In 1980, the radio station WCBN-FM played the song for 18 hours straight the day after the US president Ronald Reagan was elected.
In 2015, the song was sampled in "Pity Party" by Melanie Martinez. In 2021, a remixed version of the song was used in a trend on the video-sharing app TikTok. Both of these caused resurgence of interest in the song.
It's My Party
Lesley Gore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to
You would cry too if it happened to you
Nobody knows where my Johnny has gone
But Judy left the same time
Why was he holding her hand
When he's supposed to be mine?
It's my party and I'll cry if I want to
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to
You would cry too if it happened to you
Play all my records, keep dancing all night
But leave me alone for a while
'Til Johnny's dancing with me
I've got no reason to smile
It's my party and I'll cry if I want to
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to
You would cry too if it happened to you
Judy and Johnny just walked through the door
Like a queen with her king
Oh, what a birthday surprise
Judy's wearing his ring
It's my party and I'll cry if I want to
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to
You would cry too if it happened to you
Oh, it's my party and I'll cry if I want to
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to
You would cry too if it happened to you
It's my party
and I'll cry if I want to, is a song by American singer Lesley Gore released in 1963. The song is about a teenage girl named Judy who is having a birthday party. It is her special day, but she is upset because her boyfriend Johnny has left with Judy, her close friend. Through the song, Judy expresses her emotions of confusion, disappointment, heartbreak, and betrayal. She doesn't understand why Johnny left with her and wonders why he was holding Judy's hand when it's supposed to be hers. The refrain "cry if I want to" is a defiant statement that expresses her right to feel sad and cry if she needs to, regardless of what others may think of her display of emotions.
The song has a catchy and upbeat tune that contrasts the lyrics and highlights the tension between Judy's despair and the festive ambiance of the party. The lyrics touch on themes of teenage love, jealousy, and the pain of heartbreak. The song became an instant hit and is considered a classic of the girl-group sound of the 1960s.
Line by Line Meaning
It's my party and I'll cry if I want to
I have the right to cry at my own party if I feel like it
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to
I will show my emotions and express my sadness regardless of what others think
You would cry too if it happened to you
You would understand my pain if you were in my shoes
Nobody knows where my Johnny has gone
I am worried about the whereabouts of my boyfriend, Johnny
But Judy left the same time
My friend Judy has disappeared alongside Johnny
Why was he holding her hand
I am confused and hurt by the fact that my boyfriend was holding another girl's hand
When he's supposed to be mine?
I thought Johnny was mine and I am heartbroken to find out he is not
Play all my records, keep dancing all night
I am trying to distract myself and have fun by having music and dancing at the party
But leave me alone for a while
I need some space and time to process my emotions and be alone
'Til Johnny's dancing with me
I will only be happy when Johnny is dancing with me again
I've got no reason to smile
I feel so sad that I cannot find a reason to smile
Judy and Johnny just walked through the door
The two people I am most upset about have just arrived at my party
Like a queen with her king
Judy is behaving like she belongs to Johnny and is proud to show it off
Oh, what a birthday surprise
Sarcastically, it's such a surprise on my birthday to see Johnny and Judy together
Judy's wearing his ring
Johnny has given Judy a ring, which confirms my worst fear and breaks my heart
You would cry too if it happened to you
I am reminding others that they would feel the same if they were in my situation
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Elof Loelv, Herb Wiener, John Gluck Jr., Joseph Bartlett-Vanderpuye, Seymour Gottlieb, Wally Gold
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
A great Leslie Gore song.
@gurl3270
The line "but hes supposed to be mine" sounds so childish and innocent. Its my favorite line
@zachhh1217
IKR LIKE ITS SO INNOCENT AND YET SO DARK
@ckydafm
I think she was talking about Judy
@ckydafm
@@jakefromstatefarm3179 yeah..
@Ap-kx4og
@@ckydafm Actually, she didn’t write the song. I think she didn’t even know she was lesbian at that time
@ckydafm
@@Ap-kx4og wait she didn’t write the song???!?
@squeezemyparticiple
She was SEVENTEEN in this performance. Absolutely incredible.
@desexplicando
Wait? What? I thought she was in her 20's, maybe 30's
@valelaval4986
Wow people looks much more mature back in the days