stranger, about a fugitive preacher on the run from the law after killing his wife.
Nelson's rendition, wrote country music historian Bill Malone, was "a fine example of clean, uncluttered country music, (with) a spare arrangement that could have come straight out of the 1940s."[1] Rolling Stone noted the song was delivered with his "jazz-style phrasing" and was "the beating heart of Red Headed Stranger."[2]
Presley finally recorded the song (having sung it privately with friends and family for years while accompanying himself on piano) in the Jungle Room at Graceland on 7 February 1976. This was the last known song that Elvis Presley sang (at the piano in the rest area of his Racquetball Court located to the rear of Graceland) before his death on August 16, 1977.
Prior to the success of "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," Nelson had enjoyed widespread success primarily as a songwriter, with such songs as "Crazy" (Patsy Cline) and "Hello Walls" (Faron Young). As a performer, meanwhile, Nelson had hit the Top 10 of the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart just twice; it had happened in 1962, once as a solo artist ("Touch Me") and again as part of a duet with Shirley Collie ("Willingly"). Thereafter, Nelson had approached the Top 20 on occasion, but went 13 years without a Top 10 hit.
In October 1975, the song became Nelson's first No. 1 hit as a singer, and at year's end was the third-biggest song of 1975 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.[3] In addition, the song gained modest airplay on Top 40 radio, reaching number twenty one on the Billboard Hot 100.[4]
In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" #302 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[5]
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 21 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 2 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 40 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 9 |
| Australian Kent Music Report | 57 |
| Preceded by "Daydreams About Night Things" by Ronnie Milsap |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single October 4, 1975 – October 11, 1975 |
Succeeded by "Hope You're Feelin' Me (Like I'm Feelin' You)" by Charley Pride |