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
Someone Else's Boy
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa-oh-oh
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
In the lonely night
I wake up to find
Someone else's boy
Always on my mind
But he doesn't know
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Though it isn't right
When I dream like this
I long to hold him tight
And to taste his kiss
And then I wake to find
He's someone else's boy
Not mine.
Chorus:
Whenever I see them together
It breaks my poor heart in two
I know that I should forget him
"Cause he's her guy but what can I do?
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
How I hope and pray
To the Lord above
To send me down a boy
One that I can love
Who'll be mine alone
And not someone else's boy.
Chorus:
Whenever I see them together
It breaks my poor heart in two
I know that I should forget him
"Cause he's her guy but what can I do?
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
How I hope and pray
To the Lord above
To send me down a boy
One that I can love
Who'll be mine alone
And not someone else's boy...
In Connie Francis's song "Someone Else's Boy," the singer expresses her longing and unrequited love for a man who is already taken by someone else. The song's lyrics describe the singer's feelings of desperation and heartache as she struggles to come to terms with her unattainable love. In the lonely night, she is haunted by thoughts of "someone else's boy" and dreams of holding him tight and tasting his kiss, only to be reminded of the reality when she wakes up to find that he belongs to another woman.
The chorus of the song describes the unbearable pain that the singer experiences whenever she sees the man she loves together with his girlfriend. She knows that she should forget him and move on, but she can't help but feel helpless and powerless. Despite her heartache, she still holds onto hope that one day she will be able to find love with a man who will be hers alone.
The lyrics of "Someone Else's Boy" resonate with many people who have experienced unrequited love or have been in a similar situation where the person they love cannot be theirs. The song's message is one of hope, as the singer believes that there is someone out there for her, and she prays that the Lord above will send her a boy she can love who will be hers alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa-oh-oh, Whoa, whoa
Expressing frustration and sadness
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa-oh-oh
Reinforcing the emotional stress and despair
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Emphasizing the singer's pain and confusion
In the lonely night
An indication of the singer's solitude and anguish
I wake up to find
The singer's thoughts are consumed by one thing
Someone else's boy
The object of the singer's affection is in a relationship with someone else
Always on my mind
The singer cannot stop thinking about the person they desire
But he doesn't know
The person they desire is unaware of their feelings
How much I really love him so.
The depth of the singer's love for this person
Though it isn't right
The singer acknowledges the impropriety of their feelings
When I dream like this
The intensity of the singer's daydreams
I long to hold him tight
The singer yearns to be physically close to the person they love
And to taste his kiss
The singer desires an intimate connection
And then I wake to find
The singer's realization that this is only a fantasy
He's someone else's boy
The person of their dreams is committed to someone else
Not mine.
The singer must face the reality of the situation
Whenever I see them together
The pain the singer feels seeing their love interest with someone else
It breaks my poor heart in two
The emotional toll the situation takes on the singer
I know that I should forget him
The singer recognizes the need to move on
"Cause he's her guy but what can I do?
The singer feels powerless to change the situation
How I hope and pray
The singer's wishful thinking
To the Lord above
The singer's appeal for divine intervention
To send me down a boy
The singer's desire for someone new in their life
One that I can love
The singer's longing for a reciprocated love
Who'll be mine alone
The singer's desire for exclusivity in a relationship
And not someone else's boy.
The singer's hope for a happy ending
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hal Gordon, Athena Hosey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@januittenbroek-jf2td
Een heel mooi nummer van een groot zangeres, CONNIE FRANCIS.
@ronviens7040
I grew up listening to Connie's music forever, but it wasn't until I went to Germany in 1973, with the U.S. Air Force, that I found out about her German lyrics version of this song. I think the German lyrics sound more natural and definitive than all the other languages, and I find myself playing that song the most, of all her greatest hits. Connie, thank you so much for all the great music during your career .... we all love you!
@iljanstolcevic
And German lyrics are deeper meaning
@donovan9564
Conny Francis forever and ever since Ipiales Nariño Colombia América Latina 🎉🎉🎉
@donovan9564
Conny Francis forever and ever since Ipiales Nariño Colombia América Latina 🎉🎉❤❤🎉🎉🎉
@jordanriver3620
Nowadays there are so many instruments that you can’t hear any of them 🎵Before was better 👏👏👏👍♥️🎵
@jmrodas9
What aun unforgettable and nice voice Connie has! Her songs are always a delight to hear because of that and every song she sings, is sung with feeling.
@conniefrancis4743
Hi dear🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
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 am checking out on my fans, so I can get to communicate with my fans better through discussion of depth and humor listening to o and criticism of my career.💞💞🙏💖.
@jmrodas9
@connie francis Your voice is wonderful and without doubt a gift from😃😃😃 GOD. All your songs are good to hear and enjoy Connie, Regards and have a nice day.
@conniefrancis4743
@Jorge Mario Rodas thanks for your wonderful wishes and comment it's a pleasure to me. If you don't mind I will like to have a personal conversation with you to know more about your good thoughts and advise towards me as a fan of mine.