When the Children Cry explained

When the Children Cry
Type:single
Artist:White Lion
Album:Pride
B-Side:Lady of the Valley
Released:October 1988[1]
Genre:Glam metal[2] [3]
Length:
  • 4:18 (album and single version)
  • 4:04 (promo version)
Label:Atlantic
Producer:Michael Wagener
Prev Title:Tell Me
Prev Year:1988
Next Title:All You Need Is Rock 'n' Roll
Next Year:1989

"When the Children Cry" is a power ballad[4] [5] performed by Danish-American glam metal band White Lion. It is the third single and closing track on their 1987 album, Pride. It peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, number two in Canada, and number 88 in the United Kingdom.

Background

The song was written immediately after Live Aid, and was partly influenced by singer Mike Tramp's childhood. He said, "“I was around five or six when my father left us. My mom was left with three boys. So without a doubt my own story is in that song."[6]

He also said,

Versions

The song was re-recorded in 1999 on the album Remembering White Lion (also released as "Last Roar" in 2004) and a live version was released on the White Lion live album Rocking the USA. The re-recorded and live versions were both released as promo singles and later as iTunes singles.[7] In 2004, an acoustic version of "When the Children Cry" was included on the VH1 Classic Metal Mania: Stripped compilation.

Track listing

7-inch single[8]

  1. "When the Children Cry" – 4:04
  2. "Lady of the Valley" – 6:38

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1988–1989)Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 3
US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[11] 7
US Cash Box Top 100[12] 4

Year-end charts

Chart (1989)Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13] 53
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 60

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: White Lion - When the Children Cry.
  2. Web site: Bowar. Chad. Best 20 Hair Metal Ballads of the '80s and '90s. 24 February 2021. LiveAbout. en.
  3. Web site: Every Rose Has Its Thorn: A Tribute to the Syrupy-Sweet Sounds of '80s Hair-Metal Ballads. 11 June 2021. SPIN.
  4. Web site: The 10 worst power ballads ever written. 19 November 2016. Louder.
  5. Web site: Joe . DiVita . November 9, 2016. Top 30 Hair Metal Albums. 19 June 2021. Loudwire. en.
  6. Web site: White Lion: I was tired of the other guys, or maybe just the guitarist . Elliott. Paul. Louder Sound. November 10, 2015 . August 13, 2021.
  7. Web site: When the Children Cry (re-recorded). https://archive.today/20120713031254/http://music.yahoo.com/white-lion/albums/when-the-children-cry-re-recorded-remastered--223378672. dead. 13 July 2012. Yahoo music.
  8. When the Children Cry. White Lion. 1988. US 7-inch single vinyl disc. Atlantic Records. 7-89015.
  9. RPM 100 Singles. RPM. 49. 17. 6. 25 February 1989. 20 February 2021.
  10. Billboard Hot 100. Billboard. February 4, 1989. November 14, 2023.
  11. Mainstream Rock Airplay. Billboard. January 28, 1989. subscription. November 14, 2023.
  12. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 2/11/89. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120917002834/http://www.cashboxcountdowns.com:80/archives/80s_files/19890211.html. 17 September 2012. 16 August 2012.
  13. Top 100 Singles of '89. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 20 February 2021.
  14. Web site: Billboard Top 100 – 1989. Billboardtop100of.com. 20 February 2021.

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