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:''This article is about the original Cry Me a River. For the song with the same title by Justin Timberlake see Cry Me a River (Justin Timberlake song).
"'Cry Me a River'" is a popular song. It was written by Arthur Hamilton and was published in 1953.
A torchy, jazzy blues tune, "Cry Me a River" was originally written for Ella Fitzgerald to sing in the film ''Pete Kelly's Blues'' (1955). But the producer insisted Hamilton remove the word "plebeian" since "audiences wouldn't accept a black woman in the 1920s using that word." Hamilton tried but eventually refused to make the change, and the song was dropped. Fitzgerald's first released a recording of the song on ''Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!'' in 1961.
The song's first release and most famous recording was by actress/singer Julie London in 1955. This version featured in the 1956 film ''The Girl Can't Help It'' and was released as a single in April 1957 (UK #22). More recently, the song has featured on the soundtracks of the films ''Passion of Mind'' (2000) and ''V for Vendetta'' (2006).
In 1970, British Blues Rocker Joe Cocker made the charts with a rendition in his classically gravelly voice on the album ''Mad Dogs and Englishmen''. In 1995, British actress Denise Welch's double-A side "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"/"Cry Me a River" spent three weeks in the UK singles chart, reaching #23.

Contents

Versions in other languages

Recorded versions

Versions in other languages

★ Portuguese - "Chora um Rio" was composed by Artur Nestrovsky and released by Ná Ozzetti and André Mehmari

★ French - "Pleurer Des Rivières", translated by Boris Bergman, recorded by Viktor Lazlo in 1985.

★ Finnish - "Joet tulvimaan itke" was recorded by the Harmony sisters in 1956 with lyrics by Saukki.

Recorded versions

★ Bruce Abbott

★ Realtime (quartet)

★ Cliff Adams

★ George Adams

★ Aerosmith

★ Barbie Anaka

★ Leslie Anders

★ Brian Auger

★ Björk

★ Patti Austin

★ Sil Austin

★ Joan Baez

★ Long John Baldry

★ Michael Ball

★ Shirley Bassey

★ BB Band

★ Jeff Beck

★ Andrea Benanti

★ George Benson

★ Marie Bergman

★ Gene Bertoncini

★ Heather Bishop

★ Bonnie Bramlett

★ Kayle Brechler

★ Ray Brown Trio

★ Ray Bryant

★ Betty Buckley

★ Kate Ceberano & Wendy Matthews

★ Ray Charles

★ The Chelsea Strings

★ Chick Pea

★ Joe Cocker

★ Combustible Edison

★ Harry Connick Jr.

★ Chris Connor

★ Sam Cooke

★ Scott Coulter

★ Van Craven

★ Sonny Criss

★ Ann Crumb

★ Vic Damone

★ Skeeter Davis

★ Mauro DeFedericis

★ Dumpster Juice

★ Lisa Ekdahl

★ George Faith

★ Ella Fitzgerald

★ Noel Freidline Quintet

★ Leata Galloway

★ Crystal Gayle

★ Benny Golson

★ Dexter Gordon

★ Claudine Longet

★ Lesley Gore

★ Davy Graham

★ Owen Gray

★ John Greaves

★ Jerry Grillo

★ Merle Haggard

★ Arthur Hamilton

★ Harmony Sisters (Finnish version)

★ Gene Harris

★ Camille Harrison

★ John Hasbrouck

★ David Hazeltine

★ Jennifer Heaney

★ Jeff Hedberg

★ Jackie Henderson

★ Missy Higgins

★ Richard Hindman

★ Jim Howe Trio

★ Hu & the Hilltops

★ Marc Hunter

★ Illumination

★ Jacintha

★ Jai

★ Doug James

★ Etta James

★ Harry James & his New Jazz Band

★ J.J. Johnson

★ Duke Jordan

★ Bob Kaper & the Strings of Paris

★ Ron Kaplan

★ Melissa Kassel

★ Mark Keller & Friends

★ Stan Keiser

★ Rebecca Kilgore

★ Sonji Kimmons

★ Peggy King

★ The Kingbees

★ Marie Knight

★ Ithamara Koorax

★ Kasia Kowalska

★ Diana Krall

★ Karin Krog

★ Gene Krupa

★ Joachim Kuhn

★ Rita Lee

★ Julie London

★ Tania Maria

★ Mina

★ Hugo Montenegro

★ Alison Moyet

★ Anne Murray

★ Olivia Newton John

★ Frank Pourcel

★ Linda Ronstadt

★ Marion Ryan

★ Bobby Rydell

★ Janet Seidel

★ Dinah Shore

★ Nina Simone

★ Dakota Staton

★ Barbra Streisand

★ Swans

★ Dinah Washington

★ Mari Wilson, 1983

★ Caetano Veloso

★ Elaine Paige

★ Ná Ozzetti (Portuguese Version)

★ Viktor Lazlo (French Version)

★ Lost Prophets

★ Denise Welch

★ Frank Sinatra Jr.

★ Ligia Piro