Song Lyric Sunday – “Stupid Cupid” by Connie Francis

This week Jim Adams has prompted us with choosing songs pertaining to Smart | Stupid for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday. Hope to be back in my Country genre next week. For this SLS, we are going 1950’s pop!

This week I chose “Stupid Cupid” by Connie Francis which has an upbeat, bubblegum blowing, hula hooping type of feel to it. Francis released the song in the summer of 1958 as a double “A” side hit with “Caroline Moon”. It was released in Italy in 1959 by Neil Sedaka on his “As Long As I Live” album by RCA Italiana. Sedaka co-wrote the song when he was 19 years old with Howard Greenfield. When Sedaka penned the song, he wasn’t writing it for Francis, rather he wanted it to go to a girl group. He thought it was too juvenile for Francis who was just beginning her career and had just earned her first hit with “Who’s Sorry Now”. It was practically the first song produced by the brand-new Aldon label by producers Don Kirshner and Al Nevins. I added the story from Songfacts below which I found to be interesting as to how this song was cut by Connie Francis.

From Songfacts

“According to Rich Podolsky’s book Don Kirshner: The Man with the Golden Ear, Sedaka and Greenfield, two teenagers with hardly any experience, had been pounding on doors trying to get their songs produced. They had a flirt with success at Atlantic Records selling songs to Jerry Wexler, but had been turned down cold by Hill and Range. Asking his high school friend Mort Shuman for a referral, Sedaka was directed to the offices of Aldon music. They arrived at Aldon’s office to find that they had literally just moved in; cardboard boxes were everywhere in a tiny office with two desks and an upright piano. Kirshner listened to the two songwriter’s sales pitch, then thumbed them over to the piano to show him what they had. Yes, it worked just like that!

While Greenfield was hesitant to sign the lads, Kirshner insisted that songwriters like Sedaka and Greenfield were exactly the kind of talent he’d hoped to find. Kirshner invited them back to meet Connie Francis. (Is this story turning into the who’s-who of Brill Building heraldry or what?)

It turned out that Connie had become discouraged from her lack of another hit since “Who’s Sorry Now” and was tired of other people picking out songs for her. So when Kirshner called her up, she actually blew them off to go to the hairdresser’s instead! Undaunted, Kirshner, Sedaka, and Greenfield piled into a car and drove to the hairdresser’s, circling the block waiting for her to come out because this is New York we’re talking about, where there’s no place to park.

The little group then met at Francis’ home, where Sedaka and Greenfield played one slow ballad for her after another, which she hated. Thinking that slow ballads were a good match for her style, they were hesitant to try “Stupid Cupid,” but when she finally heard it, she was thrilled and agreed to sign a deal.”

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“The Princess Diaries”

Anne Hathaway is one of my favorite actresses. She was 19 when she played the role of 15 year old Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries as a very awkward girl with friends who were unpopular outcasts. The socialite, Lana Thomas, played by Mandy Moore along with her mean girl troup, often teased and pranked Mia & her friends. Mia has a crush on the most popular boy in school who asks her to go to the beach bash. She readily agrees, dumping her friends who she had made a commitment the same night.

The story takes you on Mia’s journey showing her struggles along the way and a transformation of who she really is. The video above is a highlight to the movie and soundtrack performed by Mandy Moore.

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SONG FACTS

• Written by Howard Greenfield & Neil Sedaka.
• Connie Francis released the song in the summer, 1958.
• “Carolina Moon” was on the flip side of “Stupid Cupid” that became double “A”-sided hit.
• Peaked at #14 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
• Spent 6 weeks in the #1 slot on the UK Singles Chart.
• Neil Sedaka released it as a single on the RCA Italiana label in 1959.
• Cover versions include Patsy Cline, Queen, Wanda Jackson and so many others.
• Maureen Evans made her first known recording with a 1958 cover of “Stupid Cupid”/ “Carolina Moon” cut for the Embassy label which produced soundalike versions of current hits for Woolworths to sell at lower price than the original hit.
• Mandy Moore recorded it for the 2001 hit movie produced by Walt Disney Pictures, “The Princess Diaries” soundtrack starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews.

“Stupid Cupid”

Stupid Cupid you're a real mean guy
I'd like to clip your wings so you can't fly
I'm in love and it's a crying shame
And I know that you're the one to blame
Hey hey, set me free
Stupid Cupid stop picking on me
I can't do my homework and I can't think straight
I meet her every morning 'bout half past eight
I'm acting like a lovesick fool
You've even got me carrying your books to school
Hey hey, set me free
Stupid Cupid stop picking on me
You mixed me up for good right from the very start
Hey now, go play Robin Hood with somebody else's heart
You got me jumping like a crazy clown
And I don't feature what you're putting down
Well since I kissed her loving lips of wine
The thing that bothers me is that I like it fine
Hey hey, set me free
Stupid Cupid stop picking on me
You got me jumping like a crazy clown
And I don't feature what you're putting down
Well since I kissed his loving lips of wine
The thing that bothers me is that I like it fine
Hey hey, set me free
Stupid Cupid stop picking on me
Hey hey, set me free
Stupid Cupid stop picking on me
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Howard Greenfield / Neil Sedaka
Stupid Cupid lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group