Cry Me a River

An over-the-top performance by cabaret singer (tenor) Sam Harris:



Cry Me a River was written by Arthur Hamilton and published in 1953. The lyrics are about an anguished loss of a relationship. 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 record producer insisted Hamilton remove the word "plebeian," since audiences wouldn't accept a black woman in the 1950s using that word. Hamilton tried but eventually refused to make the change, and the song was dropped from the film, although Fitzgerald released a recording of the song in 1961. The song's first release and most famous recording was by actress/singer Julie London in 1955.

While Mr. Harris (above) bleeds all over the stage, Diana Krall delivers the polar opposite performance, a controlled offering that features a superb guitar solo (at the 2:33 mark), during which night scenes of Paris along the river Seine are projected.