Jackie Wilson - Lonely Teardrops (1958)

Born Jack Leroy Wilson, Jr. in 1934, “Mr. Excitement” was influential in shifting rhythm and blues music into the genre of soul. Dubbed by Elvis Presley as “The Black Elvis,” he was known for his dynamic stage presence which always involved high-energy dancing. He would often choose unattractive females from the audience to kiss him on stage, rationalizing that “if I kiss the ugliest girl in the audience, they’ll all think they can have me and keep coming back and buying my records.” His life was filled with numerous tragedies including multiple arrests, multiple gunshot wounds, and multiple offspring dying at a young age. Even his own life was cut short when a mid-performance heart-attack in 1975 would put him in an on-again off-again coma for the next nine years until his death.

This song was written by Roquel “Billy” Davis and the Gordy siblings, Berry Jr. and Gwen. The song reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as number one on the R&B charts. The popularity of the song not only led to wealth and stardom for Wilson, but much wealth for those who wrote it. Berry Gordy, Jr. would take his profits and start the recording giant Motown Records.



Jackie Wilson - Lonely Teardrops (1958)

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Lyrics:

Hey
Hey
Hey!

My heart is crying, crying
Lonely teardrops
My pillow never dry up
Lonely teardrops

Come home, come home
Just say you will, say you will (say you will)
Say you will (say you will)
Hey, hey (say you will)

My heart is crying, crying
Lonely teardrops
My pillow never dry up
Lonely teardrops

Come home, come home
Just say you will, say you will (say you will)
Say you will (say you will)
Hey, hey (say you will)

Just give me another chance
For our romance
Come on and tell me
That one day you'll return
‘cause everyday that you've been gone away
You'll know why my heart does nothing but burn, crying

Lonely teardrops
My pillows never dry up
Lonely teardrops

Come home, come home
Just say you will, say you will (say you will)
Say you will (say you will)
Hey, hey (say you will)

Say it right now, baby (say you will)
Come on, come on (say you will)
Say it, darling…