Aerosmith – Cryin

About The Song

“Cryin'” is a power ballad by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Taylor Rhodes, and released by Geffen Records on June 29, 1993, as the second US single from their 11th studio album, Get a Grip (1993). The single reached numbers 12 and 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, ending the year at number 60 overall. It is one of their most successful hits in Europe, reaching number one in Norway, number three in Iceland, Portugal, and Sweden, and number 17 on the UK Singles Chart. The song went gold in the United States for selling over 500,000 copies. Its music video, directed by Marty Callner, features Alicia Silverstone, Stephen Dorff and Josh Holloway.

Tyler described the song saying “It was country – we just Aerosmith’d it.”

Alan Jones from Music Week gave the song three out of five, describing it as “a high-octane performance” and named it the best song from the Get A Grip album. He also declared it as “anthemic and compelling. Expect a brief but glittering chart life.” Another Music Week editor, Andy Martin, also gave it three out of five, adding that “it is hard to see the single having any more than a brief but glittering run.”

The accompanying music video for “Cryin'”, directed by American director Marty Callner, features the first of three successive appearances by Alicia Silverstone in the band’s videos, the next two being “Amazing” (1993) and “Crazy” (1994). Silverstone was 16 years old when “Cryin'” was filmed. In the video, the band performs in the Central Congregational Church in Fall River, Massachusetts. The video flashes back and forth between the band and Silverstone, who plays a teen who has a falling out with her boyfriend (played by Stephen Dorff) after catching him cheating. She feigns an attempt to kiss him, but instead leans away, annoying him. She then punches him and shoves him out of the car, leaving him in the dust. She begins a phase of rebellion and individuality and gets a navel piercing, which has largely been credited as introducing navel piercing to mainstream culture. After having her purse stolen by another young man (played by then-unknown Josh Holloway of Lost), she chases him down and knocks him to the ground. The video then cuts to her standing on the edge of an overpass, contemplating jumping. Her ex-boyfriend arrives on the scene, along with numerous police officers, encouraging her to come down from the bridge. She jumps, but a bungee rope is revealed, arresting her fall and leaving her dangling over the freeway, laughing at Dorff’s character. The video ends with the dangling Silverstone looking up and giving Dorff the finger.

Video

Lyrics

There was a time
When I was so broken-hearted
Luck wasn’t much of a friend of mine
The tables have turned, yeah
‘Cause me and them ways have parted
That kind of love was the killin’ kind

So listen
All I want is someone I can’t resist
I know all I need to know by the way that I got kissed

I was cryin’ when I met you
Now I’m tryin’ to forget you
Love is sweet misery
I was cryin’ just to get you
Now I’m dyin’ ’cause I let you
Do what you do down on me, yeah!

Now there’s not even breathing room
Between pleasure and pain
Yeah, you cry when we’re making love
Must be one and the same

It’s down on me
Yeah, I got to tell you one thing
That’s been on my mind, girl, I gotta say
We’re partners in crime
You got that certain somethin’
What you give to me takes my breath away

Now the word out on the street
Is the devil’s in your kiss
If our love goes up in flames
It’s a fire I can’t resist

I was cryin’ when I met you
Now I’m tryin’ to forget you
Your love is sweet misery
I was cryin’ just to get you
Now I’m dyin’ ’cause I let you
Do what you do to me, yeah!

‘Cause what you got inside
Ain’t where your love should stay
Yeah, our love, sweet love, ain’t love
‘Til you give your heart away

I was cryin’ when I met you
Now I’m tryin’ to forget you
Your love is sweet misery
I was cryin’ just to get you
Now I’m dyin’ to let you
Do what you do, what you do down to
No, no, baby, baby, baby

I was cryin’ when I met you
Now I’m tryin’ to forget you
Your love is sweet misery
I was cryin’ when I met you
Now I’m dyin’ ’cause I let you
Do what you do down to
(Down to, baby, down to, down to)

I was cryin’ when I met you
Now I’m dyin’ to forget you
Your love is sweet misery
I was cryin’ when I met you
Now I’m dyin’ ’cause I let you