Cry Baby Cry
Beatles · The Beatles (The White Album)
make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better
The King of Marigold was in the kitchen
cooking breakfast for the queen
The queen was in the parlor playing piano
for the children of the king
Cry baby cry
make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better
So cry baby cry
The King was in the garden picking flowers
for a friend who came to play
The queen was in the playroom painting pictures
for the children's holiday
Cry baby cry
make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better
So cry baby cry
The Duchess of Kircaldy always smiling
and arriving late for tea
The duke was having problems with a message
at the local Bird and Bee
Cry baby cry
make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better
So cry baby cry
At twelve o'clock a meeting 'round the table
for a seance in the dark
With voices out of nowhere put on specially
by the children for a lark
Cry baby cry
make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better
So cry baby cry
Cry, cry, cry baby
make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better
Cry baby cry
cry, cry, cry
make your mother sigh
She's old enough to know better
So cry baby cry
Cry Baby Cry
Released on The Beatles' 1968 White Album, "Cry Baby Cry" stands as a stark example of the group's shift toward raw, unpolished studio experimentation during the mid-1960s. The track features Paul McCartney's distinctive falsetto and a haunting, minimalist arrangement that eschews the polished production of their earlier work. As part of the White Album's eclectic catalog, the song reflects the band's growing interest in folk and country influences, blending them with their signature rock energy. Its inclusion on this landmark double album highlights the group's willingness to embrace imperfection and explore new sonic territories, cementing its place as a defining recording of the era's countercultural movement.