Sacco was born in Glenwillard, Pennsylvania[1] and raised in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sacco traveled to New York after graduating from Moon Area High School and found work as a session vocalist.
His sister Susan Christie had a minor hit with the novelty song "I Love Onions", which peaked at #63 on the Hot 100 in 1966.
Robbee and Roulette: 1961-1963
Sacco also recorded a few unsuccessful discs of his own for various record labels in both New York and Pittsburgh, most notably "The Jury" (as by "Lugee & The Lions") on the Pittsburgh-based Robbee label, which achieved local success. "The Gypsy Cried" features the vocal style that would characterize all of Christie's biggest hits: verses sung in his normal register, and then a dramatic shift to his falsetto on the choruses. That song was released in 1962 on the tiny C&C label and unexpectedly credited to 'Lou Christie' without Sacco's permission. Sacco had been working on a list of potential stage names, and he has stated that he hated the name for decades afterwards: "I was pissed off about it for 20 years. I wanted to keep my name and be a one-named performer, just 'Lugee'."
After the C&C release became a Pittsburgh hit, "The Gypsy Cried" was picked up by Roulette Records and charted nationwide, peaking at #24, selling over one million copies, and receiving a gold disc. "The Gypsy Cried" was the first of numerous songs Christie co-wrote with his songwriting partner Twyla Herbert, a self-described eccentric and mystic, who was over twenty years older than Christie but also shared his love of classical music. The two struck up a working relationship after Christie auditioned for her at the age of 15 and began a lifelong friendship which ended only with her death in 2009.
Christie's follow-up single, "Two Faces Have I" in March 1963, was an even bigger hit, peaking at #6 and also selling over a million copies. He joined Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars Tour. A third Roulette release, "How Many Teardrops" (written by Milan), stalled at #46 as Christie's career was temporarily derailed by his induction into the U.S. Army. (A copy of "How Many Teardrops" is included on the Milan compilation album Hell Bent for Leather.) Christie would not have another charting single for two and a half years.
Re-establishment and Rhapsody: 1965-1966
While a stint in the military might have ended the careers of many musicians, Christie's career was quickly re-established after his discharge when he signed with the MGM label. MGM reportedly disliked Christie's first single for the label, with MGM's president reportedly throwing the tape into a wastepaper basket. But Christie's new management promoted the record in California, and when it gained some traction (eventually reaching #2 on KHJ the last two weeks of 1965), MGM released it. "Lightnin' Strikes" reached #1 in the U.S. on Christie's 23rd birthday on February 19, 1966; entered the UK Top 20, becoming his first hit in that country; and peaked at number one in Canada.
But Christie's next release would ignite a firestorm of controversy and censorship. Released in the spring of 1966, "Rhapsody In The Rain" featured a haunting melody inspired by Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet", telling of a teenager's regret over his sexual experience in the back seat of a car during a rainstorm as the windshield wipers made a rhythmic sound of "together, together".[citation needed] Later after the romance ends, the wipers seem to say "never, never".[citation needed] Many radio stations banned the song, and MGM insisted on a re-recorded version that toned down the lyrical content.[citation needed] Despite the edited version, many stations instead played two older songs re-released by other labels Christie had once recorded for: "Outside the Gates of Heaven" (on Co & Ce Records, a successor to C&C) peaked at #45, while "Big Time" (on Colpix Records) managed to hit #95. All three singles hit nationally within three weeks of one another, in March 1966, while "Lightnin' Strikes" was falling off.
Whether it was the controversial lyrics or competition from the other singles released simultaneously, "Rhapsody" only managed to hit #16 in the U.S. and #37 in the UK. Christie's career seemed to be derailed once again as his followup for MGM, "Painter", which also borrowed a melody from classical music - this time from Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly - stalled at #81. Two further MGM releases (produced by Jack Nitzsche) from 1966 missed the Billboard Hot 100 entirely, even though "If My Car Could Only Talk" (peaking at #118) seemingly revisits the ill-fated lovers from Rhapsody.
Resurgence and Romeo: 1969-1970
After being dropped by MGM and an unfruitful stint with Columbia Records in the late 1960s, Christie teamed up with Buddah Records (a move prompted by his business manager Stan Polley) and bubblegum music record producer Tony Romeo and had a surprise Wall of Sound constant uptempo hit "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" (which Romeo wrote) in the early autumn of 1969. Helped by two promotional videos distinctly different from each other, the song peaked at #10 in the U.S. but across the Atlantic climbed to #2 on the UK Singles Chart and thus became his biggest hit there. A follow up, "She Sold Me Magic" charted only in the UK, peaking at #25, and was later covered by Elton John. Conversely, "Are You Getting Any Sunshine?" only charted in America, where it reached #73.
Recoveries and Remakes: 1971 to present
Christie spent the early 1970s in London, largely outside of the music industry and battling drug addiction. In 1971 he released a concept album called Paint America Love and was married in London to former UK beauty queen Francesca Winfield. In 1974, Christie would try another new musical style, going country on his Beyond The Blue Horizon album. The title track, a remake of a hit song from 1930, written for the film Monte Carlo, features one of Christie's strongest non-falsetto vocal performances.[citation needed] The song missed the Country charts entirely, and only made #80 on the pop chart, but managed a respectable showing at #12 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song has been used in several film soundtracks, most notably in 1988's Rain Man.
After getting clean at a London drug rehabilitation clinic, he dropped out of the music industry, working variously as a ranch hand, offshore oil driller and carnival barker.[1]
Christie became active on the oldies circuit starting in the early 1980s, even scoring a final U.S. chart hit, credited as "Summer '81 medley" by The Cantina Band (featuring Lou Christie), in 1981 - and, coincidentally, peaking at #81, performing a medley of Beach Boys classics. In 1999 Christie recorded his first all-new album since the 1970s entitled Pledging My Love. In 2004 Christie released his first concert album, Greatest Hits Live From The Bottom Line, which featured studio recording "Christmas In New York" as a bonus track. In addition to the occasional new release, Christie remains a popular concert act on the oldies circuit in the U.S. and UK. He has also hosted a series of programs on SiriusXM radio for the 60's channel.
How Many Teardrops
Lou Christie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and how many teardrops must I dry to end this misery?
I wanna know: how many teardrops must I cry yi yi yi yi
Must I cry, have to fall
To say you're mine (you're mine) only mine (you're mine)
Mi yi yi yi yi yine
You didn't even tell me that you and I were through
I wanna know: how many teardrops must I cry
Must I cry, have to fall
To say you're mine (you're mine) only mine
It's all a part of a little game that you had cooked up for me
Tryin' to find out just how much you really mean to me
If that's the reason for leavin', there's no reason to explain
'Cause baby, I really need you like the roses need the rain
I wanna know: how many teardrops must I cry yi yi yi yi
Must I cry, have to fall
To say you're mine (how many teardops)
Oh must I cry (how many teardrops)
Oh must I cry (how many teardrops)
The lyrics of Lou Christie's song "How Many Teardrops" convey a message of desperation and heartache as the singer questions how much he must suffer before he can win back his lover. The opening lines "How many teardrops must I cry till you believe in me? And how many teardrops must I dry to end this misery?" express the singer’s longing to be believed and to end his suffering. He is crying so many tears for love that have gone unanswered, and he's asking his lover how many more tears he must shed.
The chorus "I want to know: how many teardrops must I cry, must I cry, have to fall, to say you're mine, only mine” is the singer's plea for his lover to return and to tell him that she loves him. The singer is ready to cry an endless number of tears if that what it takes to convince his love that he's the only one for her. He has a deep desire to make her his and his alone.
Moreover, the song's closing lines are about the importance of his lover in his life. "I really need you like the roses need the rain" emphasizes the singer's unconditional love for his partner. He just wants her back in his life to give him hope and comfort, as rain is important for roses.
Overall, "How Many Teardrops" is a powerful ballad that conveys the desperation and longing of a heartbroken lover who is seeking to win back his love after a breakup.
Line by Line Meaning
How many teardrops must I cry till you believe in me?
Asking how many times does one have to cry or express their feelings for the other person to believe in them and accept the emotions they are conveying.
and how many teardrops must I dry to end this misery?
Asking how many tears must one dry to make the sadness and unhappiness disappear from the relationship.
I wanna know: how many teardrops must I cry yi yi yi yi
Expressing the singer's desire to know and understand the amount of tears they have to produce to express their love and devotion for the other person.
Must I cry, have to fall
Enforcing the idea that tears are a necessary way to express emotions and love, and sometimes falling down in tears is what one has to do to make the other person understand their importance.
To say you're mine (you're mine) only mine (you're mine)
Asserting the singer's only desire is to be with the other person and be in a committed relationship.
Mi yi yi yi yi yine
A musical interlude in the song with no specific meaning.
I wish I knew the reason why you've gone and made me blue
Expressing the singer's sadness and confusion on why the other person left them alone and unhappy.
You didn't even tell me that you and I were through
Revealing the singer's surprise on how the other person has ended the relationship without any considerable communication.
It's all a part of a little game that you had cooked up for me
Suggesting that the other person might have played with the singer's feelings and emotions to make them express their love and devotion, only to abandon them later.
Tryin' to find out just how much you really mean to me
Recounting the possibility that the other person left the relationship only to see how much the singer values them and their connection.
If that's the reason for leaving, there's no reason to explain
Acknowledging the possibility of the other person leaving only to test the singer's devotion, treating their feelings as a game and not giving any solid reason for the break up.
'Cause baby, I really need you like the roses need the rain
Comparing the singer's need and desire for the other person to a rose's need for rain to blossom and thrive.
Oh must I cry (how many teardops)
Expressing the singer's confusion and desperation with how much they have to cry to make the other person realize their importance in their life.
Oh must I cry (how many teardrops)
Repeating the same idea expressed in the previous line.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICK RODELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind