I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying
Encyclopedia
"I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying" is a song written and recorded by English
rock singer Sting. It was released from his 1996 album Mercury Falling
. The song was also released as a single, and reached #94 and #54 on the U.S. and UK singles charts, respectively. Sting also recorded the song as a duet with country music artist Toby Keith
on Keith's 1997 Dream Walkin'
album. This version reached #2 on the US Hot Country Songs
charts and #84 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
charts, and gave Sting his only country hit.
upward to E major
in the final verse. Its lyrics concern a father whose wife has left him for another man and taken their two children. After a cynical beginning, he has a revelation about the connectedness of life and the universe, and finishes the song truly "so happy he can't stop crying." The music video
for the song was directed by Lol Creme
.
During the Mercury Falling tour, Sting would often invite audience members up onto stage to sing the song along with him.
German edition
singer Toby Keith
recorded a cover version
for his fourth studio album, 1997's Dream Walkin'
. This version, a duet with Sting, was released in late 1997 as the album's second single. It out-peaked the original version on the Billboard Hot 100
, peaking at #84. In addition, it reached number two on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts, becoming Sting's only entry on that chart.
and sing duet vocals on it. The two also performed the song at the 1997 Country Music Association
awards.
magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that Sting and Keith's voices "complement each other extremely well." She goes on to say that a great songwriter can write words and music that transcend any genre and Sting's "poignant lyrics and strong melody on this song are perfect evidence."
chart for the week of October 11, 1997.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock singer Sting. It was released from his 1996 album Mercury Falling
Mercury Falling
Mercury Falling is the fifth studio album released by Sting. The album was marked by its tight studio production and use of brass reminiscent of recordings made at FAME Studios in the 1960s. This release was considered by many fans to signal the beginning of Sting's transition from heavier...
. The song was also released as a single, and reached #94 and #54 on the U.S. and UK singles charts, respectively. Sting also recorded the song as a duet with country music artist Toby Keith
Toby Keith
Toby Keith Covel , best known as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package for various divisions of...
on Keith's 1997 Dream Walkin'
Dream Walkin'
Dream Walkin' is a 1997 studio album from American country music artist Toby Keith. His last studio album for Mercury Records , it was certified gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies...
album. This version reached #2 on the US Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
charts and #84 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
charts, and gave Sting his only country hit.
Content
Sting started composing the song as a rock song, but the lyrical content pushed the song in a country direction, and it evolved into a country-rock shuffle. The song begins in the key of E-flat major, before modulating a semitoneSemitone
A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically....
upward to E major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
in the final verse. Its lyrics concern a father whose wife has left him for another man and taken their two children. After a cynical beginning, he has a revelation about the connectedness of life and the universe, and finishes the song truly "so happy he can't stop crying." The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was directed by Lol Creme
Lol Crème
Lol Creme is an English musician and music video director, best known for his work in 10cc. He sings, plays guitar and keyboards.-Biography:...
.
During the Mercury Falling tour, Sting would often invite audience members up onto stage to sing the song along with him.
B sides
US Edition- This Was Never Ment to Be
- Giacomo's Blues
- Beneath a Desert Moon
German edition
- Moonlight
- La Belle Dame Sans Regrets
Chart performance (Sting version)
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 94 |
| UK Singles Chart | 54 |
| German Singles Chart | 74 |
Toby Keith version
In 1997, country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Toby Keith
Toby Keith
Toby Keith Covel , best known as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package for various divisions of...
recorded a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
for his fourth studio album, 1997's Dream Walkin'
Dream Walkin'
Dream Walkin' is a 1997 studio album from American country music artist Toby Keith. His last studio album for Mercury Records , it was certified gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies...
. This version, a duet with Sting, was released in late 1997 as the album's second single. It out-peaked the original version on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, peaking at #84. In addition, it reached number two on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) charts, becoming Sting's only entry on that chart.
Background
According to Keith, Sting agreed to let Keith record the song to give it a second chance at radio, as long as Sting could play bass guitarBass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and sing duet vocals on it. The two also performed the song at the 1997 Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
awards.
Critical reception
Deborah Evans Price, of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that Sting and Keith's voices "complement each other extremely well." She goes on to say that a great songwriter can write words and music that transcend any genre and Sting's "poignant lyrics and strong melody on this song are perfect evidence."
Chart performance (Toby Keith version)
"I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying" debuted at #53 on the Hot Country Singles & TracksHot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart for the week of October 11, 1997.
| Chart (1997–1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 84 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 4 |