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
Everybody's Somebody's Fool
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you don't care how many tears I cry
And though you only lead me on and hurt me
I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye
'Cause everybody's somebody's fool
Everybody's somebody's baby
And there are no exceptions to the rule
I told myself it's best that I forget you
Though I'm a fool, at least I know the score
Yet darlin', I'd be twice as blue without you
It hurts, but I'd come running back for more
'Cause everybody's somebody's fool
Everybody's somebody's baby
And there are no exceptions to the rule
Yes, everybody's somebody's fool
Someday you'll find someone you really care for
And if her love should prove to be untrue
You'll know how much this heart of my is breakin'
You'll cry for her the way I cried for you
Yes, everybody's somebody's fool
Everybody's somebody's baby
And there are no exceptions to the rule
Yes, everybody's somebody's fool
The lyrics of Connie Francis's song Everybody's Somebody's Fool reflect on the universal nature of the pain of unrequited love. The singer acknowledges the hurt and tears she suffered at the hands of someone who led her on, but she could not bring herself to break away. She knows that she is not the only one who has been through this experience, as "Everybody's somebody's fool." This phrase means that everyone has moments in their lives when they fall in love with someone who does not feel the same way, and that everyone has been hurt by love at some point.
The singer tries to convince herself that it's best to forget about the person who hurt her, but she cannot help feeling blue without them. The pain is a constant reminder of a love that should have been, but wasn't. The chorus of the song emphasizes that every person is somebody's fool, and there are no exceptions to the rule. This means that everyone is susceptible to falling in love and getting hurt. The final verse of the song offers a message of hope to the singer's former love interest, suggesting that they will also go through the same experience when they fall in love with someone who is untrue to them.
Line by Line Meaning
The tears I cried for you could fill an ocean
I have wept so much over losing you that my tears could create an ocean in their collective volume.
But you don't care how many tears I cry
You are indifferent to the depth of my sorrow and how much pain I feel over the loss of our relationship.
And though you only lead me on and hurt me
You gave me false hope and essentially played with my emotions, causing me a great deal of pain and heartache.
I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye
Even though I knew you were hurting me and leading me on, I couldn't find it in me to walk away from you and end our relationship.
'Cause everybody's somebody's fool
I realized that everyone is vulnerable to being deceived by someone they care for deeply, in the same way that you deceived and hurt me - so I didn't feel so foolish or alone.
I told myself it's best that I forget you
Even though I knew I was hurting, I tried to convince myself that forgetting you was the best course of action for me and that I needed to move on.
Though I'm a fool, at least I know the score
Despite feeling foolish for not being able to move on, I was at least aware of the reality of my situation and the pain that I was feeling as a result.
Yet darlin', I'd be twice as blue without you
Even though loving you is causing me pain, I know I would be even more unhappy if I didn't have you in my life at all.
It hurts, but I'd come running back for more
Despite knowing that you have hurt me in the past, I know that I would give in and return to you again if you asked me to - I am that vulnerable.
Someday you'll find someone you really care for
I believe that one day you will meet someone who you care about in the same way that I care about you.
And if her love should prove to be untrue
If you do find someone else, and that person ultimately ends up hurting you like you hurt me, you will understand how much pain I felt.
You'll know how much this heart of my is breakin'
If you ever find yourself in my position, you'll realize how devastating it is to have the heartbreak that I'm experiencing.
You'll cry for her the way I cried for you
If you do end up experiencing heartbreak from someone else, you will understand my pain and feelings in a much more profound way - because you have been there yourself.
Yes, everybody's somebody's fool
No one is exempt from being fooled or hurt by someone they care for deeply or someone they love.
Everybody's somebody's baby
Everyone is someone's child or loved one, and everyone is vulnerable to being hurt and feeling lost or lonely when they lose or do not receive that love.
And there are no exceptions to the rule
No one is so invulnerable that they cannot be hurt or experience loss in love, no matter how much power, wealth, success, or status they may seem to possess.
Yes, everybody's somebody's fool
No one is immune to the emotional pain of being hurt by someone they love, or even just hoped to love - we are all human and, therefore, vulnerable.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Howard Greenfield, Jack Keller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rockymontana1951
The tears I cried for you could fill an ocean
But you don't care how many tears I cry
And though you only lead me on and hurt me
I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye
'Cause everybody's somebody's fool
Everybody's somebody's plaything
And there are no exceptions to the rule
Yes, everybody's somebody's fool
I told myself it's best that I forget you
Though I'm a fool at least I know the score
Yet darlin' I'd be twice as blue without you
It hurts but I come runnin' back for more
'Cause everybody's somebody's fool
Everybody's somebody's plaything
And there are no exceptions to the rule
Yes, everybody's somebody's fool
Someday you'll find someone you really care for
And if her love should prove to be untrue
You'll know how much this heart of mine is breaking
You'll cry for her the way I've cried for you
Yes, everybody's somebody's fool
Everybody's somebody's plaything
And there are no exceptions to the rule
Yes, everybody's somebody's fool
@billmoss7723
I bought this in 1960, have numerous copies of it, and play it regularly. The great thing about getting older is that you don't give a toss what others think.
@paulastanding5077
THANKYOU THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING TO THIS HEHE
🎉🎉🎉😃😃😃😃😃😃❤❤❤❤👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
@kimyanlee2247
One of my favourites. It's Evergreen and will never get tired of listening.❤
@anniebodie1808
It gets better with age like us
@Ufoolin
We’ll said Billy bob billy Bo bob boob Bobby bob bob boobidy bop bop the boo boo bop
@craig9843
Right? And also the old songs are so much better.
@user-qs1ti2jb7o
I am 75 years old and still love her. No one today sounds as good as Connie did
@lesliepeterson1416
Not only does she have a great voice, she is absolutely beautiful. A Hall of Fame candidate for sure. I'm also glad I was born when I was. Oldies are the goodies!!!
@conniefrancis5883
Hi there
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 and checking out on my fans, so I can get to communicate with my fans better through discussion of depth and humor listening to compliments and criticism of my career.💞💞💝💝
@lengerrard3810
Always loved connie