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
Love Me Tender
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never let me go
You have made my life complete
And I love you so
Love me tender, love me true
All my dreams fulfill
For my darling I love you
Love me tender, love me long
Take me to your heart
For it's there that I belong
And will never part
Love me tender, love me true
All my dreams fulfill
For my darling I love you
And I always will
Love me tender, love me dear
Tell me you are mine
I'll be yours through all the years
Till the end of time
Love me tender, love me true
All my dreams fulfill
For my darling I love you
And I always will
The lyrics to "Love Me Tender" by Connie Francis are a declaration of love, pure and simple. The singer implores her lover to love her tenderly and never let her go. She acknowledges that her partner has completed her life, and she loves them just as much in return. The second verse of the song reiterates that the singer's dreams have been fulfilled by their love, and that she belongs with her partner, never to part from them.
The third verse speaks to the longevity of their love and how it will endure through the years until the end of time. The final verse is a plea from the singer to her lover to tell her that she is theirs, and she will be theirs forever. The lyrics of "Love Me Tender" are an excellent example of how simple and straightforward love songs can be, and how they elicit such strong emotions from the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
Love me tender, love me sweet
Express your affection towards me in a gentle, kind manner
Never let me go
Promise me that you will always be there for me, and that we will always be together
You have made my life complete
You bring so much joy and happiness into my life, and I can't imagine living without you
And I love you so
I have a deep, unwavering love for you that will never fade
Love me tender, love me true
Continue to show me your genuine, authentic love and affection
All my dreams fulfill
Being with you and experiencing your unwavering love fulfills all my hopes and dreams
For my darling I love you
I love you deeply, and you mean everything to me
And I always will
My love for you will never diminish, and I will always be devoted to you
Love me tender, love me long
Love me for an extended period, and never let that love fade
Take me to your heart
Let me into your heart, and let us love each other deeply
For it's there that I belong
Being with you is where I feel like I truly belong
And will never part
Our love is strong enough to withstand anything, and we will never be separated
Love me tender, love me true
Continue to show me your genuine, authentic love and affection
All my dreams fulfill
Being with you and experiencing your unwavering love fulfills all my hopes and dreams
For my darling I love you
I love you deeply, and you mean everything to me
And I always will
My love for you will never diminish, and I will always be devoted to you
Love me tender, love me dear
Express your love for me in a heartfelt, endearing way
Tell me you are mine
Let me know that you are completely devoted to me, and that we belong to each other
I'll be yours through all the years
I will love you and be committed to you for the rest of our lives
Till the end of time
Our love is eternal, and will continue even beyond our time on earth
Love me tender, love me true
Continue to show me your genuine, authentic love and affection
All my dreams fulfill
Being with you and experiencing your unwavering love fulfills all my hopes and dreams
For my darling I love you
I love you deeply, and you mean everything to me
And I always will
My love for you will never diminish, and I will always be devoted to you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Elvis Presley, Vera Matson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Her singing sounds so sweet and beautiful. Every time I listen to her songs, I feel like my heart is wrapped in warmth.
tiffsaver
Perfect song for Connie... as always, she does it beautifully!!
Mark Kim
애절한 그리고 호소력 있는 목소리의 가수....
Her voice will melt right into your heart.....
1719Arek
Cudne wykonanie Connie Francis . Jest w niej tyle uczucia , jak zawsze. Connie Francis i Elvis Presley , to najpiękniejsze wykonania tej piosenki. Pozdrawiam Zosia
Michelle Little
My favourite singer, grew up listening to her, what a voice! Always sang along to her music.
ronholfly
Oh Connie your lovely voice and those words, how could we not love you.💘💘
Jeannie Lapointe
So tender and soft as only Connie does it. I just love her singing Elvis song. Magnificient voice.
Catherine Chow
She deserve an Eternal voice
Dorota Cichorowska
Cudowna piosenka i cudowne wykonanie :)
tiffsaver
Wow. I've never heard this sung by a woman... incredible!!