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Cindy's Crying

Words and Music by Tom Paxton

Cindy's Crying Words and Music by Tom Paxton Cindy's cryin' but it ain't no use - She's got a habit and she can't get loose. Stoppin' each and ev'ry man she meets, Gonna be a hooker on Bleecker Street. On Bleecker Street, Honey, makes you feel like cryin'. You said you'd leave it and I hope you're tryin'. They call it livin', and it feels like dyin'. Police stopped her on the street today, She was holdin' and they took her away. Threw her in jail and they made her wait, She was cryin' "Oh, Jesus, let me just get straight. Let me just get straight". Honey, makes you feel like cryin'. I know you can make it but you better start tryin'. Oh, they call it livin', Baby, someone's lyin'. Now Cindy loves me but she has to go, Down to the corner in the wind and snow. Standin' on the corner while the rain comes down, Standin' on the corner till the man comes 'round, The man comes 'round. Honey can't you see I'm cryin' Said you'd leave it but you ain't even tryin' Say you're livin', I can see you're dyin'. Cindy, Cindy, whatcha gonna do? Got no money and you're way past due. You got every last penny I had, The man is restless and your credit is bad, Ah your credit is bad, Honey, makes you feel like cryin'. We can make it but we better start tryin'. Oh, I ain't leaving you and I ain't lyin'. Now Cindy went South and took the cure, "This time, Honey, I'm straight for sure". Went to the corner to the grocery store, You were gone ten minutes and I know you scored, And I know you scored, [Repeat First Verse]

Tim R. writes and points out some variations in the lyrics as recorded on The Complete Tom Paxton versus the lyrics shown on this page: I don’t know if you want to note possible variations between albums, but on The Complete Tom Paxton the lyrics to Cindy’s Crying are a bit different than the lyrics at http://www.mydfz.com/Paxton/lyrics/cc.htm.(deletions, additions) In the third verse, instead of “I know you can make it but you better stop tryin'.” Tom sings “You can make it if you just start tryin'.” In the next verse, “We can make it but we better start tryin'.” is sung “I know we can make it but we better start tryin'.” The repeat of the first verse is done with a variation to that same line, from “You said you'd leave it and I hope you're tryin'.” to “I know we can make it if we just start tryin'.” I don't ordinarily indicate minor variations in lyrics however I suppose it's good to do it now and again to remind people that such things exist. There is no one "correct version" because even the author changes things around from time to time. Enjoy! June 21, 2014 - Here are some more variations and I've added another verse to the main lyrics from the version on Paxton's Morning Again/Outward Bound album. Honey can't you see I'm cryin' Said you'd leave it but you ain't even tryin' Say you're livin', I can see you're dyin'. Honey can't you see I'm cryin' Said you'd leave it but you know you're lyin' Say you're livin', I can see you're dyin'. Note that the final verse may also have one of these three line bits at the end or it may cut off as shown and go back to the first verse. In some versions "The man is leavin'" instead of "The man is restless" Finally, I'd like to mention that The Mitchell Trio has a beautiful, lyrical version of the song on their "Alive" and "Violets of Dawn" albums. In their lead in, they mention that the inspiration for the song came from a TV show about drug addiction and point out how their friend, "Tommy Paxton", was moved to write, not about the suffering of dope addicts themselves, but about the sufferings of those who love them.