"When the Children Cry" is a

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...

performed by Danish-American

glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam r ...

band

White Lion The white lion is a rare color mutation of the lion, specifically the Southern African lion. White lions in the area of Timbavati are thought to have been indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa for centuries, although the earliest r ...

. It is the third single and 10th and final track on their 1987 album, ''

Pride Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...

''. 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 Live Aid was a multi-venue benefit concert held on Saturday 13 July 1985, as well as a music-based fundraising initiative. The original event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 fami ...

, 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,

Versions

The song was re-recorded in 1999 on the album ''

Remembering White Lion ''Remembering White Lion'' is an album by White Lion featuring new re-recorded versions of their classic songs from previous studio albums, including the band's biggest three hits: "When the Children Cry", "Wait", and " Little Fighter". Backgrou ...

'' (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 # "When the Children Cry" – 4:04 # "Lady of the Valley" – 6:38

Personnel

Mike Tramp Michael Trempenau (born 14 January 1961), better known as Mike Tramp, is a Danish singer best known for his work with the glam metal band White Lion. Since 1998, he has also released several solo albums. In 2012, Tramp went on a solo acoustic to ...

– lead vocals *

Vito Bratta Vito Bratta (born July 1, 1961) is an American guitarist and the former main songwriter for the glam metal band White Lion. He co-founded White Lion with lead singer Mike Tramp in 1983 and played with the band until 1992. Bratta was influenced by ...

– lead guitar *

James LoMenzo James LoMenzo (born January 13, 1959) is an American heavy metal bass guitarist. He was a member of the band White Lion, performing with them from 1984 to 1991. He was later the bassist for Black Label Society, Slash's Snakepit, and Megadeth. ...

– bass guitar *

Greg D'Angelo Greg D'Angelo, (born December 18, 1963) is an American drummer most famous for his work in the band White Lion. Career Early career (1981–1984) Between 1981 and 1983, D'Angelo was a member of Anthrax. After leaving Anthrax, D’Angelo joine ...

– drums

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

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