Picariello grew up in the North Boston suburb of Lynn and learned to play guitar as a boy. In high school, he formed a band and tried to emulate the hard-driving style of Little Richard. Picariello eventually signed with Philadelphia label Swan Records, a recording studio in which Dick Clark had an interest. Clark brought Picariello national exposure through numerous appearances on Clark's TV show, American Bandstand. Cannon holds the record for most appearances by a performer (110) on Bandstand! He and Clark continued to collaborate on Bandstand reunion concerts long after the TV show ended.
By 1959, Picariello was singing using the stage name, Freddy Cannon. He was also called "Boom Boom" because of his thundering musical renditions and the "Cannon" name. From 1959 through the early 60s, Cannon had three Top Ten hit:
Palisades Park
Tallahassee Lassie (A song written by Cannon's mother. It was also the first of 22 songs which appeared on the Billboard Charts for Cannon.)
Way Down Yonder in New Orleans
On June 24, 1966, Cannon played himself and performed one of his own songs during the final episode of the teen soap opera "Never Too Young." The role of Cannon was played by David Julian Hirsh in George Clooney's 2003 film, "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.'
As of 2006, Cannon was a resident of Tarzana, California, and continued performing in concert.
Teen Queen of the Week
Freddy Cannon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And crowned my girl the best
She was voted the
Teen queen of the week
Now she won't even speak to me
Teen queen of the week
Success went to her head
Nominated the starlet of the month
Hasn't got the time of day for me
Starlet of the month
I was that I was dead, yeah
Popularity, you've got it
The whole darn world is your balloon
I'll be your flunky, your trained monkey
While the organ grinder calls the tune
I'm elected the prize fool of the year
Cause I'll stay waiting here for you
Teen queen of the week
Til you find a weak spot for me
La la la la la...
Yeah, popularity, you've got it
The whole darn world is your balloon
I'll be your flunky, your trained monkey
While the organ grinder calls the tune
I'm elected the prize fool of the year
Cause I'll stay waiting here for you
Teen queen of the week
Til you find a weak spot for me
La la la la la...
In "Teen Queen of the Week," Freddy Cannon sings about his girlfriend winning a beauty contest and becoming the teen queen of the week. The song is about how the sudden popularity and success have gone to her head, and she no longer pays attention to him. He calls himself her flunky and her trained monkey, emphasizing how her newfound fame has changed their relationship. He even calls himself the prize fool of the year for waiting around for her to notice him again.
The song is a commentary on the fickleness of popularity and how it can change people, especially at a young age. The lyrics also touch on themes of insecurity and the desire to be noticed and loved. Overall, "Teen Queen of the Week" is a relatable and catchy song that captures the feeling of unrequited love and the challenges of navigating relationships in the spotlight.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night they held a beauty contest
There was a beauty contest held last night
And crowned my girl the best
Out of all the contestants, they declared my girl as the winner
She was voted the
She won the title of
Teen queen of the week
The beauty pageant awarded her the title of the week's Teen Queen
Now she won't even speak to me
After winning the title, she stopped talking to me
Teen queen of the week
She is now the Teen Queen of the Week
Success went to her head
Winning the title went to her head and she became arrogant
Nominated the starlet of the month
She was nominated to be the starlet of the month
Hasn't got the time of day for me
She is too busy for me
Starlet of the month
She has now become the Starlet of the Month
I was that I was dead, yeah
I felt neglected by her and felt as if I was dead to her
Popularity, you've got it
You have become very popular
The whole darn world is your balloon
You are at the top of the world
I'll be your flunky, your trained monkey
I will be at your beck and call
While the organ grinder calls the tune
I will follow your lead
I'm elected the prize fool of the year
People think I am foolish for waiting for you
Cause I'll stay waiting here for you
I will still be waiting for you here
Teen queen of the week
Even though you have become the Teen Queen of the Week
Til you find a weak spot for me
Until you realize your mistake and see me as worthy of your attention
La la la la la...
Yeah, popularity, you've got it
Yes, you have become very popular
The whole darn world is your balloon
You are at the top of the world
I'll be your flunky, your trained monkey
I will be at your beck and call
While the organ grinder calls the tune
I will follow your lead
I'm elected the prize fool of the year
People think I am foolish for waiting for you
Cause I'll stay waiting here for you
I will still be waiting for you here
Teen queen of the week
Even though you have become the Teen Queen of the Week
Til you find a weak spot for me
Until you realize your mistake and see me as worthy of your attention
La la la la la...
Contributed by Elena W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Edward Mack
Thanks for posting this great example of the career of Freddy Cannon, perhaps the most underrated R&R star of all time.
BooBots
Freddy had so many great hits, it was unbelievable. His stuff was so up, and still great.
oldolds53
He did a lot of great happy-go-lucky kind of songs. I like him a lot.
oldolds53
He did a lot of great songs,and have a very personal style. I really like him too. Thanks for all your great comments Jim,have a great time and keep boppin'! Haa haa.
aldiakaroofus
"I wish that I was dead, yeaaaaaah!" The happiest emo line ever sung!
sauquoit13456
On this day in 1965 {July 3rd} Freddy Cannon performed "Teen Queen of the Week" on the syndicated television program 'Hollywood A Go-Go'... Three years earlier on February 3rd, 1962 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart for a two week stay, peaking at #92... Between 1959 and 1966 he had twenty two Top 100 records; three of them made the Top 10 with "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans" {1959} and "Palisades Park" {1962} being his biggest hits, both reached #3 on the Top 100...
David Roadman
Boom boom Revere/Lynn ma should be in the r&r hall of fame along with Neil sedaka long live Freddy!
to&r
oldolds53
Haa haa,you're right.