Janis Joplin – “Cry Baby”

Pearl

Janis Joplin was the kind of singer whose voice took hold of you and refused to let go – maybe that’s why nearly 50 years after her death, we’re still so captivated by that opening wail to ‘Cry Baby’ and everything thereafter. Written in 1963 for Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters, Janis put her own blues rock spin on ‘Cry Baby’ when she covered it in 1970.

It’s the ultimate song of forgiveness – Janis is begging the man in her life to come home, saying that she’ll forgive him because she knows he’s as sad as she is and that if he just comes on home, everything will somehow work itself out.

The Beginning of ‘Cry Baby’

In September and October 1970, Janis Joplin recorded it for her album Pearl, posthumously released in 1971. The song became usual in Joplin’s repertoire and today is often performed by many artists such as Joss Stone.

From that opening wail to the last note, Janis keeps you utterly captivated throughout ‘Cry Baby’. In a way, she approached this song in the same way she approached life: with unabashed passion and God help you if you were swept up in her magic!

Somehow though, I think that’s a legacy she’d be able to live with!

+ Cry Baby lyrics +

Cry baby, cry baby, cry baby
Honey, welcome back home

I know she told you, honey I know she told you that she loved you
Much more than I did but all I know is that she left you
And you swear that you just don’t know why
But you know, honey I’ll always, I’ll always be around if you ever want me

Cry baby, cry baby
Oh honey, welcome back home

Don’t you know, honey
Honey ain’t nobody ever gonna love you the way I try to do?
Who’ll take all your pain, and your heartache, too?
And if you need me you know that I’ll always be around
If you ever want me

Cry baby, cry baby
Oh Daddy, like you always saying to do

And when you walk around the world, babe
You said you’d try to look for the end of the road
You might find out later that the road’ll end in Detroit
Honey, the road’ll even end in Kathmandu

You can go all around the world
Trying to find something to do with your life, baby
We only gotta do one thing well
You only gotta do one thing well to make it in this world, babe

You got a woman waiting for you there
All you ever gotta do is be a good man one time to one woman
And that’ll be the end of the road, babe
I know you got more tears to share, babe

So come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on
And cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry

And if you ever feel a little lonely, dear
I want you to come on, come on to your mama now
And if you ever want a little love of a woman
Come on and baby, baby, baby, babe, babe, baby now
Cry baby, yeah