Standards
Cry Me A River chords & key
“Cry Me A River” is a jazz standard by Arthur Hamilton. It is usually played in E♭ major as a ballad, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 6 major ii–V–I cadences and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 23 different chords and moves between the key centres E♭ major, G minor and C minor. In this atlas it appears on 8 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Fm7×6
- Cm6×4
- Cm×3
- Cm♭6×3
- Cm7×3
- B♭7×3
Key centres reached by ii–V
E♭ major, G minor and C minor
Characteristics
- AABA song form
Recorded on these albums
| 1961 | Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! Ella Fitzgerald · “Cry Me a River” |
| 1963 | The Barbra Streisand Album Barbra Streisand · “Cry Me a River” |
| 1964 | Sweet & Sour Tears Ray Charles · “Cry Me a River” |
| 1968 | A Happening in Central Park Barbra Streisand · “Cry Me a River” |
| 2000 | Timeless: Live in Concert Barbra Streisand · “Cry Me a River” |
| 2022 | Rose Of New York City: Barbra, 1961-1962 Live Recordings (Remastered) Barbra Streisand · “Cry Me A River (Live At The Bon Soir, November 1962 Second Show) (Remastered)” |
| 2022 | Live at the Bon Soir Barbra Streisand · “Cry Me a River” |
| 2025 | Jukebox Ella: The Complete Verve Singles, Volume 2 Ella Fitzgerald · “Cry Me a River” |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| I Loves You Porgy 23% | F major |
| My One And Only Love 21% | C major |
| These Foolish Things 21% | E♭ major |
| More Than You Know 20% | C major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Cry Me A River in?
Cry Me A River is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.
Who wrote Cry Me A River?
Cry Me A River was written by Arthur Hamilton.
What is the form of Cry Me A River?
Cry Me A River has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Cry Me A River played?
The usual groove is Ballad.
What are the chord changes to Cry Me A River?
The opening bars are Cm Cmb6 | Cm6 Cm7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 G7b9. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.