Born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark's Italian Down Neck or Ironbound section of Newark, New Jersey neighbourhood, she is considered the most prolific and popular female rock 'n' roll hit-maker of the early rock era -- the late 1950s to the early 1960s. After an appearance on Startime, Francis was advised to change her name from Franconero to something more easily pronounceable, as well as to quit the accordion and focus on singing.
Francis' first single "Freddy" (1955) met with little success. Her next nine singles were also failures, and she began considering a career in medicine; however, "Who's Sorry Now" (a cover version of a 1923 song) launched her into super-stardom worldwide. Francis recorded the song at what was to have been her final recording session for MGM, as the label was about to drop her since her previous singles had generated little activity. She has said (paraphrased from The Billboard Book of Number One Singles by Fred Bronson) that she recorded it at the suggestion of her father, who convinced her it stood a chance of becoming a hit because it was a song adults already knew and that teenagers would dance to if it were released with a more contemporary arrangement.
The gamble paid off. In April 1958, "Who's Sorry Now" reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart (number four in the USA); in 2000, it was named one of the Songs of the Century. On January 1, 1958, she debuted it on Dick Clark's American Bandstand television show; by mid-year over a million copies were sold. This was followed by many other hits over the next decade, as Connie Francis became one of the most popular vocalists in the world.
Francis specialized in downbeat ballads delivered in her trademark "sobbing" style -- such as "My Happiness," "I'm Sorry I Made You Cry," "Among My Souvenirs," "Together," "Breakin' In a Brand New Broken Heart," and the Italian song "Mama," many of which were remakes of old standards. However, she also had success with a handful of more upbeat, rock-and-roll-oriented compositions, such as "Stupid Cupid," "Lipstick On Your Collar," and "Vacation." Among her other notable performances were "In the Summer of His Years" (a tribute to slain U.S. President John F. Kennedy) and Bert Kaempfert's "Strangers In The Night" (although the latter song is more identified with Frank Sinatra). Both "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" went to No.1 on the Billboard music charts in 1960. In 1962 she had another No.1 hit with "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You."
Francis recorded in nine languages during her career, including English, Italian, French, Spanish, German, and even Japanese, and remade many of her hits in foreign languages, including "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and her signature song, "Where the Boys Are." In fact, her biggest hit album in the U.S. was 1960's Italian Favorites, and she followed it with several more albums of Italian songs over the years, as well as collections of Spanish-language and Jewish songs, among others.
"Where The Boys Are," one of many Neil Sedaka/Howard Greenfield compositions Francis recorded during her career (others included "Stupid Cupid" and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool"), gained wide exposure through its inclusion in the 1960 motion picture with the same title. Francis had a role in the film and sang the title song. During the first half of the 1960s she starred in three additional films -- Follow the Boys (1963) (the title song of which became a No. 17 Billboard single for Francis), Looking for Love (1964) and When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965).
In 1960 Francis became the youngest headliner to sing in Las Vegas, where she played 28 days a year for nine years. In 1961 she was successful in starring in her own television special on ABC television sponsored by Brylcreem titled Kicking Sound Around, singing and acting along-side Tab Hunter, Eddie Foy Jr. and Art Carney. She appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on July 1, 1962 with French singing star Johnny Hallyday in a show that was taped at the famous Moulin Rouge nightclub in Paris, France. On July 3, 1963 she played a Command performance before Queen Elizabeth II at the Alhambra Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland. By 1967, she had 35 U.S. Top 40 hits, and three number ones.
Connie Francis has always been a great fan of country music and recorded several albums of country standards during her pop career. In 1969 she had a modest country hit with "The Wedding Cake" and made the country charts again in 1982 with "There's Still a Few Good Love Songs Left in Me." Several country singers found chart success remaking Francis' pop hits for the country market, including Marie Osmond ("Who's Sorry Now" in 1975), Susan Raye ("My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" in 1972), Margo Smith ("Don't Break The Heart That Loves You" in 1978), and Debby Boone.
During the height of the Vietnam War in 1967, Connie Francis performed for U.S. troops.
Francis ended her recording career in 1969. She returned in 1973 with "The Answer," a song written just for her, and soon began performing again. Her son Joey was born in 1974. Tragedies followed soon after. In 1974 she was sexually assaulted in a hotel following a performance in Westbury, New York. Nasal surgery to correct a sensitivity to air conditioning deprived her of her ability to sing professionally for four years. Her brother was murdered in 1981.
Francis' autobiography, Who's Sorry Now? was published in 1984. Francis was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a mental disease which includes severe depressions and manic highs. She uses the drug Lithium to balance out the emotional highs and lows caused by the disease. Connie Francis resumed her career in 1989 after discovering the drug and has continued singing and recording since then. Francis still holds a world-wide appeal shown through continued music sales and sold-out appearances.
Her latest CD The American Tour contains performances from recent shows. In late December 2004, Francis headlined in Las Vegas for the first time since 1989.
In March of 2007, Francis performed to a sold-out crowd -- composed of gay urbanites and conservative suburbanites -- in San Francisco. The "little diva" belted out versions of her "woebegone ballads . . . in full force," according to the San Franciso Chronicle's music critic.
Connie's fan club: www.conniefrancis.com
Bésame mucho
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bésame mucho, que tengo miedo a perderte, perderte otra vez
Quiero tenerte muy cerca, mirarme en tus ojos, verte junto a mí
Piensa que tal vez mañana yo ya estaré lejos, muy lejos de aquí
Oh, bésame mucho, como si fuera esta noche la última vez
Bésame mucho, que tengo miedo a perderte, perderte otra vez
If you should leave me each little dream would take wing and my life would be through
Bésame mucho, love me forever and make all my dreams come true
Que tengo miedo a perderte, perderte otra vez
The lyrics to Connie Francis's song Bésame mucho are about the fear of losing someone you love, and the desire to hold on to them tightly. The singer asks their lover to kiss them deeply, as if it were the last time, because the thought of losing them again is too painful to bear. They want to be near their lover, to look into their eyes and know that they are there with them. But the singer also recognizes that tomorrow is not guaranteed, and that they may be separated from their lover for reasons beyond their control.
The phrase "Bésame mucho" itself means "kiss me a lot" in Spanish, and the repetition of this phrase in the lyrics adds to the romantic and passionate tone of the song. The line "If you should leave me each little dream would take wing" reveals the depth of the singer's love and dependence on their lover. They recognize that their dreams and aspirations are intertwined with the presence of their beloved, and losing them would mean an end to all of their hopes and desires.
Overall, Bésame mucho is a poignant and emotional love song that captures the intensity of a relationship that is threatened by the possibility of separation. The singer's plea for their lover's affection highlights the power of love to give meaning and purpose to life, while also acknowledging the fragility of that love in the face of uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Bésame, bésame mucho, como si fuera esta noche la última vez
Kiss me, kiss me a lot, as if it were tonight the last time we'll have a chance to kiss.
Bésame mucho, que tengo miedo a perderte, perderte otra vez
Kiss me a lot, because I'm afraid of losing you, of losing you again.
Quiero tenerte muy cerca, mirarme en tus ojos, verte junto a mí
I want to hold you close, look into your eyes, and see you next to me.
Piensa que tal vez mañana yo ya estaré lejos, muy lejos de aquí
Think that maybe tomorrow I'll be far away, very far from here.
Oh, bésame mucho, como si fuera esta noche la última vez
Oh, kiss me a lot, as if it were tonight the last time we'll have a chance to kiss.
Bésame mucho, que tengo miedo a perderte, perderte otra vez
Kiss me a lot, because I'm afraid of losing you, of losing you again.
If you should leave me each little dream would take wing and my life would be through
If you should leave me, all of my hopes and dreams would disappear and my life would be over.
Bésame mucho, love me forever and make all my dreams come true
Kiss me a lot, love me forever, and make all of my dreams come true.
Que tengo miedo a perderte, perderte otra vez
Because I'm afraid of losing you, of losing you again
Contributed by Liliana D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@eschermb
Bésame, bésame mucho
Como si fuera esta la noche
La última vez
Bésame, bésame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después
Bésame, bésame mucho
Como si fuera esta la noche
La última vez
Bésame, bésame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después
Quiero tenerte muy cerca
Mirarme en tus ojos
Verte junto a mi
Piensa que tal vez mañana
Yo ya estaré lejos
Muy lejos de aquí
Bésame, bésame mucho
Como si fuera esta la noche
La última vez
Bésame, bésame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después
Bésame, (Bésame) bésame mucho (Bésame mucho)
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después
Perderte después
@constantincosteek1414
Încă o variantă.exceptionala a celebrului cântec dupa frumoasa Connie !
@rubensferreira272
AMO ESSA MÚSICA !
@eschermb
Bésame, bésame mucho
Como si fuera esta la noche
La última vez
Bésame, bésame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después
Bésame, bésame mucho
Como si fuera esta la noche
La última vez
Bésame, bésame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después
Quiero tenerte muy cerca
Mirarme en tus ojos
Verte junto a mi
Piensa que tal vez mañana
Yo ya estaré lejos
Muy lejos de aquí
Bésame, bésame mucho
Como si fuera esta la noche
La última vez
Bésame, bésame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después
Bésame, (Bésame) bésame mucho (Bésame mucho)
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después
Perderte después
@astragalus49
Absolutely the best performance ever. It's penetrating into the depth of my heart
@conniefrancis4743
Hi dear🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Thanks for your love and support that has brought me this far, it has been a hard time for me going through this but your love and support keeps me going and standing strong in this difficult times. I do read your heartwarming comments and I truly appreciate all you’ve done for me throughout the years.
It’s a season of love😍❤️❤️ for me and so I decided to put a smile on the faces of my fans by going through my YouTube channel am checking out on my fans, so I can get to communicate with my fans better through discussion of depth and humor listening to o and criticism of my career.💞💞🙏💖....
@user-rl1zm9xn5m
Лично для меня самое лучшее исполнение этой песни певицей Чезаре Эворы, в том числе и её музыкальное сопровождение!!!!!
@mariagabrielavelezramirez4777
HERMOSA MUJER Y GRANDE COMO ARTISTA BELLA VOZ NO MÁS 👏💯💯👏👏👏👏 SALUDOS DESDE 🇲🇽🍄🐕 GUADALAJARA JALISCO.
@baraskparas9559
Greatness in composition and execution. Genius , Consuelo Velasquez and Connie Francis.
@conniefrancis4743
Hi dear🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Thanks for your love and support that has brought me this far, it has been a hard time for me going through this but your love and support keeps me going and standing strong in this difficult times. I do read your heartwarming comments and I truly appreciate all you’ve done for me throughout the years.
It’s a season of love😍❤️❤️ for me and so I decided to put a smile on the faces of my fans by going through my YouTube channel am checking out on my fans, so I can get to communicate with my fans better through discussion of depth and humor listening to o and criticism of my career.💞💞🙏💖.
@luisarmando3765
el timbre de voz de Connie Francis, espectacular y hermosa