Tag: 96 Tears

? & the Mysterians – 96 Tears

I absolutely love the organ riff that starts out this song. It was performed on a Vox Continental.

Well, it’s an original name I will say that much for the group…or the lead singer anyway. This song was written by “Question Mark,” the band’s frontman who wanted to be anonymous (he’s listed on the composer credits as (Rudy Martinez). At one point, he referred to the individual band members only by three-letter names (at one point, the band was known as XYZ). The mystery helped market the group, who wore dark glasses to add to the intrigue. He publicly stated that his soul had originated from Mars and that he once walked on Earth with the dinosaurs.

There’s a reason 96 Tears is often tagged as one of the first true garage rock hits, and even a proto-punk to what The Stooges and Ramones would soon torch the world with. It’s raw, it’s relentless, and it’s got attitude for days. It was recorded in Bay City, Michigan, by a band of mostly teenage Mexican-American kids, and it has that magical garage sound. No overthinking. Just a stomp and a sneer. 

The song was originally released on the tiny Pa-Go-Go label before being picked up by Cameo Records. Against all odds, it climbed all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Think about that: in a year dominated by the Beatles, stones, Motown, and the Beach Boys, this little three-chord song with an organ and a singer named Question Mark took the top spot.

The song peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #1 in Canada, and #37 in the UK in 1966.  They were an American garage rock band of Mexican origins from Bay City and Saginaw in Michigan who were initially active between 1962 and 1969.

It was later covered by Garlan Jefferies. 

96 Tears

Too many teardrops
For one heart to be crying
Too many teardrops
For one heart to carry on

You`re way on top now since you left me
You’re always laughing way down at me
But watch out now, I`m gonna get there
We`ll be together for just a little while
And then I`m gonna put you way down here
And you`ll start crying ninety-six tears
Cry, cry

And when the sun comes up, I`ll be on top
You`ll be way down there, looking up
And I might wave, come up here
But I don`t see you waving now
I`m way down here, wondering how
I`m gonna get you but I know now
I`ll just cry, cry, I`ll just cry

Too many teardrops
For one heart to be crying
Too many teardrops
For one heart to carry on

You’re gonna cry ninety-six tears
You’re gonna cry ninety-six tears
You’re gonna cry, cry, cry, cry now
You’re gonna cry, cry, cry, cry
Ninety-six tears

Come on and lemme hear you cry, now
Ninety-six tears, woo
I wanna hear you cry
Night and day, yeah, all night long

Uh, ninety-six tears, cry cry cry
Come on, baby
Let me hear you cry now, all night long
Uh, ninety-six tears, yeah, come on now
Uh, ninety-six tears

Garland Jeffreys – 96 Tears

I’ve been listening to Garland Jeffreys since last week or so. He has performed some very quality covers. Today I have two of them. I’ve been presenting music covers on Tuesdays for a few months. I’ll still have them every once in a while… until then go to my friend Randy’s site…he specializes in them and has a wealth of information.

Jeffreys covered this song in 1980 and it charted at #66 on the Billboard 100. I didn’t think I’d ever heard him before but I was wrong. When heard his version of this song not long ago… I seem to remember it in the 80s. It was probably the first time I had heard the song by anyone. I remember him on a show singing it.

The original release contained an EP called Escapades. He had a tremendous band backing him. Jeffreys had members of the E-Street Band AND Graham Parker’s band Rumour on the album.

Allmusic review by Mark Deming said: The guitar-fueled cover of “96 Tears” pushed Escape Artist into the charts and made it Jeffreys’ first real hit in the United States, but there isn’t a single tune on this album that doesn’t sound great and have something to say; with the possible exception of Ghost Writer, this is Garland Jeffreys’ finest hour.

This classic sixties song was originally by “? and the Mysterians.” It was written by “?,” the band’s frontman who wanted to be anonymous (he’s listed on the composer credits as (Rudy Martinez). At one point he referred to the individual band members only by three-letter names (at one point, the band was known as XYZ). The mystery helped market the group, who wore dark glasses to add to the intrigue. The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard 100 and #37 in the UK in 1966.  They were an American garage rock band of Mexican origins from Bay City and Saginaw in Michigan who were initially active between 1962 and 1969.

I’m also including his cover of…a 2017 rendition of Waiting For The Man by his friend Lou Reed. 

96 Tears

Too many teardropsFor one heart to be cryingToo many teardropsFor one heart to carry onYou’re way on top nowSince you left meYou’re always laughingWay down at meBut watch out nowI’m gonna get thereWe’ll be togetherFor just a little whileAnd then I’m gonnaPut you way down hereAnd you’ll start cryingNinety-six tearsCry, cryAnd when the sun comes upI’ll be on topYou’ll be way down thereLooking upAnd I might waveCome up hereBut I don’t see youWaving nowI’m way down hereWondering howI’m gonna get youBut I know nowI’ll just cry, cry

I’ll just cryToo many teardropsFor one heart to be cryingToo many teardropsFor one heart to carry onYou’re gonna cry ninety-six tearsYou’re gonna cry ninety-six tearsYou’re gonna cry, cry, cry, cry nowYou’re gonna cry, cry, cry, cryNinety-six tearsCome on and lemmeHear you cry, nowNinety-six tears, wooI wanna hear you cryNight and day, yeahAll night longUh, ninety-six tearsCry, cry, cryCome on, babyLet me hear you cry nowAll night longUh, ninety-six tearsYeah, come on nowUh, ninety-six tears

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