The Tears Of A Clown – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1 for 2 weeks) & R&B (#1 for 3 weeks); 1970
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
After the Miracles rocketed to #1 R&B and #2 Pop in 1960 with Shop Around, Smokey Robinson and the gang placed over 30 sides on both charts in the next decade, including two more R&B #1’s (You Really Got A Hold On Me and I Second That Emotion).
Still, the top Pop slot eluded them. That changed for the Miracles when the label’s marketing man in England dared the head of the group’s UK fan club to come up with a potential single from the 1967 album Make It Happen.
The track she chose, The Tears Of A Clown, had been composed by Henry Cosby and Stevie Wonder, who asked Robinson to contribute some lyrics. The opening calliope riff sparked images of circus clowns, specifically the operatic Pagliacci, a theme explored by Smokey earlier on The Tracks Of My Tears.
The three-year-old track entered the British chart in August of 1970, climbed all the way to #1, and followed suit in the States three months later.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Hank Cosby
- Smokey Robinson
Lyrics Written by:
- Hank Cosby
- Smokey Robinson
- Stevie Wonder
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).