When the Children Cry

{{Infobox song

| name = When the Children Cry

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| album = Pride

| B-side = Lady of the Valley

| released = October 1988{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=White+Lion&titel=When+The+Children+Cry&cat=s|title=White Lion - When the Children Cry}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Glam metal{{Cite web|last=Bowar|first=Chad|title=Best 20 Hair Metal Ballads of the '80s and '90s|url=https://www.liveabout.com/best-hair-metal-ballads-1752387|access-date=24 February 2021|website=LiveAbout|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Every Rose Has Its Thorn: A Tribute to the Syrupy-Sweet Sounds of '80s Hair-Metal Ballads|url=https://www.spin.com/photos/hair-metal-ballads-tribute/|access-date=11 June 2021|website=SPIN}}

| length =

4:18 (album and single version)
4:04 (promo version)

| label = Atlantic

| writer =

| producer = Michael Wagener

| prev_title = Tell Me

| prev_year = 1988

| next_title = All You Need Is Rock 'n' Roll

| next_year = 1989

}}

"When the Children Cry" is a power ballad{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-worst-power-ballads-ever-written|title=The 10 worst power ballads ever written|date=19 November 2016|publisher=Louder}}{{Cite web|first1=Joe |last1=DiVita |date=November 9, 2016|title=Top 30 Hair Metal Albums|url=https://loudwire.com/top-hair-metal-albums/|access-date=19 June 2021|website=Loudwire|language=en}} 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."{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/white-lion-i-was-tired-of-the-other-guys-or-maybe-just-the-guitaris|title=White Lion: I was tired of the other guys, or maybe just the guitarist |last=Elliott|first=Paul|website= Louder Sound|date=November 10, 2015 |accessdate=August 13, 2021}}

He also said,

{{quote|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.{{cite web|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/interview-pride-mike-tramp|title=Interview: The 'Pride' of Mike Tramp |last=Wood|first=James|website= Guitar World|date=September 5, 2012 |accessdate=August 13, 2021}}}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://music.yahoo.com/white-lion/albums/when-the-children-cry-re-recorded-remastered--223378672|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713031254/http://music.yahoo.com/white-lion/albums/when-the-children-cry-re-recorded-remastered--223378672|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 July 2012|title=When the Children Cry (re-recorded)|publisher=Yahoo music}} 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{{cite AV media notes|title=When the Children Cry|others=White Lion|year=1988|type=US 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Atlantic Records|id=7-89015}}

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

Personnel

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

Charts

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" !Chart (1988–1989) !Peak position
scope="row"\|Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine\|url=http://rpmimages.3345.ca/pdfs/Volume+49-No.+17-February+20-25%2C+1989.pdf\|title=RPM 100 Singles\|magazine=RPM\|volume=49\|issue=17\|page=6\|date=25 February 1989\|access-date=20 February 2021}} \|2
{{single chart\|Sweden\|7\|artist=White Lion\|song=When the Children Cry\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|UK\|88\|date=19890325\|rowheader=true\|access-date=20 February 2021}}
scope="row"\|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1989-02-03/\|title=Billboard Hot 100\|magazine=Billboard\|date=February 4, 1989\|access-date=November 14, 2023}} \|3
scope="row"\|US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-mainstream-rock-tracks/1989-01-28/\|title=Mainstream Rock Airplay\|magazine=Billboard\|date=January 28, 1989\|url-access=subscription\|access-date=November 14, 2023}} \|7
scope="row"\|US Cash Box Top 100{{cite web\|url=http://www.cashboxcountdowns.com/archives/80s_files/19890211.html\|title=Cash Box Top 100 2/11/89\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917002834/http://www.cashboxcountdowns.com:80/archives/80s_files/19890211.html\|archive-date=17 September 2012\|access-date=16 August 2012}} \|4

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1988–1989)

!Peak
position

scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine|url=http://rpmimages.3345.ca/pdfs/Volume+49-No.+17-February+20-25%2C+1989.pdf|title=RPM 100 Singles|magazine=RPM|volume=49|issue=17|page=6|date=25 February 1989|access-date=20 February 2021}}

{{single chart|Sweden|7|artist=White Lion|song=When the Children Cry|rowheader=true}}

{{single chart|UK|88|date=19890325|rowheader=true|access-date=20 February 2021}}

scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1989-02-03/|title=Billboard Hot 100|magazine=Billboard|date=February 4, 1989|access-date=November 14, 2023}}

scope="row"|US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-mainstream-rock-tracks/1989-01-28/|title=Mainstream Rock Airplay|magazine=Billboard|date=January 28, 1989|url-access=subscription|access-date=November 14, 2023}}

scope="row"|US Cash Box Top 100{{cite web|url=http://www.cashboxcountdowns.com/archives/80s_files/19890211.html|title=Cash Box Top 100 2/11/89|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917002834/http://www.cashboxcountdowns.com:80/archives/80s_files/19890211.html|archive-date=17 September 2012|access-date=16 August 2012}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" !Chart (1989) !Position
scope="row"\|Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6684&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6684.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6684\|title=Top 100 Singles of '89\|magazine=RPM\|publisher=Library and Archives Canada\|access-date=20 February 2021}} \|53
scope="row"\|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web\|url=http://billboardtop100of.com/1989-2/\|title=Billboard Top 100 – 1989\|website=Billboardtop100of.com\|access-date=20 February 2021}} \|60

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1989)

!Position

scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6684&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6684.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6684|title=Top 100 Singles of '89|magazine=RPM|publisher=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=20 February 2021}}

|53

scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=http://billboardtop100of.com/1989-2/|title=Billboard Top 100 – 1989|website=Billboardtop100of.com|access-date=20 February 2021}}

|60