Motown Tearjerkers

[Motown Eddie]

Inspired by another post celebrating Motown's "feel good" songs, name your favorite "sad songs" from Hitsville. Here's some of mine;

1. "A Tear For The Girl"-Martha & the Vandellas
2. "It Should've Been Me"-Kim Weston
3. "Hurt A Little Everyday"-Brenda Holloway
4. "Just To Keep You Satisfied"-Marvin Gaye
5. "The Tracks Of My Tears"-The Miracles
6. "Go Ahead And Laugh"-Martha & the Vandellas
7. "I Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer"-Stevie Wonder
8. "Throw A Farewell Kiss"-The Velvelettes
9. "Every Little Bit Hurts"-Brenda Holloway
10. "Who's Lovin' You"-The Miracles
11. "Just Another Lonely Night"-The Temptations
12. "The Beginning Of The End"-Diana Ross & the Supremes
13. "If You Don't Want My Love"-Four Tops
14. "I Ain't Got Nothing"-The Temptations
15. "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted"-Jimmy Ruffin
16. "The Day She Needed Me"-The Contours

[144man]

Inspired by another post celebrating Motown's "feel good" songs, name your favorite "sad songs" from Hitsville. Here's some of mine;

1. "A Tear For The Girl"-Martha & the Vandellas
2. "It Should've Been Me"-Kim Weston
3. "Hurt A Little Everyday"-Brenda Holloway
4. "Just To Keep You Satisfied"-Marvin Gaye
5. "The Tracks Of My Tears"-The Miracles
6. "Go Ahead And Laugh"-Martha & the Vandellas
7. "I Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer"-Stevie Wonder
8. "Throw A Farewell Kiss"-The Velvelettes
9. "Every Little Bit Hurts"-Brenda Holloway
10. "Who's Lovin' You"-The Miracles
11. "Just Another Lonely Night"-The Temptations
12. "The Beginning Of The End"-Diana Ross & the Supremes
13. "If You Don't Want My Love"-Four Tops
14. "I Ain't Got Nothing"-The Temptations
15. "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted"-Jimmy Ruffin
16. "The Day She Needed Me"-The Contours


If I played that CD, I'd spend the rest of the day feeling thoroughly depressed:[[

[lockhartgary]

"Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things"-Martha and the Vandellas
"Neither One of Us" - Gladys Knight and the Pips
"We've Come Too Far"- Smokey and the Miracles

[144man]

There's A Sad Story Here - The Miracles
He Doesn't Love Her Anymore - Martha & Vandellas
I Could Never Love Another - The Temptations
Lonely Lover - Four Tops
Sad Song - Brenda Holloway
Destination Anywhere - The Marvelettes
Play A Sad Song - The Supremes
Any Girl In Love - Kim Weston
Maria [[You Were The Only One) - Jimmy Ruffin
Just One Teardrop [[From A Broken Heart) - Barbara McNair
My Whole World Ended - David Ruffin
Lonely Lonely Girl Am I - The Velvelettes
It's A Lonely World Without You Love - Marvin Gaye
Didn't You Know [[You'd Have To Cry Sometime) - Gladys Knight & Pips
And I Thought You Loved Me - The Supremes
Heaven Help Us All - Stevie Wonder

[lucky2012]

No One There - Martha Reeves
Neither One of Us - Gladys Knight
But I Love You More - Jean Terrell
All the Befores - Diana Ross
Me and My Lonely Room - Marvin Gaye
Walk Away From Love - David Ruffin
Ask the Lonely - Levi Stubbs
I Can't Turn Around - Wanda Rogers
Oo Baby, Baby - Smokey Robinson
Heaven Help Us All - Stevie Wonder [[politically sad)

[marv2]

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday - G.C. Cameron

[TomatoTom123]

"I Wish It Would Rain" by The Temptations

[jboy88]

“What You Gave Me” - Marvin and Tammi/David Ruffin! It’s like Nick, Val, Marvin and David all knew Tammi wasn’t going to make it and were bidding her farewell.

Touch Me in the Morning- Diana Ross
For Once in My Life [[the TCB version)- the Temptations
Tell Her Love Has Felt the Need- Eddie Kendricks
My Girl Has Gone- Smokey Robinson & the Miracles!

[144man]

Where Is That Girl - The Spinners
That's How It Is [[Since You've Been Gone) - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Tears At the End of A Love Affair - Tammi Terrell
Got to Have You Back - The Isley Brothers
Laughing Boy - Mary Wells
Just Ain't Enough Love - Eddie Holland
Just Another Lonely Night - The Fantastic Four
I'm Still Waiting - Diana Ross

[bradsupremes]

I Almost Had Her [[But She Got Away) - The Four Tops

[luke]

In My Lonely Room

[captainjames]

"Crying My Heart Out for You" Diana Ross
"Can I" Eddie Kendricks

[vgalindo]

Someday We'll be together

[alexstassi]

"Neither one of us"... gets me everytime.... followed by Paul Williams vocal on "Just another lonely night" . and in later years The Four Tops "I just can't walk away"

[vgalindo]

"Just my Imagination" by the Temptations.

[jbpintus]

Throw in some Christmas tracks by Stevie, Smokey, Marvin and the J5 and that’s it ...
Those all have recorded such poignant messages over fabulous melodies. But « Someday at Christmas”, “Bedtime for Toys”, “Gice Love on Christmas Day”, “I Want To come home for Christmas” or “A Child is Waiting” tend to make me emotional when I hear them; but I love those songs at the same time.

[jbpintus]

...and more recently Stevie Wonder’s “Shelter in the Rain” can’t be beaten as the most tearjerker song ever [[about Syreeta’s passing). Be sure to continue the listening of the “A Time 2 Love” after that, as Stevie cleverly follows it with “Positivity”, a song that can only make you feel good and happy and positive.
Yes, you’ll have your tears dried by then!

[rovereab]

Come Back As A Flower - Syreeta

[tjl]

1. What's So Good About Goodbye - The Miracles
2. I'll Have To Let Him Go - Martha & The Vandellas
3. Farewell Is A Lonely Sound - Jimmy Ruffin
4. Stay In My Lonely Arms - Four Tops
5. Put Yourself In My Place - The Elgins
6. Baby Baby Don't Cry - The Miracles
7. Forget Me Not - Martha & The Vandellas
8. Helpless - Kim Weston
9. 7-Rooms Of Gloom - Four Tops
10. Lonely Lonely Man Am I - Temptations
11. My World Is Empty Without You - The Miracles [[very sad)/Supremes
12. Statue Of A Fool - David Ruffin
13. Truly Yours - The Spinners
14. My Heart Can't Take It No More - The Supremes
15. The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage - The Miracles
16. Sweet Harmony - Smokey
17. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin
18. Since You've Been Gone - Four Tops
19. Walk Away Renee - Four Tops
20. We've Come Too Far To End It Now - The Miracles
21. Don't Look Back - The Temptations
22. Yesterme, Yesteryou, Yesterday - Stevie
23. That's How Heartaches Are Made - The Marvelettes
24. It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday - GC Cameron
25. Abraham, Martin and John - Tom Clay

[midnightman]

Not in any order of course:

1.) Every Little Bit Hurts - Brenda Holloway
2.) Who's Lovin' You - J5
3.) If I Should Die Tonight - Marvin
4.) I Don't Want to Do Wrong - Gladys Knight & The Pips
5.) All the Befores - Diana
6.) Just My Imagination - Tempts
7.) Here I Go Again - The Miracles
8.) Teardrops - "Slick" Rick
9.) Young Love - Lady T
10.) Neither One Of Us - Gladys Knight & the Pips
11.) Just to Keep You Satisfied - Marvin
12.) Never Can Say Goodbye - J5
13.) Blame It On the Sun - Stevie
14.) Cause We've Ended Now as Lovers - Syreeta
15.) One Day In Your Life - MJ
16.) Sparkle - Diana
17.) Not on the Outside - Eddie Kendricks
18.) What You Gave Me - Marvin & Tammi [[I agree with this jboy88, it didn't hit me until now! Wow...)
19.) Everybody Needs Love - Marvin
20.) They Won't Go When I Go - Stevie
21.) Ain't I Been Good to You - Brenda
22.) Happiness - Syreeta
23.) It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday - Boyz II Men
24.) Statue of a Fool - Ruffin
25.) After All - The Marvelettes/Wanda Rogers

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

6. Baby Baby Don't Cry - The Miracles
7. Forget Me Not - Martha & The Vandellas


Those two songs really surprised me with just how emotional they make me. "Baby Baby Don't Cry" really sounds like there is something much deeper going on in the lyrics. Don't know why, but I always think of the racial tensions and general turmoil that was going on at that time; I had the feeling some of that was coming out in the music in some way. The part in that song that triggers the flood gates of tears is when it changes key after Smokey sings "and only losers weep." That key change gives the song a powerful emotion, and there I am. Weeping.

"Forget Me Not" does it to me because after reading about how Sylvia Moy and Martha both had brothers in Vietnam, the song just sounds so personal and that makes it all the more sad to think about the men who didn't make it out.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Just thought about another Motown song that is a major tearjerker for me: Lesley Gore's Mowest recording, "She Said That."

[marv2]

"Neither one of us"... gets me everytime.... followed by Paul Williams vocal on "Just another lonely night" . and in later years The Four Tops "I just can't walk away"

Yes in regards to the Four Tops "I Just Can't Walk Away" great, great song.

[marv2]

"Who's Gonna Take the Blame"- Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
"Didn't You Know You Had to Cry Sometime"- Gladys Knight & the Pips

[marv2]

This is the most, the saddest I can think of: Eddie Kendricks - "This Used To Be The Home Of Johnny Mae"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m0L3Std1iQ

[marv2]

I remember this one from as being a kid in Chicago staying with relatives:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3ZJEOhuVbM

[midnightman]

Those two songs really surprised me with just how emotional they make me. "Baby Baby Don't Cry" really sounds like there is something much deeper going on in the lyrics. Don't know why, but I always think of the racial tensions and general turmoil that was going on at that time; I had the feeling some of that was coming out in the music in some way. The part in that song that triggers the flood gates of tears is when it changes key after Smokey sings "and only losers weep." That key change gives the song a powerful emotion, and there I am. Weeping.

"Forget Me Not" does it to me because after reading about how Sylvia Moy and Martha both had brothers in Vietnam, the song just sounds so personal and that makes it all the more sad to think about the men who didn't make it out.

Speaking of Vietnam and Martha and her brother, that was also the inspiration behind I Should Be Proud, another tearjerker.

[marv2]

Speaking of Vietnam and Martha and her brother, that was also the inspiration behind I Should Be Proud, another tearjerker.

Mary Wilson's brother Roosevelt was in Vietnam at that time too.

[nevertoolate]

Where Did You Go? -- The Four Tops
I 'am Livin in Shame -- Diana Ross and The Supremes

The Four Tops song gets to me very bad for some reason, it always did.
The one by Diana Ross is such a sad story.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Speaking of Vietnam and Martha and her brother, that was also the inspiration behind I Should Be Proud, another tearjerker.

O.K. I didn't know that. And you're right, I Should Be Proud is a real tearjerker. When Martha does that spoken part, I can't help but tear up because SHE sounds as if she was very close to crying at any moment.

[jboy88]

O.K. I didn't know that. And you're right, I Should Be Proud is a real tearjerker. When Martha does that spoken part, I can't help but tear up because SHE sounds as if she was very close to crying at any moment.
Sadly, her brother died either during the war or from PTSD related complications upon returning[[ i’ve heard different stories). So Martha might of very well been singing through tears.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Sadly, her brother died either during the war or from PTSD related complications upon returning[[ i’ve heard different stories). So Martha might of very well been singing through tears.

Wow. Now that just gives that song even more poignancy.

[arr&bee]

Nice post...i can't find[smokey]..neither one of us[gladys knight an the pips]..a folk in the road[the miracles].

[Rjacks]

All of the above songs are great, but the greatest tear-jerk er of all is: "Don't Take It So Hard", by Smokey and the Miracles. It's in the 'Pocketful Of Miracles' album.

[144man]

After You Put Back the Pieces [[I'll Still Have A Broken Heart) is my choice for a Smokey & Miracles tearjerker.

[jobucats]

"Just a Lonely Night"- the versions with Levi Stubbs as lead and Paul Williams as lead
"Remove This Doubt"- the Supremes somewhat dreadful, but very somber
"Just a Little Love"-Four Tops
"Yesterday's Dreams"- Four Tops
"Ask the Lonely"-Four Tops
"I Could Never Love Another"- Temptations
"Who's Loving You"-Michael Jackson

[MotownSteve]

Where Did You Go & Ask The Lonely - Four Tops
I Heard It Through The Grapevine & Need Somebody - Marvin Gaye
My World Is Empty & Ask Any Girl - Supremes
I Wish It Would Rain & You'll Lose A Precious Love - Temptations

[rovereab]

Don't Let Me Be Lonely - Tammi Terrell

[arr&bee]

I've lost everything[david ruffin]..shake me-wake me[four tops].

[TomatoTom123]

I forgot about "I've Lost Everything I've Ever Loved", that song is proper depressing!!!!

[jboy88]

Most of the songs on David’s “My Whole World Ended” LP are downers lyrically! But then again, that was his bread and butter.

[scanspeak]

I Cried - Tammi Terrell
What's Goin' On - Marvin Gaye
Yesterday - Marvin Gaye
Distant Lover - Marvin Gaye
I Want You - Marvin Gaye
The Bells - The Originals
Night Shift - The Commodores [[surely the saddest song of all).