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Jimmy Ruffin – “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”

Jimmy Ruffin - Classic Motown

About the Song

In the realm of soul music, few artists have captured the essence of heartbreak and longing quite like Jimmy Ruffin. With his emotive vocals and poignant delivery, Ruffin’s music has resonated with listeners for decades, transcending generations and cultural boundaries. His 1966 single, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, stands as a timeless masterpiece, a soul ballad that lays bare the raw emotions of love lost.

What Becomes of the Brokenhearted opens with a melancholic piano melody, setting the stage for Ruffin’s heartfelt vocals. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a love that has crumbled, leaving the protagonist grappling with the aftermath. Ruffin’s voice cracks with emotion as he sings of the lingering pain, the unanswered questions, and the overwhelming emptiness that follows a broken heart.

The song’s chorus is a poignant plea, a desperate cry for solace amidst the ruins of a shattered relationship. “What becomes of the brokenhearted? Do they just sit around and cry?” Ruffin asks, his voice echoing the despair of countless individuals who have experienced the anguish of love’s demise.

What Becomes of the Brokenhearted is more than just a song about heartbreak; it’s an exploration of the human condition, a testament to the resilience of the spirit in the face of adversity. Ruffin’s vocals convey a profound understanding of the pain of loss, yet they also offer a glimmer of hope, suggesting that even in the darkest of times, love can find a way to mend the broken pieces.

The song’s enduring popularity is a testament to its power to connect with listeners on an emotional level. What Becomes of the Brokenhearted has been covered by numerous artists, each bringing their own interpretation to the song’s timeless message. Ruffin’s original version, however, remains the definitive, capturing the essence of heartbreak with an authenticity that few can match.

What Becomes of the Brokenhearted is a soul ballad that speaks to the universal human experience of love and loss. With its poignant lyrics, emotive vocals, and timeless melody, the song continues to touch the hearts of listeners worldwide, offering solace and understanding in the face of heartbreak.

Jimmy Ruffin, Motown's Underrated Soul Singer, Dies - ABC News

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Lyrics: What Becomes of the Brokenhearted

As I walk this land with broken dreamsI have visions of many thingsBut happiness is just an illusionFilled with sadness and confusionWhat becomes of the broken-heartedWho had love that’s now departed?I know I’ve got to findSome kind of peace of mindMaybe
The roots of love grow all aroundBut for me they come a-tumblin’ downEvery day heartaches grow a little strongerI can’t stand this pain much longerI walk in shadowsm searching for lightCold and alone, no comfort in sightHoping and praying for someone to careAlways moving and goin’ nowhereWhat becomes of the broken-heartedWho had love that’s now departed?I know I’ve got to findSome kind of peace of mindHelp me
I’m searching, though I don’t succeedBut someone look, there’s a growing needOh, he is lost, there’s no place for beginningAll that’s left is an unhappy endingNow, becomes of the broken-heartedWho had love that’s now departed?I know I’ve got to findSome kind of peace of mind
I’ll be searching everywhereJust to find someone to careI’ll be looking everyday, I know I’m gonna find a wayNothing’s gonna stop me nowI’ll find a way somehowAnd I’ll be searching everywhereI know I gotta find a wayI’ll be looking

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SHE WAS A BRIDE AT FIFTEEN, A MOTHER AT SIXTEEN, AND THE FIRST WOMAN NASHVILLE EVER HAD TO CALL “ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR” — THEN SHE NAMED HER BABY AFTER THE BEST FRIEND SHE’D JUST BURIED, AND THAT BABY SPENT A LIFETIME MAKING SURE NEITHER VOICE WAS FORGOTTEN. Loretta Lynn came out of Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, with nothing but a coal miner’s last name and a voice that could pin a grown man to his chair. Married before she could drive. Four children by twenty-two. Then she wrote songs that scared Nashville half to death — about cheating husbands, birth control pills, and women who’d had enough. Sixteen number-ones. Presidential Medal of Freedom. The whole world calling her the Coal Miner’s Daughter. In 1963, her best friend Patsy Cline died in a plane crash. The next year, Loretta gave birth to twins. She named one of them Patsy. That little girl grew up backstage, between tour buses and honky-tonks. She formed The Lynns with her twin sister Peggy. Earned CMA nominations. Then she did something quieter and heavier — she stepped behind the glass and co-produced her mother’s final albums alongside Johnny Cash’s son. Loretta died October 4, 2022. That first birthday without her, Patsy woke up reaching for a phone call that wasn’t coming — her mama singing “Happy Birthday,” the way she always had. Does knowing Loretta named her daughter after a ghost she never stopped grieving make “I Fall to Pieces” feel like it belongs to both of them now?

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SHE WAS A BRIDE AT FIFTEEN, A MOTHER AT SIXTEEN, AND THE FIRST WOMAN NASHVILLE EVER HAD TO CALL “ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR” — THEN SHE NAMED HER BABY AFTER THE BEST FRIEND SHE’D JUST BURIED, AND THAT BABY SPENT A LIFETIME MAKING SURE NEITHER VOICE WAS FORGOTTEN. Loretta Lynn came out of Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, with nothing but a coal miner’s last name and a voice that could pin a grown man to his chair. Married before she could drive. Four children by twenty-two. Then she wrote songs that scared Nashville half to death — about cheating husbands, birth control pills, and women who’d had enough. Sixteen number-ones. Presidential Medal of Freedom. The whole world calling her the Coal Miner’s Daughter. In 1963, her best friend Patsy Cline died in a plane crash. The next year, Loretta gave birth to twins. She named one of them Patsy. That little girl grew up backstage, between tour buses and honky-tonks. She formed The Lynns with her twin sister Peggy. Earned CMA nominations. Then she did something quieter and heavier — she stepped behind the glass and co-produced her mother’s final albums alongside Johnny Cash’s son. Loretta died October 4, 2022. That first birthday without her, Patsy woke up reaching for a phone call that wasn’t coming — her mama singing “Happy Birthday,” the way she always had. Does knowing Loretta named her daughter after a ghost she never stopped grieving make “I Fall to Pieces” feel like it belongs to both of them now?

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“YOU MAKE THE COFFEE, I’LL MAKE THE BED.” — GLEN CAMPBELL DIDN’T NEED A LOVE POEM. HE JUST NEEDED AN OKLAHOMA MORNING. In December 1971, Glen Campbell released “Oklahoma Sunday Morning.” It peaked at #15 on the country charts—not his biggest hit by a long shot. But something about this track stuck. It wasn’t about fame or tragedy; it was about coffee, making the bed, and packing a lunch. It was the kind of love that doesn’t make headlines. But the way Glen sang it, you realized he wasn’t just describing a routine. He was singing about the only place that truly felt like home. A kid from a sharecropper’s family of twelve in Delight, Arkansas—who went on to sell 45 million records—poured something deeply personal into this quiet track. Fifty years later, folks across Oklahoma still know every word. Some songs don’t need to reach #1. They just need to be true.