Levi Stubbs' Tears

"Levi Stubbs' Tears" is a song by Billy Bragg.^[1] It was the first single released from Bragg's 1986 album Talking with the Taxman about Poetry. The song's title refers to The Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs, whose music remains a source of comfort to the protagonist through years of abandonment, injury, and domestic violence.^[2]

"Levi Stubbs' Tears"
Single by Billy Bragg
from the album Talking with the Taxman about Poetry
Released	1986 (1986)
Genre	Rock
Label	Go! Discs
Songwriter(s)	Billy Bragg
Producer(s)	John Porter
Billy Bragg singles chronology
"Days Like These" (1985) "Levi Stubbs' Tears" (1986) "Greetings to the New Brunette" (1986)

A guitar riff from the song was sampled by Norman Cook and featured in his 1989 song "Won't Talk About It", also featuring Billy Bragg on "falsetto soul" vocals. When Cook formed Beats International they released their own hit version of the song in 1990 without the guitar riff sample.

In 2014, NME ranked it at number 207 in their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.^[3]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Billy Bragg; except where indicated

1. "Levi Stubbs' Tears"
2. "Between the Wars" (live)
3. "Think Again" (Dick Gaughan)
4. "Walk Away Renée" (Bob Calilli, Michael Brown, Tony Sansone)

Charts

Chart (1986)	Peak position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[4]	11
UK Singles (OCC)[5]	29

References

1. "1000 songs everyone must hear". The Guardian. 16 March 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
2. Kot, Greg (October 21, 2008). "Four Tops' raw, boundless Levi Stubbs". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Company. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
3. "Rocklist.net....NME the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.. 2014".
4. "Billy Bragg – Levi Stubbs' Tears". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
5. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 March 2024.