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
Bye Bye Love
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bye bye love
Bye bye happiness
Hello loneliness
I think Im gonna cry
Bye bye love
Bye bye sweet caress
Hello emptiness
Bye bye my love, goodbye
There goes my baby
With someone new
She sure looks happy
I sure am blue
She was my baby
Till he stepped in
Goodbye to romance
That might have been
Chorus
Im through with romance
Im through with love
Im through with counting
The stars above
And heres the reason
That Im so free
My loving baby
Is through with me
Chorus
The lyrics of the song Bye Bye Love by Connie Francis revolve around heartbreak, loneliness, and the end of a romantic relationship. The chorus talks about the aftermath of a breakup - saying goodbye to love, happiness, and sweet caresses, and being left with loneliness and emptiness. The singer is so affected by the breakup that she feels like crying and even dying.
In the verses, the singer describes how her lover has left her for someone else who seems to be making him happy, but she is feeling blue and alone. She recalls how he was once her baby, but everything changed when the other person stepped into the picture. The singer then goes on to declare that she is done with romance, love, and even stargazing because her lover has left her. She feels free but also heartbroken since her baby has left her.
Overall, the song depicts the pain and grief that come with the end of a relationship, but it also shows how one can find some solace in being free and letting go of love. The tune is sweet and catchy, but its lyrics touch upon a universal theme that many can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Bye bye love
I am saying goodbye to the love that I have lost.
Bye bye happiness
The happiness in my life is leaving along with my love.
Hello loneliness
Now that my love is gone, I am left with a feeling of loneliness.
I think Im gonna cry
This situation is making me so emotional that I may end up crying.
Bye bye sweet caress
I am now saying goodbye to the affection and tenderness that I once experienced.
Hello emptiness
With that love gone, I am now surrounded by an emptiness and void.
I feel like I could die
This pain is so excruciating that I feel like I may not be able to go on.
Bye bye my love, goodbye
I am finally saying goodbye to my lost love.
There goes my baby
The person I loved is now leaving.
With someone new
They seem to have found someone else to love.
She sure looks happy
Seeing them happy without me adds to my sorrow.
I sure am blue
I feel melancholic due to the loss of my love.
She was my baby
She was the person I deeply loved.
Till he stepped in
It was until another person entered the picture.
Goodbye to romance
My love life has now come to an end.
That might have been
What was once a potential romance has now been lost.
Im through with romance
I am now done with any possibility of love.
Im through with love
I no longer believe in love due to my painful experience.
Im through with counting
I am done with counting the stars, as I no longer see them as a symbol of hope.
The stars above
I once saw the stars as a symbol of love and hope.
And heres the reason
This is why I have decided to give up on love.
That Im so free
My love has left me, but it has allowed me to be free from the pain.
My loving baby
The person I once loved deeply.
Is through with me
They no longer have any love for me and have moved on.
Lyrics © HOUSE OF BRYANT PUBLICATIONS, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Boudleaux Bryant, Felice Bryant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@frankiehunter.
Wonderful interpretation of Everly Brothers classic.
@huldawei8194
❤❤
@mahvashbukhari993
Oh well... The absolute ugly truth... All the best n Bye bye lovers! Goodbye.... 2022