Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Original Version

Original Version

The musical Evita was initially produced as an album, before being adapted for the stage, followed a formula Lloyd Webber and Rice had stumbled upon during the production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Julie Covington played the lead role of Eva Perón on the original 1976 album from which the single was released. It reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1977 for a week, selling almost a million physical copies in the United Kingdom. Together with digital sales since it has sold over a million.

The song was never performed live on British music show Top of the Pops as might have been anticipated as Covington refused to do so without the full symphonic orchestra. During the week that it was No. 1, though, she appeared in the audience.

Whilst producing the Evita album, Tim Rice had tried out various lyrics as the main hook and title of the song including "It's Only Your Lover Returning" and "All Through My Crazy and Wild Days" amid fears that mentioning Argentina would reduce the commercial appeal. Covington recorded both of these lines and a hybrid of the recordings was included on a rarities disc of Andrew Lloyd Webber: Now and Forever, a 2001 box set. "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" appeared at the opening and near the end of the show, initially as the spirit of the dead Eva Perón exhorts the people of Argentina not to mourn her - "The truth is I never left you" - and later as she gives a final broadcast - "The truth is I shall not leave you". Shortly before the album was finally mixed, Lloyd Webber suggested to Rice that the line "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" also worked in the context of the new First Lady of Argentina giving a speech. Rice points out that in this instance "cry" refers to shouting or calling out rather than weeping.

The B-side was "Rainbow High", a song in which Eva is prepared for her "Rainbow Tour" of Europe.

When Covington chose not to take the stage role, Elaine Paige was cast as Eva in the London production. In the United States, the song is also closely linked with Patti LuPone, who performed the role of Eva in the original Broadway production of the show.

During the 1982 Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina, the song was sometimes played sarcastically by British regimental bands as they deployed to the Falklands. At the same time the Covington recording was banned from play on the BBC.

The song was also banned in the Philippines during the dictatorship of late President Ferdinand Marcos. The life of former First Lady Imelda Marcos, Marcos' wife, is similar to that of Evita Peron. The presentation of the musical Evita was repressed.