Wendy was now almost overhead, and they could hear her plaintive cry.

The most common expression when real change enforces itself is the plaintive cry: "Why didn't anyone warn us?"

It was a plaintive cry, a moan filled with sadness.

All of a sudden, a plaintive cry was heard.

For example, his plaintive cry "Is the ozone layer gone?"

There was a quiet, plaintive cry on the line, a moan without words.

He lies down at my feet, stretches himself out as if to sleep, and with a plaintive cry, is dead.

Price uttered an almost plaintive cry as he watched Jeremiah's face change.

Now they both heard the sound distinctly, a plaintive cry.

That said "you can't criticise my work unless you've done better yourself" is a common plaintive cry on the internet.