“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain”: Willie or Elvis – Who Brought the Tears First ?
It’s one of the most lonesome ballads ever written. Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain has been recorded by many, but two voices rise above the rest—Willie Nelson and Elvis Presley.
Originally written by Fred Rose and first recorded by Roy Acuff in 1945, the song didn’t truly reach mainstream hearts until Willie Nelson’s 1975 version. That was the moment country music stood still.
Willie’s rendition on Red Headed Stranger is sparse and haunting. Just a guitar, his weathered voice, and space. It sounds like he’s not singing, but remembering. The silence between the lines is as emotional as the melody itself. It made Willie a household name and became his first No.1 hit.
Willie Nelson – Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
Elvis recorded his version shortly before his death in 1977. His take is fuller, soaked in sorrow and gospel. There’s a trembling fragility in his voice that suggests the King saw something coming. Knowing it was one of the last songs he ever sang gives it eerie weight.
Elvis Presley – Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
One sang it as a traveler with a broken past. The other as a man near the end.
Both versions make you ache in different ways.
So… whose heartbreak speaks to you more ?