“Hear the Willow Cry” is an original song from the self-titled 2008 debut album of the SteelDrivers, the Nashville band built from veteran session musicians and fronted by the singer and guitarist Chris Stapleton. The song was written by Stapleton with the Nashville songwriter Liz Hengber.
The SteelDrivers became known for a sound often described as “uneasy listening” — bluegrass instrumentation pushed toward blues and soul, carried by Stapleton’s gritty, powerful lead voice. “Hear the Willow Cry” fits that mold: a dark, brooding number whose weeping-willow imagery and minor-keyed melody lean far closer to the blues than to traditional bluegrass cheer.
The debut album drew strong notice and a Grammy nomination, and it marked an early high point for Stapleton, who would go on to major success as a country artist. “Hear the Willow Cry” remains one of the standout tracks from that influential record.
