Cry Me A River

"Cry Me a River" is a popular American song, written by Arthur Hamilton, first published in 1953 and made famous in 1955 with the version by Julie London.

In 2001, the Julie London version of "Cry Me a River" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Arthur Hamilton later said of the song: "I had never heard the phrase. I just liked the combination of words... Instead of 'Eat your heart out' or 'I'll get even with you,' it sounded like a good, smart retort to somebody who had hurt your feelings or broken your heart."

A bluesy jazz ballad, "Cry Me a River" was originally written for Ella Fitzgerald to sing in the 1920s-set film Pete Kelly's Blues (released 1955). According to Hamilton, he and Julie London had been high school classmates, and she contacted him on behalf of her husband, Jack Webb, who was the film's director and was looking for new songs for its soundtrack. After the song was dropped from the film, Fitzgerald first released her version in 1961.