Gore also worked as an actress and composed songs with her brother Michael Gore for the 1980 film Fame, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. She was active until 2014, and hosted an LGBT-oriented public television show, In the Life, on American TV in the 2000s.
Raised in Tenafly, New Jersey to Jewish parents, Gore was discovered as a teenager. Her first single in 1963 at age 16 was the #1 hit It's My Party still perhaps her best known recording, which also made #9 in Britain. It was followed by others, including Judy's Turn to Cry (the sequel to "It's My Party"), She's a Fool, the proto-feminist You Don't Own Me, and Maybe I Know. Her record producer was Quincy Jones, who would later become one of the most famous producers in American music.
Instead of accepting the television and movie contracts that came her way, Gore chose to attend Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. This limited her public career to weekends and summer vacations and undoubtedly hurt her career. Nevertheless, throughout the mid-1960's, Gore continued to be the one of the most popular female singers in the United States and Canada.
By the late 1960s, though, her fame lessened as popular tastes evolved towards a harder-edged, psychedelic sound. Her last major hit was "California Nights," (1967) which she performed on an episode of the Batman TV series in which she guest-starred as one of Catwoman's minions. Afterwards, she continued to stay busy in the music industry, performed at concerts and in cabarets and achieved noted success as a professional songwriter, including composing songs for the soundtrack of the 1980 film, Fame. She received an Academy Award nomination for "Out Here on My Own," written with her brother Michael.
Gore continued to be busy, playing concerts, appearing on television, and recently (2005) recording a self-produced and critically-acclaimed CD, "Ever Since." She is also known for tackling a variety of musical genres, including a credible take on AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap."
Although Gore did not officially come out until 2005, her lesbianism was not exactly a secret. The 1996 film Grace of My Heart featured a character (played by Bridget Fonda) whose industry struggles over her sexual orientation were similar to Gore's. Beginning in 2004 Gore could be seen hosting the PBS series In the Life, which focused on LGBT issues.
On February 16, 2015, Gore died of lung cancer at the age of 68.
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
on Wonder Boy
Yet another great Leslie Gore song.
Philip Kassabian
on Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows
Fantastic song by Leslie Gore.
Philip Kassabian
on It's My Party
A great Leslie Gore song.