He was versatile enough to do folk songs, blues, covers of old-time Rock n' roll songs, and some original material, all of them in his own unique style. Rivers's greatest success came in the mid and late 1960s with a string of hit songs (including "Seventh Son," "Poor Side of Town" and "Secret Agent Man") but he has continued to record and perform to the present.
In 1960, Rivers met fellow Louisianan, James Burton, the guitar player for Ricky Nelson. Burton later recommended one of Rivers's songs to Nelson, who went on to record it. In 1961, Rivers went to Los Angeles to meet Nelson, and ended up relocating there, working as a song writer and studio musician. In 1963, Rivers's big break came when he temporarily filled in for a jazz combo at Bill Gazzari's night club; the temporary gig became long-term due to positive customer response.
In 1964, Elmer Valentine then gave Rivers a one-year contract to open his new club, Whisky a Go Go, on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. The Whisky opened three days before The Beatles released "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and the British Invasion knocked almost every American artist off the top of the charts. But Rivers was so popular, producer Lou Adler decided to issue Johnny Rivers Live At The Whiskey A Go Go. The live album reached #12 on the charts and the single "Memphis" (a Chuck Berry cover) reached #2. Rivers made the successful transition from nightclub entertainer to chart-busting pop singer and had created the Go Go sound, part of a scene which included Go-Go dancers.
Into 1965, Rivers continued to record mostly live, Go Go style records including "Maybellene" (another Berry cover), which he followed "Mountain of Love", "Midnight Special", "Seventh Son" (written by Willie Dixon) e "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" (with Pete Seeger's), all of which were hits.
Rivers wanted to try something different and adopted a more idiosyncratic approach as from 1966. Characterized by his smooth, soulful voice, he produced hit portrayals as "Poor Side Of Town", which would be his biggest hit ever and his only number one record. Into another hit was "Secret Agent Man", the theme from Secret Agent television series (written by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri). He also started own record company, Soul City Records, where he won a Grammy Award as the producer of the 5th Dimension, which eventually recorded "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" and "Wedding Bell Blues", two number one hits on Rivers' label. Johnny is also credited with giving songwriter Jimmy Webb a major break when they recorded Webb's song "Up, Up, and Away". James Hendricks, one of the artists of that signed with Soul City, wrote "Summer Rain", a song that Rivers recorded and turned a hit.
Johnny Rivers continued to record more hits, including "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" and "The Tracks of My Tears" (cover of The Miracles), both top 10 in 1967. In 1968, Rivers released what many fans consider his best album, Realization, a number five album on the LP charts. The album was evocative of the psychedelic influences of the time and marked a subtle change in his musical direction, with more thoughtful types of songs, included such ballads as "Going Back to Big Sur".
In the 1970s, Rivers continued to record more songs and albums which were a success with music critics, but did not sell as well as some of his earlier hits. One of these albums, "L.A. Reggae" in 1972, reached the LP charts as a result of the top 10 "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" (a cover of Huey Smith & the Clowns). Anothers hits that time were "Blue Suede Shoes" (a cover of Carl Perkins), in 1973, which would reach the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Help Me Rhonda", in 1975 - a cover of The Beach Boys on which Brian Wilson helped with backup vocals. His last entry on the charts was "Swayin' to the Music (Slow Dancing)", a top ten hit in 1977.
1980's until nowadays
Rivers continued recording into the '80's, although his recording career wound down somewhat. In spite of his music hasn't reached the best seller charts for quite a while, Rivers is still touring, doing 50 to 60 shows a year, increasingly returning to the blues that inspired him initially.
In 1998], Rivers reactivated his Soul City imprint and released Last Train to Memphis, his first new studio album in 15 years.
In early 2000, Johnny recorded with Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, and Paul McCartney on a tribute album dedicated to Buddy Holly's backup band, "The Crickets".
In all, Rivers had 9 top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and 17 in the top 40 from 1964 to 1977. In total, he has sold well over 25 million records.
The Tracks Of My Tears
Johnny Rivers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I tell a joke or two
Although I might be laughing loud and hearty
Deep inside I'm blue
So take a good look at my face
You see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer it's easy to trace
I need you (Need you)
I need you (Need you)
If you see me with another girl
Acting like I'm having fun
Uh now she may be cute but she's a substitute
Because, girl, you're the permanent one
Well, take a good look at my face
You see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears
Outside I'm masquerading
Inside my hope is fading
Just a clown since you put me down
My smile is my make up
I wear since my break-up with you
Baby, baby take a good look at my face
You see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears
Baby, baby, baby take a good look at my face
You know my smile looks out of place
If you look closer it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears
The lyrics of "The Tracks of My Tears" convey the experience of someone who is struggling with feelings of sadness and loneliness despite putting on a happy and jovial persona in public. The first verse begins with the singer describing how others perceive them as the life of the party, someone who always has a joke to tell and is always laughing. However, the singer reveals that deep down, they are actually feeling blue. In the chorus, the singer implores the listener to take a closer look at their face, pointing out that although they may be smiling, their smile looks out of place, and upon closer inspection, one can see the tracks of their tears.
The second verse adds another layer to the singer's despair. Despite being with other girls and pretending to have fun, the singer asserts that these other women are merely substitutes, and that the person they truly need is the one who has left them. The bridge of the song emphasizes the stark contrast between the singer's external appearance and their internal emotional state, likening themselves to a clown whose smile is just a mask, concealing their true feelings of hopelessness and heartbreak. The last chorus repeats and underscores the message of the song, begging the listener once more to truly see the singer and their emotional pain.
Line by Line Meaning
People say I'm the life of the party
Others may see me as someone who always brings the fun and laughter to the party.
'Cause I tell a joke or two
This is because I entertain people with my sense of humor and wit.
Although I might be laughing loud and hearty
Even though my laughter is boisterous and enthusiastic,
Deep inside I'm blue
I am still feeling sad and lonely inside.
So take a good look at my face
If you closely examine my face,
You see my smile looks out of place
you will notice that my smile doesn't quite fit what I'm feeling.
If you look closer it's easy to trace
In fact, if you pay attention, you can easily follow
The tracks of my tears
the path of my tears down my cheeks.
I need you (Need you)
I miss you and long for your presence in my life.
If you see me with another girl
If you happen to observe me spending time with another woman,
Acting like I'm having fun
It may seem like I'm enjoying myself,
Uh now she may be cute but she's a substitute
but this other girl is merely a replacement for you,
Because, girl, you're the permanent one
since you're the one I truly want to be with forever.
Outside I'm masquerading
I may seem like I'm putting on an act and pretending to be happy when I'm not.
Inside my hope is fading
My positive outlook on the future is dwindling.
Just a clown since you put me down
Ever since you broke my heart, I've been like a clown, just trying to make people laugh to hide my pain.
My smile is my make up
My smile is like a mask that I wear to hide my true emotions.
I wear since my break-up with you
I've been wearing this mask since the day you left me.
Baby, baby take a good look at my face
My dear, please examine my face carefully,
You know my smile looks out of place
You can see that my smile doesn't match what I am truly feeling.
If you look closer it's easy to trace
It's not hard to see
The tracks of my tears
the evidence of my sadness in the form of my tears.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Iricom US Ltd, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Marvin Tarplin, Smokey Robinson, Warren Moore, William Robinson Jr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Nascimento
People say I'm the life of the party
'Cause I tell a joke or two
Although I might be laughing loud and hearty
Deep inside I'm blue
So take a good look at my face
You see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears
I need you (Need you)
I need you (Need you)
If you see me with another girl
Acting like I'm having fun
Uh now she may be cute but she's a substitute
Because, girl, you're the permanent one
Well, take a good look at my face
You see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears
Outside I'm masquerading
Inside my hope is fading
Just a clown since you put me down
My smile is my make up
I wear since my break-up with you
Baby, baby take a good look at my face
You see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears
Baby, baby, baby take a good look at my face
You know my smile looks out of place
If you look closer it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears
Warren Albert
One of his best songs ever. He had so many great hits and I still like to hear them.
Morgan Clare
He didn't write it, though.
Steve Bourbon
@Morgan Clare who cares. he sings it like he owns it and that's all that matters
Michael Duggan
I'm a Johnny Rivers fan ......big time . What a talent and great songs !
John Williams
Its sad that this guy isn't in the rock and roll hall of fame. I hope he makes it one day.
Good Luck
65wiseman
I couldn't agree more.
Carol Taylor
No one sang like him. He was meant for a certain generation. Ours.
Wanda Dotson
I totally agree. Plus brings such great memories of my time..those were the best..music ans all
Cathy Berry
Smokey Robison & Johnny Rivers both recorded this song. They were both incredible artists, no doubt!
Appreciate all of these amazing artists who made this song so AMAZING! 👍💖
Joanna Mita
I have to agree! No one sings this song like Johnny Rivers.