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"When the Children Cry" is a power ballad 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."

He also said,

Even though the words are simple, it has a very powerful lyric. Imagine being a kid from Copenhagen, Denmark, sitting there in Staten Island and writing, “No more presidents, and all the wars will end" at the time when Ronald Reagan is the president. But it was how I felt at the time. That song began by just sitting around and playing. Then Vito changed it to the fingerpicking style.

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. 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

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

Personnel

• Mike Tramp – lead vocals
• Vito Bratta – lead guitar
• James LoMenzo – bass guitar
• Greg D'Angelo – drums

Charts

See also

• List of anti-war songs

References

1. "White Lion - When the Children Cry".
2. Bowar, Chad. "Best 20 Hair Metal Ballads of the '80s and '90s". LiveAbout. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
3. "Every Rose Has Its Thorn: A Tribute to the Syrupy-Sweet Sounds of '80s Hair-Metal Ballads". SPIN. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
4. "The 10 worst power ballads ever written". Louder. 19 November 2016.
5. DiVita, Joe (9 November 2016). "Top 30 Hair Metal Albums". Loudwire. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
6. Elliott, Paul (10 November 2015). "White Lion: I was tired of the other guys, or maybe just the guitarist". Louder Sound. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
7. Wood, James (5 September 2012). "Interview: The 'Pride' of Mike Tramp". Guitar World. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
8. "When the Children Cry (re-recorded)". Yahoo music. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012.
9. When the Children Cry (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). White Lion. Atlantic Records. 1988. 7-89015.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. "RPM 100 Singles" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 17. 25 February 1989. p. 6. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
11. "White Lion – When the Children Cry". Singles Top 100.
12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
13. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. 4 February 1989. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
14. "Mainstream Rock Airplay". Billboard. 28 January 1989. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
15. "Cash Box Top 100 2/11/89". Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
16. "Top 100 Singles of '89". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
17. "Billboard Top 100 – 1989". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved 20 February 2021.

• 1987 songs
• 1988 singles
• 1980s ballads
• Anti-war songs
• Atlantic Records singles
• Glam metal ballads
• Songs written by Mike Tramp
• Songs written by Vito Bratta
• White Lion songs