Stop Your Sobbing

”Stop Your Sobbing” Ray Davies (1964)

”Stop Your Sobbing” was an obscure ballad from The Kinks’ first self-titled album, which was later re-titled, You Really Got Me for U.S. release. Grounded more heavily in the classic 50’s style of songwriting and playing, ”Stop Your Sobbing” is a far cry from the wild aggression of ”You Really Got Me”. To a plodding, boom chick rhythm with bouncing piano and accent guitars, Davies’ vocal is plush with multi-tracked harmonies as he sings the strong lilting melody. The hook comes in the hiccupped chorus, where Davies uses a rapid-fire cadence for the lines, “Gotta stop sobbing, now, oh / Stop it, stop it” while the snare drum pops in unison and Ray Davies’ soon to be wife, Rasa contributes a plaintive backing vocal. But ultimately, the song was considered a moderate album track and was never released as a single.

But ”Stop Your Sobbing” enjoyed a second life. The song would become the debut single for The Pretenders and would become a top ten hit in the U.K. in 1979, and effectively jumpstart a string of hits for the group. It also should be noted that the cover version was at least partially responsible for Ray Davies romantic relationship with Chrissie Hynde in1980, one that would eventually result in the birth of a daughter between them in 1983. –Tom Maginnis