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
Don't Break The Heart That Lov
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't break the heart that loves you
Handle it with care
Don't break the heart that needs you
Darling, please be fair
Why do you flirt, and constantly hurt me?
Why do you treat our love so carelessly?
You know I'm jealous of you
And yet you seem to try
To go out of your way to be unkind
Sweetheart, I'm begging of you
Don't break this heart that loves you
Don't break this heart of mine
Darling, please don't hurt me
Please, don't make me cry
I don't know what I'd do if you'd ever say goodbye
Remember, I love you so much
And love is life's greatest joy
Please don't break my heart like a child breaks a little toy
Sweetheart, I'm begging of you
Don't break this heart that loves you
Don't break this heart of mine (don't break this heart)
Connie Francisโs โDonโt Break the Heart That Loves Youโ is a song about a woman begging her lover to be kind and caring towards her fragility. The song is full of heart rendering pleas to handle the love with care as it is delicate and could be easily broken. The lyrics reflect someone who is insecure and deeply in love but is not able to receive the same amount of commitment in love in return. The songโs tone is of a sad, helpless and pleading nature where the singer is asking her lover to have a little empathy towards her feelings.
Connie Francis's voice is calming with her sweet vibrato lending an emotional note to the song. The verses reflect the woman's confusion with her partner's behavior and how it is affecting her emotional and mental well-being. โWhy do you flirt and constantly hurt me? Why do you treat our love so carelessly?โ She is concerned and worried about her lover's flippant attitude towards their love. At the same time, there is a sense of jealousy and insecurity as she says, โYou know Iโm jealous of you, and yet you seem to try to go out of your way to be unkindโ.
The chorus takes a more sincere and appealing tone. The woman is almost on her knees begging her lover to handle her love with care, not to break her heart, and not to hurt her as she cannot imagine living without him. โSweetheart, Iโm begging of you, donโt break this heart that loves you, donโt break this heart of mine.โ She emphasizes the importance of their love and how their life's happiness depends on it. These lines signify that love is not always easy, but it is worth putting the effort to make it work. Francisโs โDonโt Break the Heart That Loves Youโ is a classic love song that touches the soul and tugs at the heartstrings of those who have experienced the fragile nature of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't break the heart that loves you
Please handle my heart with care and don't break it, because it loves you deeply
Handle it with care
Treat my heart with utmost care, so that it remains safe and untouched
Don't break the heart that needs you
Please don't hurt my heart because it needs you and relies on your love to thrive
Darling, please be fair
Please be fair and honest with me, and don't take advantage of my unconditional love for you
Why do you flirt, and constantly hurt me?
I don't understand why you flirt with others and hurt me constantly, despite my love for you
Why do you treat our love so carelessly?
I don't understand why you treat our love so carelessly, like it's not valuable or important to you
You know I'm jealous of you
You know that I'm jealous of your actions and how you treat our love
And yet you seem to try
Despite knowing my jealousy and feelings, you still seem to be deliberately unkind and hurtful
To go out of your way to be unkind
Your actions indicate that you are intentionally cruel and hurtful towards me
Sweetheart, I'm begging of you
I'm begging and pleading with you to listen to me and not break my heart
Don't break this heart that loves you
Please don't break my heart, as it truly loves you
Don't break this heart of mine
Please don't break my heart, as it is fragile and vulnerable
Please, don't make me cry
Please don't make me cry, as it is heartbreaking to see you hurt me
I don't know what I'd do if you'd ever say goodbye
I don't know how I would cope if you were to leave me
Remember, I love you so much
Please remember that I love you deeply and sincerely
And love is life's greatest joy
Love is one of life's greatest joys and I cherish the love we share
Please don't break my heart like a child breaks a little toy
Please don't treat my heart as if it's disposable, like a child breaking a toy
Don't break this heart of mine (don't break this heart)
Please don't break my heart, as it is delicate and valuable
Lyrics ยฉ BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Benny Davis, Ted Murray
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ronaldherrera1238
Don't break the heart ..... that loves you !!
Handle it with care ....
Don't break the heart - that needs you
Darling - please be fair -
Why do you flirt? and constantly hurt me?
Why do you treat our love so carelessly?
You know I'm jealousยจ- of you
And yet you seem to try!!
To go out of your way -
To be unkind
Sweetheart - I'm begging of you
Don't break this heart that loves you !!
Don't break this heart of mine !!
Darling .... please don't hurt me
Please, don't make me cry -
I don't know what I'd do if you'd ever say goodbye
Remember - I love you so much
And love is life's greatest joy
Please don't break my heart like a child breaks a little toy -
Sweetheart - I'm begging of you
Don't break this heart that loves you !!
Don't break this heart - of mine ....!!
@theresachiorazzi4571
Where ever Connie is today I wish her the best my hubby loved her songs and so did I who wouldnโt love Connie.
@conniefrancis5883
Hi there๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น
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 youโve done for me throughout the years.
Itโs a season of love๐โค๏ธโค๏ธ for me and so I decided to put a smile on the faces of my fans by going through my YouTube channel and 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.๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ
@helenahmilanska4678
She's adorable, very beautiful voice, She's my only one still today no one can singing as she does. God bless. ๐๐
@garyangelo6439
I believe this woman is truly an ICON I LOVE Her DEEPLY One in a MILLION I still listed and ENJOY
@rogerturner1881
that intro helped it a lot to stardom to #1 spot.Incidentally it climbed by steps to #1 from #4,#3,#2,#1 Not many did that i can tell you. It's also the 1st #1 in 1962 with a narration.
@drgn1
That year '62 is two years before I was born. But what an impressive song. So beautiful!
@petegrillot7315
OH, How I love her voice... 2019 today's my 63 birthday and I still am infatuated by Connie's songs.
@rogerturner1881
you should listen to IT WOULD STILL BE WORTH IT 1960, AVE MARIA 1959, I WANNA BE WITH YOU 1966, ELI ELI 1960 playback,1982 vocal as orig is lost POWERFUL VOCAL..
@philomenapeterson1790
Sung so beautifully, gracefully and in harmony. Melody is very good. Romantic
@johnmarotta4940
What a great voice she is one of my favorites.How can you not love her music so sincere