Traces

Album: Greatest Hits (1969)
Charted: 2
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  • Faded photograph, covered now with lines and creases
    Tickets torn in half, memories in bits and pieces
    Traces of love, long ago that didn't work out right
    Traces of love
    Ribbons from her hair, souvenirs of days together
    The ring she used to wear, pages from an old love letter
    Traces of love, long ago that didn't work out right
    Traces of love, with me tonight
    I close my eyes and say a prayer
    That in his heart, he'll find a trace of love still there
    Somewhere, oh

    Traces of hope in the night that he'll come back and dry
    These traces of tears from my eyes oh, oh, oh, oh, oh yeah Writer/s: Buddy Buie, Emory Gordy, Emory Lee Gordy, J Cobb, J R Cobb
    Publisher: CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 12

  • Sandy from BuffaloSaddest song of all time....guess we've all been there....
  • Josiecool from WiscomsinThis has to be the saddest breakup song of all time.
  • Seventhmist from 7th HeavenOne of the best breakup songs ever made.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 25, 1969, the Classics IV performed "Traces" on the Dick Clark ABC-TV Saturday-afternoon program, 'American Bandstand'...
    A little over a week later on February 2nd, 1969 the song entered Billboard's Top 100 chart at position #61, seven weeks later it would peak at #2* {for 1 week} and it spent twelve weeks on the Top 100...
    It also reached #2 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
    And on the same 'Bandstand' show they also performed "Stormy", at the time the song was at #26 on the Top 100 chart, four weeks earlier it had peaked at #5 {for 1 week} and it stayed on the Top 100 for fifteen weeks...
    The Jacksonville, FL group had three Top 10 records, and all three had 'one word' titles, besides "Traces and "Stormy", their third was "Spooky" {#3 in 1968}...
    Between 1967 and 1975 they had twelve records on the Top 100 chart, after their three Top 10 records their next biggest hit was "Everyday With You Girl" {#19 in 1969}...
    For their last seven charted records they were know as 'Dennis Yost and the Classics IV'...
    Dennis Yost passed away at the age of 65 on December 7th, 2008 {respiratory failure}...
    May he R.I.P.
    * The week "Traces" was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "Dizzy" by Tommy Roe.
  • Esskayess from Dallas, TxBeautiful song, one anyone can identify with.
  • Paul from Oceanside, NyOnly "Dizzy" by Tommy Roe prevented "Traces" from reaching #1 in the U.S. in March of 1969.
  • Stormy from Kokomo, InThis song always reminds me of my high school love, Terri Hess, when we dated at Kokomo High School in Kokomo, Indiana. She went off to Purdur University and we slowly drifted apart, but I think of her fondly when I hear this song. Hope you're doing well, Terri.
  • Mark from Austin, TxI love this song. Such a lovely melody. the guitar work is wonderful.
  • Space Capt from Burlington, VtIf you're only listening to the imagery of the lyrics you're missing half of the point. This song is all about the chord progressions and key changes. It is a masterfully written piece with a powerful theme and hook line.
  • Jim from Somewhere, PaThere was also combined versions of 2 songs mixed together (Traces, and Memories), released on a single in late 69 or early 70.
  • Guy from Woodinville, WaThis is known as a purely cornball song, but that's a rather shallow view. It has that reputation because it's been covered by so many lounge lizards. However, like so many things that are imitated to death, the reason is because the original has a very visceral meaning to people. It is a very good mix of melody and lyric that expresses a poignancy we all feel at some point about a past love afair.
  • Michael from Chicago, IlThis song came out about the time I met, and lost, my first real love - and it's a very real song to me, even this so long after that time. Brings reality to the word 'bittersweet'...
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