Pigeonholing great songwriters to a single genre is never a good idea. The best writers have the ability to cross stylistic lines with ease, while still delivering something that sounds of a piece with the rest of their work.
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In the case of Sting‘s “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying,” he allowed the song to drift into a genre for which he isn’t normally known. Based on the evidence of the completed track, Nashville missed out when the former Police frontman decided upon a pop/rock direction.
“Crying” Time
By the time Sting made his 1996 album Mercury Falling, he had already established his solo career would run far afield from the work he had done with The Police. Among the genres where he dabbled within his fascinating catalog were jazz and classical, proving himself quite adept at these detours in the process.
Mercury Falling expanded his palette even more. He wholeheartedly embraced a classic soul vibe on several tracks. Perhaps most surprising of all was a few songs displayed overt country influences.
“I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying” wasn’t initially supposed to be in the country vein, but the lyrics pushed Sting in that direction and he didn’t resist. He told the Baltimore Sun (as reported by Songfacts) that once he finished the song, he could step outside of it and appreciate what he had accomplished:
“I find that quite moving. I know I wrote it, but I listen to it and actually find it quite moving, because it makes a journey. I don’t know. Maybe it’s a song for people who have been divorced, you know. People who haven’t been divorced, well, maybe they won’t understand it. But I’m quite proud of that song.”
Exploring the Lyrics of “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying”
I’m so happy that I can’t stop crying / I’m laughing through my tears. So goes the song’s refrain, and it captures the kind of bittersweet limbo where the narrator finds himself as he navigates his divorce. His ex shows up first, showing contrition and concern: Can you forgive me? I hope that you’ll be happy.
A friend comes around to explain that his ex has moved on to somebody new, and his lawyer also arrives full of legal jargon but little consolation: He got me joint custody and legal separation. Sting sings these words a wry smirk in his voice, as if to suggest they mean little next to the void in his soul.
Only when the narrator starts to reflect does the healing begin. The galaxy provides perspective: Something made me smile, something seemed to ease the pain / Something ‘bout the universe and how it’s all connected.
When he snaps out of this and gets back to his daily grind, it’s with a more benign outlook. He compares himself to the other Sunday fathers trying to do their best within their allotted time with their kids. His friend returns to find a slightly changed man, and he explains why: I said, “Everybody’s got to leave the darkness sometimes.“
“I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying” eventually was recorded by Toby Keith in a duet with Sting, proving the song’s country feel wasn’t just in the writer’s imagination. What counts the most is it’s a touching tale about the aftermath of a broken marriage, and that kind of relatable experience transcends all genres.
Photo by Eric CATARINA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
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