Levi Stubbs' Tears Levi Stubbs' Tears "Levi Stubbs' Tears" is a song by Billy Bragg. It was the first single released from Bragg's 1986 album "Talking with the Taxman about Poetry". The song's title refers to The Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs, whose music remains a source of comfort to the protagonist through years of abandonment, injury, and domestic violence. A guitar riff from the song was sampled by Norman Cook and featured in his 1989 song "Won't Talk About It", also featuring Billy Bragg on "falsetto soul" vocals. When Cook formed Beats International they released their own hit version of the
Joe Stubbs who took over as lead in 1960. Stubbs also recorded a solo single for the Lu Pine label entitled "Keep On Loving Me", released in 1964. He joined Motown R&B group The Contours in the mid-1960s. Several original members had left in 1964, along with lead singer Billy Gordon, who had departed the following year. A renewed version of the group, with Joe Stubbs as lead singer, began recording. He provided lead vocals on their hit "Just A Little Misunderstanding", which was co-written by Stevie Wonder. The song was a Top 20 R&B Hit in 1966, peaking at #18, and