A cry break is a vocal technique used in music to express sadness or emotional distress. The singer cuts off a note in the middle of a phrase, then resumes it, leaving a brief gap. The name “cry break” comes from the similarity of this gap to a sob. A pronounced sobbing sound or a small hitch in the middle of a note can be used as a cry break.
The cry break is a common feature of country and western music in the United States. It is most closely associated with the work of Hank Williams, the legendary country singer. Many country songs deal with loneliness and heartbreak; Williams and other country singers used the cry break to convey this emotion, implying that they were so overcome with grief that they had to pause in the middle of a note to cry. Williams’ 1949 hit “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” in which cry breaks pierce the drawn-out “o” sounds in “lonesome,” is probably the most famous example of this technique in country music.
In country singing, other vocal techniques complement the use of the cry break. It’s possible that the note after the break is higher than the original, indicating that the singer’s voice has broken. The singer may also use vibrato or tremolo to make the note pulse quickly, emulating the shaky breathing associated with crying. These techniques add to the song’s narrative implying that the singer is feeling the emotions described in the lyrics. Instrumental sounds, such as guitars, play a similar role, evoking the sound of weeping.
In the United States, this technique is so closely associated with country and western music that it has become a cultural stereotype of the country singer. The widespread use of this technique and other forms of vocal color country singers has given the genre a distinct sound that is sometimes mocked in other genres of music. This stereotype is inextricably linked to the widespread association of country music with tragic songs.
In addition to American country music, the cry break can be heard in other genres. Traditional Mexican singing, for example, and many other forms of singing in which vocal technique is used to express intense emotion, have this feature. It’s also found in South Pacific traditional music, where it’s one of several techniques used in ritual wailing. Some indigenous tribes in South America use the cry break in their ritual mourning wails to give the impression of weeping.