“Crying in the Night” is Track 1 on Buckingham Nicks (1973), the duo Buckingham Nicks’ only studio album.
About the Song
“Crying in the Night” was inspired by a TV movie character, played by actress Lesley Ann Warren.
“‘Crying in the Night”s about an actress; her name is Lesley Ann Warren and she did some movie that was very a-la-Gunsmoke Kitty, you know, that type of thing, and I wrote this song about her. And many years later when I did the video for ‘Stand Back,’ and Jeffrey Hornaday choreographed it, they were going together and he, in fact, introduced me to her and I told her about it, that this song had been written about her. So this was a song that was really written about a certain person, and if you know who she is and whenever you hear ‘Crying in the Night’ will know that that’s what I wrote it about. And she thought it was pretty neat and I thought it was pretty neat and I thought it was pretty neat to get to tell her that I wrote it about her.”
Although Stevie has never said what the movie was called, her description appears to match the character of “Mae” in the ABC TV movie The Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1972), in which Lesley Ann Warren played a “come-on girl,” or a prostitute.
“Crying the Night” (backed with “Stephanie”) was the lead single from Buckingham Nicks. Although remixed for radio play, the single failed to chart and garner much public attention.
In 2016, Stevie Nicks performed “Crying in the Night” for the first time in concert during the 24 Karat Gold Tour.
Lyrics
She was that kind of lady
Times were hard
But she could come curling ’round you
Like fingers
But she’ll leave you
Crying in the night
She will leave you
Crying in the night
She’s going to leave you
Crying in the night
She’s back in town
And she’s looking around
Say you needed someone to depend on
You’re all alone
She’s the only one
Who can come take you far away
Take your breath away
But she’ll leave you
Crying in the night
She will leave you
Crying in the night
She’s going to leave you
Crying in the night
She’s back in town
And she’s looking around
Come on baby
She’s the wrong kind a’ girl
She’s a come-on lady
She’s a tarnished pearl
She’ll take your money
She’ll wreck your world
Wreck your world
She’s a come-on baby
Come-on girl
A come-on girl
Come on… girl
She’s back
And she’s looking around
And she’s looking around
And she’s looking around
(Stevie Nicks) © 1973 Buckingham Nicks Music
Reference
Nicks, S. (1989). Rockline [radio interview].
