Cry Baby Cry: Introduction

“Cry Baby Cry” is a Beatles’ song from their 1968 release, the “White Album,” but there’s a version on “Anthology 3” as well. The track also ends with “Can You Take Me Back?”

In Detail

• Release Date: November 22, 1968
• Recorded: July 15, 16 and 18, 1968
• Studio: EMI Studios, London
• Genre: Rock
• Track Duration: 3:03
• Record Label: Apple Records
• Songwriter: Lennon-McCartney
• Producer: George Martin
• Engineers: Geoff Emerick, Ken Scott

Performers And Instruments

• John Lennon: lead vocal and harmony vocal, acoustic guitar, piano, organ
• Paul McCartney: bass guitar
• George Harrison: lead guitar
• Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine
• George Martin: harmonium

Where To Find “Cry Baby Cry”**

You can still get a hold of this song on the following albums:

If you need the original version of this song, buy the 1968 “White Album”.

**On their 2006 “Love” album, track 19 is “Come Together” – “Dear Prudence” together with “Cry Baby Cry” transition.

Cry Baby Cry: Background

Written by John Lennon, “Cry Baby Cry” came from influences such as a TV advertisement and a nursery rhyme. In 1967, Lennon wrote another song inspired by a TV commercial for Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, “Good Morning Good Morning“.

“I’ve got another one here, a few words; I think I got them from an advertisement: ‘Cry baby cry, make your mother buy'”.

John Lennon
The Beatles, Hunter Davies

Of course, that television ad disappeared from our screens a long time ago. However, the “Sing a Song of Sixpence” nursery rhyme is a classic that dates back to at least the 1700s, and Lennon loosely based his song on that as well.

Credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership, the song, or at least a variant of it, goes back to late 1967. We know this because of some early home piano demos from John Lennon. A lot of material comes from their time in India, so it’s clear that this track outdates that.

Recording Studio: Cry Baby Cry

The band began recording “Cry Baby Cry” properly on July 15, 1968, in Studio Two of the EMI Studios, London, during the 3.30 p.m.–3 a.m. session. However, they deleted those rehearsal takes, and the next day they recorded 10 others.

The version on their 1996 album, “Anthology 3,” is take 1, while take 10 became the master rhythm track suitable for overdubbing. The track was complete on July 18 after a little further tweaking, in particular the addition of new lead vocals, some piano pieces, and extra percussion instrumentation.

The album track that we are so familiar with has another song attached to the end, “Can You Take Me Back?” Although sung by Paul McCartney, it is a separate song, and it does actually compliment Lennon’s song.

Sing a Song of Sixpence Nursery Rhyme

Some people may not know the children’s nursery rhyme to which John Lennon took inspiration, so we show this below. Obviously, it’s easy to see just how Lennon adapted the lyrics to suit his song.

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye.
Four and twenty blackbirds,
Baked in a pie.

When the pie was opened,
The birds began to sing.
Wasn’t that a dainty dish,
To set before the king

The king was in his counting house,
Counting out his money,
The queen was in the parlour,
Eating bread and honey.

The maid was in the garden,
Hanging out the clothes,
When down came a blackbird
And pecked off her nose.

In some cases, one of the following two verses becomes an addition to the nursery rhyme.

Take A Listen

Once you hear this song, please leave us your thoughts below.