Tears (Ken Dodd song)


"Tears" is a song written by lyricist Frank Capano and composer Billy Uhr, and was first recorded by Rudy Vallee in 1929. It was made famous in a version recorded by Ken Dodd, released as a 45 rpm single in 1965. It became a No. 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart. The song also reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart.

Song synopsis

The main theme is based on Delilah's aria "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Act II of Camille Saint-Saëns's opera Samson and Delilah, which dates from 1877.

Music charts

Although best known as a comedian, Ken Dodd was a prolific recording artist throughout the 1960s and most of his music recordings were serious, not comic. His debut single "Love is like a Violin" reached #8 in 1960. Between that and "Tears" he released nine further singles, several of which charted.
The single spent 24 weeks in total on the chart, with five of those at #1. It sold over 1,000,000 copies in the UK, becoming the biggest-selling single of 1965 in the UK, and was the third-biggest selling single of the 1960s; it was the only non-Beatles song in the top 5. In 2017, it was listed as the UK's 39th-best selling single of all time, with sales of 1,523,690.

Cover version

released a cover of the song in 1966. His version reached No. 59 on the Billboard Hot 100, while reaching No. 27 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. In Canada, Vinton's version reached No. 24 on the "RPM Play Sheet" and No. 14 on RPMs "GMP Guide".

Parody

"Tears" was parodied in a section of the song "I'm Bored" by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, on their album Gorilla.