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
Siboney
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Siboney, en tu boca la miel puso su dulzor.
Ven a mi que te quiero y que todo tesoro eres tu para mi.
Siboney al arrullo de tu alma pienso en ti.
Siboney de mi sueno si no oyes la queja de mi voz,
Siboney si no vienes me morir de amor.
Siboney de mi sueno te espero con ansia en mi caney,
Oye el eco de mi canto de cristal
No se pierde por el rudo manigual.
"Siboney" is a romantic ballad composed by Cuban composer and pianist Ernesto Lecuona. In this song, the singer, Connie Francis, expresses her deep love for Siboney, a Cuban town. The lyrics convey the singer's willingness to do anything for the love of Siboney, and how the town's sweetness has been brought to life by her lover's mouth. The song's melancholic tone conveys the singer's feelings of longing and vulnerability, as she is left waiting for her lover to return.
In the final lines of the song, the singer pleads with her lover to listen to her cry for his return, highlighting her desperation for his companionship. The lyrics also allude to the idea that the singer's voice will never be lost in the rough undergrowth, symbolically representing her unwavering commitment to her lover.
Throughout the song, the lyrics express unrequited love, painting a vivid picture of a woman who is willing to do anything for the man she loves.
Line by Line Meaning
Siboney yo te quiero yo me muero por tu amor.
Sweet Siboney, I adore you so deeply that I would die for your love.
Siboney, en tu boca la miel puso su dulzor.
My darling Siboney, the sweetness of honey seems to reside in your lips.
Ven a mi que te quiero y que todo tesoro eres tu para mi.
Come to me, my precious one, for you are the only treasure I desire.
Siboney al arrullo de tu alma pienso en ti.
Siboney, the gentle murmurs of your soul cause me to think of you.
Siboney de mi sueno si no oyes la queja de mi voz,
Siboney of my dreams, if you cannot hear the cries of my voice,
Siboney si no vienes me morir de amor.
I will die of love if you do not come to me, Siboney.
Siboney de mi sueno te espero con ansia en mi caney,
Oh Siboney of my dreams, I eagerly await your arrival in my humble abode,
Siboney si no vienes me morir de amor.
Therefore, if you do not appear, my love for you will cause my demise.
Oye el eco de mi canto de cristal
Listen to the resounding echoes of my crystal-clear voice,
No se pierde por el rudo manigual.
For they do not get lost in the rough jungles of life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CASADO ERNESTO LECUONA, ERNESTO LECUONA, THEODORE MORSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vassod9430
Στίχοι
Siboney yo te quiero yo me muero por tu amor.
Siboney, en tu boca la miel puso su dulzor.
Ven a mi que te quiero y que todo tesoro eres tu para mi.
Siboney al arrullo de tu alma pienso en ti.
Siboney de mi sueno si no oyes la queja de mi voz,
Siboney si no vienes me morir de amor.
Siboney de mi sueno te espero con ansia en mi caney,
Siboney si no vienes me morir de amor.
Oye el eco de mi canto de cristal
No se pierde por el rudo manigual.
@MrBietka52
Siboney, kocham cię, usycham z miłości do ciebie.
Siboney, myślę o tobie słuchając usypiającego szelestu palm.
Przyjdź do mnie bo cie miłuję i jesteś mym największym skarbem.
Siboney z moich marzeń, czyż nie słyszysz jak się żalę.
Siboney, jeśli nie przybędziesz umrę z miłości.
Siboney moich marzeń, czekam na ciebie w mojej chacie.
Siboney, jeśli nie przybędziesz umrę z miłości,
usłysz mój śpiew odbijający się od dna kieliszka
Nie błąkaj się po leśnej gęstwinie
@user-ef8se3ue6o
명훈아. 명훈아, 명훈아,
으응?
우린 친구지? 친구지? 친구지?
한 명만 말해~
응 응 응
@1719Arek
Piękna piosenka ,pięknie zaśpiewana przez Connie Francis, dziękuję Zosia
@billmoss7723
Amazing that a so-called pop singer can produce such a flawless, powerful rendition. I think Connie Francis has a voice unmatched in pop history.
@perilobo
Uma das vozes mais lindas que o planeta terra já teve oportunidade de ouvir. Como eu amei esta cantora quando bem criança, lá pelos anos 60. Quando o nome de Connie era mencionado pelo amor de Deus, e outras marcaram minha adolescencia. Brenda Lee, Doris Day, Dalila... Brasil ama Connie Francis.
@operaciones7663
Gracias a Dios por el padre que me dió, el cual me enseñó a querer y disfrutar esta linda música. Esto era lo que se oía en casa
@christianleblanc2842
I've known Siboney as a tango instrumental for decades, not so much as a song. This stripped-down version is terrific.
@aandres666
Me regalaron un libro hace mas de 20 anios y hace unos días lo comence a leer, y o sorpresa, escontre la canción de Siboney en ella!!
@vassod9430
Στίχοι
Siboney yo te quiero yo me muero por tu amor.
Siboney, en tu boca la miel puso su dulzor.
Ven a mi que te quiero y que todo tesoro eres tu para mi.
Siboney al arrullo de tu alma pienso en ti.
Siboney de mi sueno si no oyes la queja de mi voz,
Siboney si no vienes me morir de amor.
Siboney de mi sueno te espero con ansia en mi caney,
Siboney si no vienes me morir de amor.
Oye el eco de mi canto de cristal
No se pierde por el rudo manigual.
@DariusSarrafi
Connie Francis has a pure voice, sings with proper technique, interprets this song uniquely with a lot of attitude, and adds a touch of mystery!
@frankiehunter.
DSARRAFI: Fantastic description of her singing.