What's The Real Meaning Of Cry Me A River By Justin Timberlake? Here's What We Think
The saying "cry me a river" got a whole new meaning when Justin Timberlake dropped one of the most famous songs of his career. In 2002, "Cry Me A River" was released on Timberlake's debut solo album, "Justified," and quickly became a hit. On the heels of his departure from *NSYNC and his breakup with Britney Spears, people were eager to hear Timberlake's new music, and "Cry Me A River" proves just that. According to Billboard Database, the track was the second single to be released off of his debut album, and in its first week, it hit No. 44 on the chart. While that may not seem high, it was just gaining momentum. Just a couple of weeks after its release, "Cry Me A River" hit No. 3 on the Billboard charts.
In 2023, two decades after its release, Timberlake discussed the song's impact and how he knew it would become a success. He told Beatclub, "[Wi]th 'Cry Me A River' it put a little bit of an edge to the mentality of what we [Timberlake and Timbaland] could accomplish. 'Cause it really has an energy to it." Even after all the years, "Cry Me a River" has remained a classic song that people will sing and stream to this day. While there has been a lot of speculation as to what the song is about, specifically his relationship with Spears, we're here to tell you the real meaning behind "Cry Me A River."
'Cry Me A River' is about a bad breakup
"Cry Me A River" became the breakup anthem of the year after Justin Timberlake dropped the track in 2002. The lyrics of the song point to a bad breakup, and one that seemingly involves someone cheating on Timberlake. The musician sings, "You don't have to say, what you did / I already know, I found out from him / Now there's just no chance / For you and me / There'll never be." Timberlake alludes his significant other had an affair, but he's not taking them back.
In his 2018 book, "Hindsight: & All the Things I Can't See in Front of Me," Timberlake explained the meaning behind the song a bit more. He shared, "I've been scorned. I've been pissed off. I wrote 'Cry Me a River' in two hours." The musician had to get some things off his chest as the lyrics for the song flowed out naturally. He explained, "The feelings I had were so strong that I had to write it, and I translated my feelings into a form where people could listen and, hopefully, relate to it. People heard me and they understood it because we've all been there."
Inspiration for "Cry Me A River" hit Timberlake hard, and he left it all out on the table when he wrote the song. With lyrics that include, "The bridges were burned, now it's your turn to cry / Cry me a river."
Is 'Cry Me A River' about Britney Spears?
Justin Timberlake dropped "Cry Me A River" months after his split from fellow musician Britney Spears. So, many people quickly assumed the song was about Spears cheating on him. It didn't help that Timberlake dodged the cheating allegations against Spears in interviews.
In November 2002, Timberlake was interviewed for "20/20," and when asked him about the cheating rumors, he simply said that he and Spears agreed not to "say specifically why" they broke up. Timberlake's response made it seem like Spears was in the wrong. In an interview with Diane Sawyer, the "Gimme More" singer had a chance to respond to the cheating allegations. She shared, "I think everyone has a side of their story to make them feel a certain way. [...] I'm not technically saying he's wrong, but I'm not technically saying he's right either. [...] It was a really weird time [...] I just felt exploited and weird."
But seeing as "Cry Me A River" was released a couple of months after their breakup, many painted Spears as the villain, and she was criticized for years. Even now, Timberlake and Spears' relationship makes headlines as the "Toxic" singer claimed in her 2023 memoir, "The Woman In Me," that it was actually Timberlake who cheated on her, per Page Six. The twists and turns of their relationship are hard to follow, but fans, to this day, believe that Spears was the muse for the hit track, "Cry Me A River."