Cry Me A River

Album

Justified

Label

Jive Records

Genre

Rhythm & Blues

Media Type

CD

Duration

4:50

Composer(s)

Justin Timberlake;Scott Storch;Timothy Mosley

Entered Chart

Dec 21, 2002

Peak Date

Feb 1, 2003

Released

November 25, 2002

Recorded

2002

Catalog #

40073

Justin wrote this song about Britney Spears. In the song, the relationship goes bad because the girl cheated, and to get even, the boy makes sure the girl finds out he's moved on with his life. The girl gets upset, and "cries a river" because she screwed up and lost the boy forever. The track was written and recorded following a heated phone conversation between Timberlake and Spears. During a E! True Hollywood Story special about Timbaland, the producer explained, "He went to a concert and saw Britney, and Britney talked about him in the show and he was pissed." Timberlake added, "I was on a phone call that was not the most enjoyable phone call. I walked into the studio and he (Timbaland) could tell I was visibly angry." The singer then poured out his furious feelings in the song. Timberlake and Spears were in Disney's Mickey Mouse Club together when they were younger. They dated for 2 1/2 years before breaking up in 2002. Justin claimed she cheated on him with her choreographer, Wade Robson. In 2003, Britney said Justin was the only guy she ever had sex with, and she did it because she thought they would get married someday. She described their breakup as the most painful thing she's ever experienced. In the video, Timberlake uses a video camera to tape him getting hot and heavy with another girl. When his girlfriend (who is played by an actress that looks very much like Britney Spears) comes in, he sets it up so she will see the tape. The video leaves little doubt that it is a message to Spears. The Britney look-a-like was played by actress Lauren Hastings. She recalled to Q magazine June 2009: "I went for a casting and they asked if I'd be comfortable 'making out' with Justin. I said Yes! I had a huge crush on him and once dated a guy just because he looked like him." She added: "The video was shot over three days in Malibu, next to Cher's house. I was so nervous when I got to finally meet Justin and he told me he'd handpicked me because I looked like Britney. Of course I found him attractive, but I was professional and didn't tell him and treated it like any other job." Hastings concluded: "It led to a recurring role in TV drama The O'Keefes along with a Maroon 5 video and commercials for Tampax, Nike and a deodorant campaign with Ben Affleck. There have been no downsides to it." After breaking up with Britney, Justin was rumored to date Alyssa Milano and Janet Jackson. Another song called "Cry Me A River" is a standard written by Arthur Hamilton. It is best known as sung by sultry chanteuse Julie London in the 1956 rock 'n' roll movie The Girl Can't Help It. >> Justin wrote this with Timbaland, who also helped produce it. That's Timbaland doing the rap in the middle. Scott Storch, who was working with Timbaland, played piano on this track. Storch claims he was not given proper credit for his contributions on this song and should have been listed as a co-producer. This won for Best Male Video at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. Accepting the award, Timberlake said it was a "travesty" that Johnny Cash didn't win for his video "Hurt." Timberlake said he grew up listening to Johnny Cash and that he deserved the award. At the 2004 Grammys, this won the award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Exactly one week before the ceremony, Justin exposed Janet Jackson's breast on the Super Bowl halftime show, creating an uproar and big problems for CBS, who was also broadcasting the Grammys. As a result, CBS made Justin apologize during his acceptance speech. "I know it's been a rough week on everybody," he said in his speech after deftly thanking his mother (who was also his date) and winning over the crowd with his humility. "What occurred was unintentional, completely regrettable, and I apologize if you guys were offended," he continued. Later in the ceremony, Justified won for Best Pop Vocal Album. Timberlake recovered quite well from the Super Bowl incident, becoming a far bigger star in the ensuing years. Janet Jackson, who was originally slated to perform at the ceremony, didn't attend. This song suited another heartbroken Justin, as on November 10, 2012, Justin Bieber performed a slow, acoustic version of the song at a concert in Boston following his breakup with Selena Gomez. Selena reciprocated a couple of months later with her own acoustic version at UNICEF's New York charity concert. Timberlake's Britney bashing helped propel this song; he even boasted about having sex with her on at least one radio talk show appearance. The 2021 documentary Framing Britney Spears tells this story from a different angle, with Timberlake coming off as boorish and insensitive, another male aggressor in her life, which was overflowing with them. Timberlake reacted with an apology, posting on social media: "I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism." Timberlake faced further backlash following the publication of Spears' 2023 memoir The Woman in Me. Spears described the plot of the "Cry Me A River" music video as "a woman who looks like me cheats on him and he wanders around sad in the rain." Spears added that despite being heartbroken and seeking solace in Louisiana, the media unfairly portrayed her as a "harlot who'd broken the heart of America's golden boy," while Timberlake thrived in the Hollywood spotlight.

You were my sun
You were my earth
But you didn't know all the ways I loved you, no
So you took a chance
And made other plans
But I bet you didn't think that they would come crashing down, no

You don't have to say, what you did
I already know, I found out from him
Now there's just no chance
For you and me
There'll never be
And don't it make you sad about it?

You told me you love me
Why did you leave me all alone?
Now you tell me you need me
When you call me on the phone
Girl, I refuse
You must have me confused with some other guy
The bridges were burned
Now it's your turn, to cry

Cry me a river
Cry me a river
Cry me a river
Cry me a river (yeah, yeah)

You know that they say that some things are better left unsaid
And it wasn't like you only talked to him and you know it
Don't act like you don't know it
And all of these things people told me
Keep messin' with my head (messin' with my head)
Should've picked honesty
Then you may not have blown it (yeah)

You don't have to say (don't have to say)
What you did (what you did)
I already know (I already know)
I found out from him (uh)
Now there's just no chance (no chance)
For you and me (you and me)
There'll never be
Don't it make you sad about it?

You told me you love me
Why did you leave me all alone (all alone)
Now you tell me you need me
When you call me on the phone (when you call me on the phone)
Girl, I refuse
You must have me confused with some other guy (I'm not like them baby)
The bridges were burned
Now it's your turn (it's your turn) to cry

So cry me a river (go on and just)
Cry me a river (go on and just)
Cry me a river (baby, go on and just)
Cry me a river (yeah, yeah)

Oh (oh!)
The damage is done, so I guess I be leaving
Oh (oh!)
The damage is done, so I guess I be leaving
Oh (oh!)
The damage is done, so I guess I be leaving
Oh (oh!)
The damage is done, so I guess I be, leaving

You don't have to say (you don't have to say)
What you did (what you did)
I already know (I already know)
I found out from him (uh)
Now there's just no chance (no chance)
For you and me (you and me)
There'll never be
Don't it make you sad about it?

Cry me a river (go on and just)
Cry me a river (baby, go on and just)
Cry me a river (you can go on and just)
Cry me a river (yeah, yeah)

Cry me a river (baby, go on and just)
Cry me a river (go on and just)
Cry me a river (come on baby, cry)
Cry me a river (I don't wanna cry no more, yeah yeah)

Cry me a river
Cry me a river, oh
Cry me a river, oh
Cry me a river, oh

Cry me a river (cry me, cry me) oh
Cry me a river (cry me, cry me) oh
Cry me a river (cry me, cry me) oh
Cry me a river (cry me, cry me) oh
Cry me a river (cry me, cry me) oh
Cry me a river (cry me, cry me) oh
Cry me a river (cry me, cry me)