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
Dreamboat
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's my dreamboat, mowin' his folk's grass,
He's my dream boat with the dreamy, dreamy eyes.
He's my dreamboat, workin' on his car,
He's my dreamboat, straddlin' his guitar,
He's my dreamboat with the dreamy dreamy eyes.
Well now,
And I know that darlin' dreamboat
Dreams of me too.
He's my dreamboat, coffee in a Dixie cup,
Darling dreamboat, that crazy, silly nut,
He's my dreamboat with the dreamy, dreamy eyes.
Yes, he's my dreamboat, coffeein a Dixie cup,
Darlin dreamboat, that crazy, silly nut,
He's my dreamboat with the dreamy, dreamy eyes.
Connie Francis's song "Dreamboat," released in 1960, is a classic pop ballad about a girl smitten by a boy she refers to as her dreamboat. In the first stanza, she describes him as a boy in her English class and then again as a boy mowing his folk's grass. The boy has dreamy eyes that she finds captivating, hence the repetition of the phrase "he's my dreamboat with the dreamy, dreamy eyes." In the second stanza, the girl reveals that the boy is also handy with cars and plays the guitar, which only intensifies her attraction to him.
The chorus of the song expresses the girl's deep feelings for the boy, as she "dreams of dreamboat in everything I do." She's confident that he feels the same way about her and dreams of her too. In the final stanza, she mentions that the boy likes to drink coffee from a Dixie cup, which emphasizes his laid-back demeanor, and also calls him a "crazy, silly nut," which reveals her fondness for his quirky nature. The song ends with the affirmation that the boy is indeed her dreamboat.
Line by Line Meaning
He's my dreamboat, asleep in English class,
The singer sees him as her dreamboat even when he's sleeping in English class.
He's my dreamboat, mowin' his folk's grass,
The singer finds him irresistible even when he's doing mundane tasks like mowing his parents' lawn.
He's my dream boat with the dreamy, dreamy eyes.
The singer is most drawn to his dreamy eyes, which make him stand out from others.
He's my dreamboat, workin' on his car,
Even when he's getting his hands dirty fixing his car, the artist still sees him as her dreamboat.
He's my dreamboat, straddlin' his guitar,
The artist is charmed by him playing his guitar and sees him as a dreamboat even then.
He's my dreamboat with the dreamy dreamy eyes.
The singer can't get enough of his dreamy eyes and continues to be attracted to him.
I dream of dreamboat in everything I do
The singer can't stop thinking about her dreamboat and finds herself daydreaming about him in all aspects of her life.
And I know that darlin' dreamboat Dreams of me too.
The artist believes that her dreamboat feels the same way about her and that they share a mutual affection.
He's my dreamboat, coffee in a Dixie cup,
Even when he's drinking coffee out of a basic Dixie cup, the artist still finds him to be her dreamboat.
Darling dreamboat, that crazy, silly nut,
Despite his quirks, the artist affectionately calls him a crazy and silly nut, only adding to his dreamboat status.
He's my dreamboat with the dreamy, dreamy eyes.
The singer is still drawn to him most by his dreamy eyes, seeing him as a dreamboat in every way.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LOUDERMILK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tom Smith
Yes. One of her best---great vocal range
frankie hunter
From the May of 1959 till the February of 1963 Connie Francis charted 13 songs that where double-sided hits in USA. The first was "Lipstick On Your Collar" (5)/"Frankie(9) in 1959 and the last "I Am Gonna Be Warm This Winter" (18)/ Al Di La (90) in 1963. Only the biggest stars like the Beatles or Elvis Presley managed this feat.
Whitelight
Thank you kindly for the post Johnny....One of Connie's best, I do believe.
WL
Chris Boudreaux
I first heard this song as a "Discovery Of The Week" pick in 1961. I loved it then; and I love it now.
luis grant
Another great double sided hit for Connie He's My Dreamboat/Hollywood
Agnes Tucker
Beautiful
jakre10
Always did like this song. I had a heck of a time for awhile trying to understand "coffee in a dixie cup". I finally got it!
Whitelight
I still don't understand it Jakre10... What secret code am I missing?
The Dreamboats
Did someone say dreamboat?