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
Crying Time
Connie Francis Lyrics
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I can see that far away look in your eyes
I can tell by the way you hold me darling Oooh
That it won't be long before it's crying time
Now they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder (fonder)
And that tears are only rain to make love grow
Well my love for you could never grow no stronger (stronger)
Oh, it's crying time again, you're gonna leave me
I can see that far away look in your eyes
I can tell by the way you hold me darling. Yeah now
That it won't be long before it's crying time
Now you say you've found someone that you love better (better)
That's the way it's happened every time before
And as sure as the sun comes up tomorrow ('morrow)
Crying time will start when you walk out the door
Oh, it's crying time again, you're gonna leave me
I can see that far away look in your eyes
I can tell by the way you hold me darling. Alright now
That it won't be long before it's crying time (2x)
The song "Crying Time" by Connie Francis is a heart-wrenching ballad about the inevitable end of a relationship. The lyrics describe the signs that the singer's lover is about to leave her - a distant look in the eyes and the way her lover holds her. She knows that soon it will be "crying time" again, a time of heartbreak and tears.
The lyrics also touch on the idea that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but the singer's love for her lover cannot grow any stronger than it already is. She acknowledges that her lover has likely found someone else before, and that it's only a matter of time before they leave again, causing her to cry once more. The song is a poignant reminder that love can bring immense joy, but also intense pain.
Interestingly, "Crying Time" was not originally performed by Connie Francis. The song was written and first recorded by Buck Owens in 1964, becoming a hit on the country charts. However, Francis's cover of the song reached a wider audience and became a top 10 hit on both the pop and adult contemporary charts.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, it's crying time again, you're gonna leave me
The singer is acknowledging that the relationship is coming to an end and that it's time for her to cry once again.
I can see that far away look in your eyes
The singer can tell that her partner is distant and that their heart is no longer fully invested in the relationship.
I can tell by the way you hold me darling Oooh
The singer can sense that her partner's touch is not as intimate and loving as it once was.
That it won't be long before it's crying time
The singer knows that it's only a matter of time before the relationship reaches its breaking point and she's left alone to cry.
Now they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder (fonder)
The singer is aware of the saying that suggests that distance can bring people closer together, but she doesn't feel that way.
And that tears are only rain to make love grow
The singer understands that tears can express powerful emotions, but in her case they aren't helping her relationship to flourish.
Well my love for you could never grow no stronger (stronger)
The singer believes that her love for her partner has reached its maximum capacity and can't grow any stronger than it already is.
If I lived to be a hundred years old
The singer thinks that even if she were to live a very long life, her love for her partner would never increase beyond what it is now.
Now you say you've found someone that you love better (better)
The singer's partner has revealed that they've found someone else that they care for more than her.
That's the way it's happened every time before
This is a pattern that the singer has experienced in past relationships, where her partners have left her for others.
And as sure as the sun comes up tomorrow ('morrow)
The singer is certain that her partner will leave her and that she'll be left crying once again, just like how the sun will rise tomorrow.
Crying time will start when you walk out the door
The singer knows that once her partner leaves, she'll be overwhelmed with emotion and start crying.
Lyrics © BEACHAVEN MUSIC CORPORATION , Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: OTIS SPANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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