Lyr Req: The Man Who Couldn't Cry (L Wainwright)

Subject: The man who couldn't cry...
From:
Date: 09 May 98 - 12:06 PM

On the Johnny Cash album "American Recordings" is a song called "the Man Who Couldn't Cry". The liner notes say it was written by Loudon Wainwright III. Has anyone else released this song, or does anyone have any information on it? Thanks Mike Allen [e-mail]

Subject: RE: The man who couldn't cry...
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 May 98 - 02:51 PM

Hi, Mike. Here is a link to all the Loudon Wainwright III information anybody would ever want. The song is on a 1993 Wainwright CD on the Virgin label called "Career Moves," which is a collection of a number of his more interesting songs. CDNOW.com lists only this and the Cash recording of the song, so it's likely there are no other recordings in general circulation.
He's written some good songs, but I can't say I like him as a performer. He's just a bit too crude and "in your face" for my taste. My kids like him, but I prefer gentler people.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: The man who couldn't cry...
From: S.P. Buck Mulligan
Date: 09 May 98 - 05:33 PM

There was a Mike Allen in Newburyport Massachusetts 20-odd years ago who led a great band called "Mexican Overdrive." I don't suppose there's a chance you be he?

Subject: Lyr Add: THE MAN WHO COULDN'T CRY (L Wainwright)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 May 98 - 03:10 AM

By the way, here are the lyrics, which I found at an interesting Johnny Cash Web site:

THE MAN WHO COULDN'T CRY
by Loudon Wainwright III

There once was a man, and he couldn't cry.
He hadn't cried for years and for years.
Napalmed babies and movie love stories
For instance could not produce tears.

As a child he had cried as all children will,
Then at some point his tear ducts all ran dry.
He grew to be a man. It all hit the fan.
Things got bad, but he couldn't cry.

His dog got ran over, his wife up and left him
And after that, he got sacked from his job.
Lost his arm in the war, was laughed at by a whore,
Ah, but still not a sniffle or sob.

Wel, his novel was refused, and his movie was panned,
And his big Broadway show was a flop.
He got sent off to jail; you guessed it, no bail,
Oh, but still not a dribble or drop.

In jail he was beaten, bullied and buggered
And made to make license plates.
Water and bread was all he was fed,
But not once did a tear stain his face.

Doctors were called in, scientists, too.
Theologians were last and practically least.
They all agreed sure enough; this was sure no cream puff,
Ah, but in fact, an insensitive beast.

He was removed from jail and placed in a place
For the insensitive and the insane.
He made a lot of friends and he played a lot of chess
And he cried every time it would rain.

Once it rained forty days and it rained forty nights
And he cried and he cried and he cried and he cried.
On the forty-first day, he passed away.
He just dehydrated and died.

Well, he went up to heaven, located his dog.
After that, he rejoined his arm.
Down below, all the critics, they took it all back.
Cancer robbed the whore of her charm.

His ex-wife died of stretch marks. His ex-employer went broke.
The theologians were finally found out.
Right down to the ground, that old jail house burned down,
And the earth suffered perpetual drought.

Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da,
Da-da-da, da-da, dum-dum-dum.

Subject: RE: The man who couldn't cry...
From: Roger Himler
Date: 10 May 98 - 06:35 AM

Just wanted to add a couple of minor changes to the words above. In the first verse the original line was *Napalmed babies and the movie Love Story*. Both references put the song in the context of when it was written. In the second verse, the line goes *He grew to be a man and the feces hit the fan*. I would suspect Johnny Cash chose not to sing it that way. As Joe O. said, Loudon can be a bit *in your face* much of the time. Good luck with the song Mike.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: The man who couldn't cry...
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 May 98 - 02:00 PM

Good eye, Roger - I posted the Johnny Cash rendition, which has a few minor changes - and he did soften the "feces" line. If you take a look at the Johnny Cash Web site I mentioned above, you may see an "in your face" side of Johnny you haven't seen before.
This song is from Johnny's "American Recordings" album, which I think is downright excellent.
-Joe Offer-