Song by Song: "Tracks of My Tears" Quiz

Answer: Smokey Robinson

Smokey Robinson, the lead vocalist for the Miracles, produced the song and performed it with the Miracles. He wrote the song along with two other members of the Miracles: the group's bass vocalist Pete Moore and its guitarist Marvin Tarplin. Pete Moore helped Smokey Robinson write The Temptations' hit song "Since I Lost My Baby" and Marvin Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar."

Answer: 1965

The song was included on the Miracles' 1965 album "Going to a Go-Go." It was recorded at Hitsville USA and released on June 23, 1965 with "A Fork in the Road" on the B-side.

Answer: Otis Redding

Claudette Rogers Robinson was the sister of Emerson "Sonny" Rogers, who was a founding member of the Matadors, which would become the Miracles in 1957. When Sonny was drafted by the U.S. Army, Claudette replaced him in the group. She married Smokey Robinson in 1959. Other backup singers for the Miracles on the song were Pete Moore, Ronnie White, and Bobby Rogers.

Answer: Linda Ronstadt

Linda Ronstadt's version, which was released as a single with "The Sweetest Gift" on the B-side, peaked at number 25 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It also hit number two on the Canada RPM Adult Contemporary chart.

Answer: Aretha Franklin

The album was released on January 17, 1969. Two singles were released from the album, including "The Tracks of My Tears" and "Gentle on My Mind." The song has also been covered by Shirley, Colin Blunstone, and Go West.

Answer: tell a joke or two

"People say I'm the life of the party
Because I tell a joke or two
Although I might be laughing loud and hearty
Deep inside I'm blue."

The R&B sessions band known as the Funk Brothers, along with the Detroit Symphony orchestra, provided instrumentation for the song. "The Tracks of My Tears" peaked at number 16 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: place

"So take a good look at my face
You'll see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer, it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears."

"The Tracks of My Tears" peaked at number two on Billboard's R&B chart. The song was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007.

Answer: a substitute

"Since you left me if you see me with another girl
Seeming like I'm having fun
Although she may be cute,
She's just a substitute
Because you're the permanent one."

Rolling Stone magazine reports that the way Smokey Robinson's used the word substitute inspired Pete Townshend so much that he "decided to celebrate the word with a song all its own." This was the origin of the Who's "Substitute," which was released as a single on March 4, 1966 in the U.K., where it peaked at number five on the singles chart.

Answer: masquerading

"Outside I'm masquerading
Inside my hope is fading
Just a clown oh yeah
Since you put me down
My smile is my make up."

In 2008, the United States Library of Congress chose to preserve "The Tracks of My Tears" in the National Recording Registry. The song was ranked number 50 on Rolling Stone magazine's 2004 list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time."

Answer: makeup

"Just a clown oh yeah
Since you put me down
My smile is my make up."

Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1940, William Robinson, Jr. went on to become "Smokey" Robinson, a prominent figure in the Motown music industry. In 2016, he was awarded the Gershwin Prize for his contributions to music by the Library of Congress.