Levi Stubbs' Tears

[@ChrisSmith-xh9wb]

I've only just discovered this song. How has his gem been hiding all these years? Finding things like this is what makes trawling through all the rubbish on youtube worthwhile.

[@kevinwrede]

Same here. Only just now. I knew Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin's smooth electro-pop 1990 version and this one too is amazing!

[@CliveGulch]

Thanks to the staff member with excellent taste who selected music cassettes for the Fairview Branch of the North York Library. Since I owned a double tape deck boom box I ran my own analog Napster from 1985 to 1988.

[@kentweirdo]

I love this song. Happened onto it by accident twelve years ago and I've been stuck on it.

[@clharview]

Levi Stubbs' Tears LYRICS With the money from her accident She bought herself a mobile home So at least she could get some enjoyment Out of being alone No one could say that she was left up on the shelf It's you and me against the World kid she mumbled to herself When the world falls apart some things stay in place Levi Stubbs' tears run down his face She ran away from home on her mother's best coat She was married before she was even entitled to vote And her husband was one of those blokes The sort that only laughs at his own jokes The sort a war takes away And when there wasn't a war he left anyway Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong Are here to make everything right that's wrong Holland and Holland and Lamont Dozier too Are here to make it all okay with you One dark night he came home from the sea And put a hole in her body where no hole should be It hurt her more to see him walking out the door And though they stitched her back together they left her heart in pieces on the floor When the world falls apart some things stay in place She takes off the Four Tops tape and puts it back in its case When the world falls apart some things stay in place Levi Stubbs' tears

[@crose7412]

Are here to make right everything that's wrong .

[@pietroangelocasati7899]

@@crose7412 poetry

[@super0red]

Nothing short of brilliant!

[@seandecastro]

So mood altering and brilliant and sad !!!

[@paulockenden4278]

Totally mind blowing with every note strummed and every word uttered

[@oliviapate5787]

Best song ever most likely

[@johnbarry1965]

Mayhap!!!!

[@mattstefon4878]

Just about, yes.

[@drowningin]

I found the original caak huer

[@robotjunkie3764]

Probably

[@daveshepherd1235]

Absolutely brilliant...timeless lyrics!

[@DeepSoul1960s]

I am Billy Bragg's fan - saw him in twice in NL in the eighties and Levi's Stubb's Tears is in my top ten of songs that make me cry over and over again.

[@lawburke]

This billy bragg song in particular,still sends a very cold chill down my spine...in a fairly good way,.... But somehow, reminds me of my young years....levi stubbs tears, and billy thanks for reminding me where I came from!

[@chrisedwards3883]

So simple,so great!

[@davidsurrey7292]

Classic Billy, thank you so much for posting this!

[@Mikee22ification]

beautiful, genius and empathy

[@philipmaye]

Great song. My 6 year old boy now really likes the very good cover version by Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin of 1989. Good to see/hear this again. Thanks.

[@malmaclachlan3088]

oh jesus, the dave stewart version is rubbish. just appreciate the songwriters song.

[@georgekaplan8942]

Billy Brag est au rock engagé ce que Ken Loach est au cinéma indépendant. On y retrouve la même urgence, le même constat désabusé de la société ou les invisibles sont sacrifiés sur l’autel du capitalisme. La conscience politique de Billy Bragg selon ses dires il la doit à Margaret Tatcher… « C’est elle qui a fait de moi un socialiste. Mon éducation politique date de mars 1984 et la grève des mineurs a servi de révélateur. » Musicalement, Billy Bragg c’est aussi et surtout plus de trente années de carrières et des collaborations prestigieuses avec des artistes comme Johnny Marr (The Smiths), Michelle Shocked, Wilco ou encore R.E.M. A l’écoute de Levi Stubbs' Tears et de ses magnifiques paroles, on se rend à l’évidence que tout seul, juste avec sa guitare il assure comme un dingue et qu'il n'a pas besoin d'artifice pour toucher au coeur. Pour être tout à fait juste on mentionnera aussi la prestation de Dave Woodhead à la trompette qui est de toute beauté. Si vous avez encore des doutes, quand un artiste écrit et chante : « Norman Whitfield and Barratt Strong Are here to make right everything that's wrong Holland and Holland and Lamont Dozier too Are here to make it all okay with you » C’est qu’on a obligatoirement affaire à quelqu’un de bien !

[@brochan11]

"Between The Wars" on the B side is good too.

[@claudioguglielmi8211]

Gran brano 👏👏👏👏🎸🎸🎸📻📻📻

[@downsy4567]

R.I.P. Barrett Strong 30-01-23 ❤

[@Atothenal]

omg yay i;ve been looking for this version for soooooooooooooooo long

[@IsisMusic]

brilliant song

[@KILLBILDERBURG]

Timeless Wonderful

[@mozdickson]

simple, honest, powerful, great

[@billclark2253]

Brilliant but sad song

[@ianthompson714]

Brilliant

[@2Swansway]

A World Without tears would lauhg at it self x

[@davejeanes]

Nice one

[@HermanWaldorf]

"She ran away from home on her mother's best coat She was married before she was even entitled to vote And her husband was one of those blokes The sort that only laughs at his own jokes The sort a war takes away And when there wasn't a war he left anyway" Among the best lyrics I've ever read.

[@KarlHainer]

Classic.

[@flaviomarangon2566]

great big song

[@patricknorrie4617]

What more can you do in pop song? Heartbreak, hope and soul music references. "Own Jokes," a chapter in Heathlands by Patrick Norrie, is a nod to this.

[@shamrock8123]

RIP Barrett Strong (1941-2023)

[@poLaczekCebularz]

Piękna !

[@keithbentley6081]

Quality!

[@cherrybelle7956]

My ex introduced me to this usto love him singing it ,he liked story songs hate him for emotionally abusing,love him for showing me the best music xx

[@TheTigronette]

An emotional abuser chose this song above all others, with those lyrics, wow, that's cruel

[@cherrybelle7956]

@@TheTigronette the irony was strong with that one he didn't think he was,🤔😰

[@SchoeyRob]

Good man Billy. Keep on flying the flag.

[@scruttles]

Yes, thanks.

[@billallen2126]

quite likely indeed.

[@michaelflint4159]

How does this good come from ripple Road????

[@innaminute523]

To paraphrase D. Boon, "he was Bob Dylan to me".

[@jamiestewart1644]

Did he really say that?

[@innaminute523]

@@jamiestewart1644 Not about Billy. I'm referring to the Minutemen song History Lesson Part 2. He actually says "this is Bob Dylan to me" referring to various punk bands.

[@washingmachine122]

Love the minutemen

[@Mikee22ification]

If the universe is math And math is the basis of music Then music is the universe

[@patrickhicks9880]

i saw some of the real levi stubbs when he was in a wheelchair surrounded by some of his phoney looking celebrity friends

[@heinrichvon]

12 people should be exiled from music.

[@COCCmath]

Question - you claim "I do not own anything", yet you've monetized the video. Does the money you earn go to the artist?

[@M1sssy_]

COCCmath that probably means the record company "claimed" the video, which means they've put ads on it. So yes it goes to the artist

[@COCCmath]

I'd like to think that, but unless that "probably" is "certainly", the wild west of music monetization hasn't been properly established.

[@laylajanvrin]

I have not monetized the video, so I assume that kaitlin Tunstell is correct.

[@handsonthroat]

Appreciate the response. As someone who's had folks monetize my own band's music without our knowing, it's good to know that, perhaps, these things are getting sorted out.

[@frankgatley1294]

he writes and sings such great songs ,pity he's such a mouthy know all.

[@RickStaffordcartunes]

free speech bitch...how is that for a mouthy know it all?

[@DKChubs]

Rule #1 for appreciating Art: Appreciate the art, ignore the artist.

[@Geekman333]

Appreciating the art is the opposite of ignoring the artist.

[@Geekman333]

Pissed off because he's smarter than you?

[@moonvinemusic]

Congrats Gatley... you've come out of the Imbecile closet. Hope that works for you.

[@2Swansway]

A Tory story anyway ....

[@darrenlincoln9016]

The single proudest moment of my life was hitting Billy with a bottle of piss at the Milton Keynes bowl on an undercard to U2, REM & Ramones. Spear of Destiny too I think. Nearly got Peter Buck later.

[@therealche]

What a pathetic life you must have

[@darrenlincoln9016]

@@therealche That's true. It's these little victories that make it all worthwhile. So therealche what's so cool about your life?

[@TS50ER]

I was at that concert. I went for The Ramones, but I remember being quite impression by U2. Again if I remember rightly, it was/had been raining and people were sliding down the slopes of the bowl in the mud.

[@darrenlincoln9016]

@@TS50ER that's my remeberingness . Sorry if you got covered in my piss

[@darrenlincoln9016]

@@therealche pretty much nailed it there. Still at least i hit BB with a bottle of piss!

[@ishitunot5152]

Really like BB but i can't stand this song..usually skip it when i listen to the album.

[@ge-8135]

Why publicly announce your lack of taste? You one of those blokes that only laughs at one of his own jokes?

[@ishitunot5152]

@@ge-8135 What a sad statement to make i bet you've been waiting all your life to say that remark.

[@ewack7610]

@@ishitunot5152 I know your pathetic, unwanted comment was posted 8 months ago but still, ge - made a really good point.

[@ishitunot5152]

@@ewack7610 Stating that i don't blindly like every song an artist i like composes is pretty ballsy not pathetic as you claim...blind loyalty is just stupid and dare i say pathetic.

[@ewack7610]

Ishit Unot now you’ve gone off topic