The song "Cry Me a River" was written by Arthur Hamilton and popularized by Julie London in 1955. The song is about a broken and betrayed lover who has been left feeling lonely and deceived. In the beginning verses, the narrator addresses their former lover who they say is now claiming to be lonely and regretful. The narrator, however, sarcastically suggests that the ex-lover can "cry me a river" as a response to their insincerity. This phrase implies that the narrator believes the ex-lover's remorse is not genuine and that they have already shed enough tears over their betrayal. The chorus repeats the phrase "Cry me a river" multiple times, emphasizing the narrator's demand for genuine remorse and asking the ex-lover to experience the same pain that they have felt. The phrase "I cried a river over you" implies that the narrator has already gone through immense heartache. The second verse continues the theme of the ex-lover's insincerity, with the narrator expressing how the ex-lover's actions drove them close to madness while the ex-lover remained emotionless. The omissions of tears from the ex-lover further emphasize their lack of empathy or remorse. The third verse reflects on the past conversations between the ex-lover and the narrator. The ex-lover had expressed that their love was too ordinary and that they were done with the narrator. However, now the ex-lover claims to still love the narrator, but the narrator sees through their words and doubts their sincerity once again. In the final lines, the narrator challenges the ex-lover to prove their love by genuinely crying a river, just as the narrator has done in the past. The repeated line "I cried a river over you" at the end reinforces the narrator's emotional pain and their disbelief towards the ex-lover's current claims of love. Overall, "Cry Me a River" is a powerful and emotional song about heartbreak, betrayal, and the narrator's desire for the ex-lover to truly understand the pain they have caused.
