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The Sky Is Crying (song)

"The Sky Is Crying"
The Sky Is Crying single cover.jpg
Single by Elmore James
B-side "Held My Baby Last Night"
Released March 1960 (1960-03)
Format 7-inch 45 rpm record
Recorded Chicago, November 3 or 4, 1959
Genre Blues
Length 2:47
Label Fire (no. 1016)
Writer(s) Elmore James
Producer(s) Bobby Robinson

"The Sky Is Crying" is a song that has become a blues standard. It was written and recorded by Elmore James in 1959. Called "one of his most durable compositions", "The Sky Is Crying" became a R&B record chart hit and has been interpreted and recorded by numerous artists.

"The Sky Is Crying" is a slow-tempo twelve-bar blues notated in 12/8 time in the key of C. An impromptu song inspired by a Chicago downpour during the recording session, it features James' slide guitar work and vocals. Accompanying James is his longtime backing band, the Broomdusters: J. T. Brown on saxophone, Johnny Jones on piano, Odie Payne on drums, and Homesick James on bass. James' unique slide guitar sound on the recording has generated some debate; Homesick James attributed it to a recording studio technique, others have suggested a different amplifier or guitar setup, and Ry Cooder felt that it was an altogether different guitar than James' usual Kay acoustic with an attached pickup.

The song, listed as "Elmo James and His Broomdusters", reached number 15 on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart in 1960, making it James' last chart showing before his death in 1963. James recorded a variation of the song, "The Sun Is Shining", in April 1960, five months after the recording date of "The Sky Is Crying" (although some places "Sun" as a precursor to "Sky", possibly because the bulk of James' recordings for Fire/Fury/Enjoy took place after the Chess recordings).

"The Sky Is Crying" has been interpreted and recorded by many blues and other artists. In 1963, blues harmonica player and singer Sonny Boy Williamson II recorded the song as a country blues-style duet with Matt Murphy on acoustic guitar for his Keep It to Ourselves album. In 1964, Eric Clapton with The Yardbirds recorded a live slow blues which included a couple of lines from "The Sky Is Crying" (Blueswailing July '64 (Live)). In 1966, with Jeff Beck on slide guitar, the Yardbirds made a live recording of "The Sun Is Shining" for the BBC (BBC Sessions). Hound Dog Taylor recorded a live version with Little Walter on harmonica at the 1967 American Folk Blues Festival (Fontana). He later recorded another live version with the HouseRockers in Boston in 1972 (Live at Joe's Place).


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