Let Her Cry by Hootie & the Blowfish

Album: Cracked Rear View (1994)

Charted: 9

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

"Let Her Cry" was the follow-up to Hootie & the Blowfish's debut single, "Hold My Hand," and also a big hit. The song is about a man struggling to cope with his alcoholic wife, something covered the same year in the motion picture When A Man Loves A Woman. Frontman Darius Rucker stated in numerous interviews that he wrote the song based on his past, but with the genders reversed - he was the irresponsible drunk whose long-suffering girlfriend tried to keep things together. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Mike - Santa Barbara, CA
In America, Cracked Rear View stands as the best selling debut album in history. Guns N' Roses held that mark with Appetite For Destruction until 2018, when the RIAA certified Hootie's album at 21 million, besting the 18 million for Appetite.
The members of Hootie & the Blowfish all contribute to the songwriting and share the credits, which might be why they've endured since the '80s with the same four members. Jim Sonefeld, the drummer in the band, recalls "Let It Cry" being first recorded with Gary Bolton at Strawberry Skys Studio in West Columbia, South Carolina, for a cassette they put together in 1991. When they signed to Atlantic Records and recorded their debut album, they included the song on the tracklist along with another from that cassette: "Time."
Darius Rucker has always had a country soul. As a child, he listened to country music artists like Kenny Rogers. As an adult, he was inspired by Radney Foster's 1992 album, Del Rio, TX 1959, to make his own country album. Though Rucker's first official country single was "Don't Think I Don't Think About It," he considers "Let Her Cry" to be his first country song, and he still performs it in concert today.

Comments: 10

Yonkersman from New YorkLove this song & Darius & his band. I am glad to read everybody’s take on the lyrics because I have often struggled with themDoes anyone know who the actress is? She is so expressive of the torment experienced by sufferers of chemical dependency besides being graceful in her movement & lovely to look at.
Brooke from Brisbane, AustraliaLove this song
Nic from Dandridge, Tnit's "DAR'S the 1 I love the most, a& STIPE'S not far behind.

.......geeeeez!
Pedro from PortugalBrian from Boston. You said it all. Your first comment is very good. Clever
And I will try to be impartial, cause I love rock and don't remember to listen at all to Hootie.. See, their phenomenon in USA didn't happened in my country. Well, I think Hootie are fine. This song is a good song, better that 90% of many hits today.. The other "hold my hand" I didn't like so much, but its ok
But just my opinion, from a Led Zeppelin fan, who came here to KNOW hootie, and I like music with real instruments
Again, I love your comment.
C. Larson from Portland A google search of the lyrics often (incorrectly) reads "Dad's the one I love the most" but search with the song including misheard song lyrics.
C. Larson from Portland I believe it says "Dar's the one I love the most and Stipe's not far behind." Dar is the lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish; Stipe is the lead singer of R.E.M.
Tracy from Minneapolis, MnI figured out by myself that this was about an enabler, lol. However, when I just listened to it again today (7/22/2014) I got the idea it was about an child of an alcoholic mother. Note that the words say "Dad's the one she loves most" and then later, the words say, "Help me momma, won't you please hold my hand". Also, when it says "I went out to look for you" Who is he looking for? God? Maybe, but maybe his Dad could be who he is looking for. Again, Alcoholic mom, co-dependant/enabler dad and poor lonely son not knowing what to do. This is how I grew up, but I am an only girl child. ;-)
Brian from Boston, MaTo Amber from Montgomery.I think that is a cool story.I always like to hear trivia about the music I like.I am a fan of both bands and that story just goes to show that good music inspires good music.
Brian from Boston, MaWhen this album was popular in the 90s Hootie and The Blowfish were on the radio constantly. I liked their music but I remember actually getting sick of hearing it because it was just on so much.Now I turn the radio on and I hear all sorts of electronica rapp dance overproduced crap.Good luck finding guitar oriented music on the radio. This just goes to show how spoiled we were in the 90s with so much good rock music. Hootie,Pearl Jam,Counting Crows Black Crows , Gin Blossoms.These are just good rock and roll bands.
Amber from Montgomery, AlI saw Hootie and the Blowfish about four years ago, and Darius Rucker said the inspiration came from the Black Crowes' "She Talks to Angels". He said he wanted to write a song like that, but from a different perspective.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

WoodstockCrosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Joni Mitchell wrote "Woodstock" - the most popular song about the festival - but didn't attend the event because she was booked on The Dick Cavett Show.

Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)Jay-Z

Jay-Z's "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" is based on the song "It's A Hard Knock Life" from the Broadway play Annie.

Jessie's GirlRick Springfield

"Jessie's Girl" was the #1 song in America when MTV went on the air. They put it in hot rotation right away, making the song even more popular.

NameThe Goo Goo Dolls

"Name" by The Goo Goo Dolls was partly inspired by lead singer John Rzeznik's flirtation with the MTV VJ Kennedy, who didn't want him to tell anyone her real name.

Atomic DogGeorge Clinton

The electronic instruments in "Atomic Dog" represent the coming computer age, which is balanced by the instinctual dog, who barks and pants throughout the song.

Everyday I Write The BookElvis Costello

Elvis Costello says "Everyday I Write The Book" is a knockoff of Nick Lowe's "When I Write the Book."