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
Gonna Get That Man
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Without making a sound
Into my dreams he peeps
With his hair all long and hanging down
How he makes me quiver
How he makes me smile
With all this love I have to give him
She brushes the curls from my eyes
She drops her robe on the floor
And she reaches for the light on the bureau
And the darkness is her pillow once more
How she makes me quiver
How she makes me smile
With all this love I have to give her
I guess I'm gonna stay with her awhile
How it makes me quiver
How it makes me smile
With all this love I have to give you
Guess I'm gonna stay with you awhile
How it makes me quiver
How it makes me smile
With all this love I have to give you
Guess I'm gonna stay with you awhile
Stay with you awhile
I guess I'm gonna stay
with you awhile
Connie Francis's song "Gonna Git That Man" is a seductive ballad about an individual who can't resist the charms of a mysterious figure who sneaks into their dreams at night. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery that captures the allure of this unknown person, with their long hair hanging down and their ability to make the singer quiver and smile.
The opening lines describe the intruder as creeping into the singer's room without making a sound, implying a sense of secrecy and perhaps even danger. However, the dreamlike quality of the lyrics suggests that this is a welcome intrusion, one that the singer finds exciting and irresistible. The lines "How he makes me quiver / How he makes me smile" emphasize the physical and emotional effects that this person has on the singer, highlighting the intensity of their feelings.
Later, the gender of the singer is revealed to be female when a woman is described as "brushing the curls from my eyes" and "dropping her robe on the floor." This shift in perspective broadens the song's appeal and adds a layer of complexity to the themes of desire and attraction. The final lines where the singer decides to stay with their lover for a while, suggest an acceptance of the pleasure they bring to one another, even if it is short-lived or temporary.
Overall, "Gonna Git That Man" is a captivating portrayal of the power of desire and the allure of the unknown. The sensuous imagery of the lyrics is matched by Francis's soulful delivery, making the song a classic of the era.
Line by Line Meaning
Into my room he creeps
He enters my room quietly and without detection.
Without making a sound
He doesn't make any noise so as not to be heard.
Into my dreams he peeps
He enters my subconscious mind and thoughts.
With his hair all long and hanging down
He has long hair that hangs down, possibly making him look mysterious.
How he makes me quiver
He causes me to feel tremors of excitement or fear.
How he makes me smile
He brings me joy and happiness.
With all this love I have to give him
I have a lot of love to offer him.
I guess I'm gonna stay with him awhile
I plan on being with him for a significant period.
She brushes the curls from my eyes
Another person brushes the curls that fall into my eyes out of the way.
She drops her robe on the floor
She removes her clothing and drops them on the ground.
And she reaches for the light on the bureau
She grabs the lamp on the dresser to turn it off.
And the darkness is her pillow once more
She goes back to sleep in the darkness of the room.
How she makes me quiver
She invokes feelings of trembling or shivering within me.
How she makes me smile
She causes me to feel happy and positive emotions.
With all this love I have to give her
I have an abundance of love to offer her.
I guess I'm gonna stay with her awhile
I plan on being with her for a significant period.
How it makes me quiver
This inspires sensations within me that provoke trembling or shivering.
How it makes me smile
This causes me to feel happiness and positive emotions.
With all this love I have to give you
I have an abundance of love to offer you.
Guess I'm gonna stay with you awhile
I plan on being with you for a significant period.
Stay with you awhile
I plan on being with you for an extended period of time.
I guess I'm gonna stay
I have decided to stay for an undetermined period of time.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music
Written by: EDDIE CURTIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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