Billy Gordon, Billy Hoggs, Joe Billingslea and Billy Rollins founded a singing group called The Blenders in their native Detroit, Michigan in 1959. The group soon added Leroy Fair (in place of Billy Rollins), bass singer Hubert Johnson, and guitarist Huey Davis, and auditioned for Berry Gordy's Motown Records. Gordy turned the act down, prompting Johnson to call his cousin, R&B star and Gordy associate Jackie Wilson. Wilson in turn got The Contours a second audition with Gordy, at which they sang the same songs they had at the first audition, the same way, and were signed to the company.
The group's first singles, "Whole Lotta Woman" and "The Stretch", were unsuccessful, and the group was in danger of being let go. Also at this time, Leroy Fair was replaced with Sylvester Potts. In early 1962, Gordy had the Contours record "Do You Love Me", a composition originally meant for The Temptations. The resulting record, with its shouted lead vocals from Billy Gordon, became a number-two hit 1962.
In 1964, Billy Hoggs, Joe Billingslea, Hubert Johnson, and Sylvester Potts all quit the group. Berry Gordy hired Council Gay, Jerry Green and Alvin English to back Billy Gordon, making the Contours a quartet. Within a year, Sylvester Potts returned to the group (replacing Alvin English), but Billy Gordon departed at about the same time. Gordon was replaced by Joe Stubbs, brother of Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs. Stubbs soon quit the act and was replaced by Dennis Edwards.
During the mid-1960s, The Contours recorded several records which received R&B radio play (notably "First I Look At The Purse" and "Just a Little Misunderstanding"), but were considered secondary to Motown's major male vocal groups: The Temptations, the Four Tops, and The Miracles. The group's contract with Motown expired in 1967, and the Contours disbanded. Lead singer Dennis Edwards was recruited to replace the departed David Ruffin as lead singer of The Temptations. Edwards later became a solo hitsmaker as well.
After the group's demise, Joe Billingslea has reformed the Contours several times. Billingslea first resurrected the group in 1971, with himself, Council Gay, Arthur Hinson, Martin Upshire and C. Autry Hatcher as its members. By 1987, the lineup included Billingslea, Hinson, Darell Nunlee, Charles Davis, and Motown-era Contour Sylvester Potts. The same year, "Do You Love Me" was prominently featured in the film Dirty Dancing, which led to a revival of both the recording and the Contours touring career.
The Contours were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. The group is today a quartet led by Joe Billingslea, with fellow members Al Chisholm, Charles Davis, and Gary Grier. Former member Hubert Johnson committed suicide on July 11, 1981, and Huey Davis died February 23, 2000. Sylvester Potts died in January 2017.
The Tracks of My Tears
The Contours Lyrics
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Because 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'll see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer, it's easy to trace
I need you, need you
Since you left me if you see me with another girl
Seeming like I'm having fun
Although she may be cute
She's just a substitute
Because you're the permanent one
So take a good look at my face
You'll 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
Outside I'm masquerading
Inside my hope is fading
Just a clown oh yeah
Since you put me down
My smile is my make up
I wear since my break up with you
So take a good look at my face
You'll see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer, it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears
The Contours' song "The Tracks of My Tears" is about a man who is the life of the party and always telling jokes, but is actually deeply sad on the inside. He tries to hide his pain, but it is evident in his smile that looks out of place, and the tracks of his tears that are easy to trace. The man's smile is only a façade, covering up his real emotions of heartbreak and despair after his lover left him. He tries to move on with other women, however, they are only substitutes, and he still longs for his permanent love.
The lyrics of the song convey the message about the importance of acknowledging and expressing one's true emotions. Although the man tries to hide his pain, it is evident in his behavior, and he is only hurting himself by not expressing his true feelings. The lyrics beautifully depict the irony of a person who is perceived as happy and joyful, but is actually dealing with deep sorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
People say I'm the life of the party
People think I am always happy and entertaining in social settings
Because I tell a joke or two
My ability to tell jokes contributes to this perception
Although I might be laughing loud and hearty
I may outwardly seem to be happy and carefree
Deep inside I'm blue
However, I am actually feeling sad and unhappy inside
So take a good look at my face
If you pay close attention to my facial expressions
You'll see my smile looks out of place
My smile doesn't quite match up with how I truly feel
If you look closer, it's easy to trace
If you examine in detail
The tracks of my tears
You can see evidence of my sadness
I need you, need you
I am desperately missing you
Since you left me if you see me with another girl
If you witness me with another female companion since you broke up with me
Seeming like I'm having fun
I may appear to be enjoying myself
Although she may be cute
Even if this new girl is attractive
She's just a substitute
She is merely a temporary replacement for you
Because you're the permanent one
You are the one I truly want to be with permanently
Outside I'm masquerading
Outwardly, I am pretending to be someone I'm not
Inside my hope is fading
Internally, my optimism is diminishing
Just a clown oh yeah
I am like a clown, entertaining on the outside but struggling on the inside
Since you put me down
Ever since you ended our relationship
My smile is my make up
I am using my fake smile as a disguise or mask for how unhappy I truly am
I wear since my break up with you
I have been putting on this facade of happiness since we broke up
So take a good look at my face
If you really observe my facial expressions
You'll see my smile looks out of place
You will realize that my smile doesn't quite fit the situation
If you look closer, it's easy to trace
If you scrutinize more closely
The tracks of my tears
You will be able to see signs of my sadness and heartbreak
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind