Who's Crying Now

About this song

Released in 1981 as the first single from the album Escape, the song climbed to number 4 on Billboard's Hot 100 and Mainstream Rock charts. Steve Perry wrote the chorus while driving from Bakersfield to San Francisco, singing into a cassette recorder. He then took the song to Cain's house, where he hummed it and guided Cain through the piano part, and the two finished it that afternoon.

What it's about

Cain suggested the song sounded like a somebody-done-somebody-wrong song and came up with the line that gives the title. The lyric asks who is crying now, which frames the song around a lost love and the question of who is left hurting.

Fun facts

• Sampled in 4 other songs, like “My Story by Hotboy Wes”.
• Covered once, including “Who's Crying Now by Randy Crawford”.
• Written by Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry.
• Produced by Mike Stone and Kevin Elson.
• Recorded at April–June 1981.