Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

For the 2011 film, see Breaking Up Is Hard to Do (film).

"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"
Single by Neil Sedaka
A-side	"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"
B-side	"As Long as I Live"
Released	1962
Genre	Doo-wop, pop
Length	2:18
Writer(s)	Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield
Neil Sedaka singles chronology
"King of Clowns" (1962) "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" (1962) "Next Door to an Angel" (1962)

"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" is a song recorded by Neil Sedaka, and co-written by Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. Sedaka recorded this song twice, in 1962 and 1975, in two vastly different arrangements, and it is considered to be his signature song. Another song by the same name had previously been recorded by Jivin' Gene [Bourgeois] and The Jokers, in 1959.

1962 version

Neil Sedaka recorded both "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" and its B-side, "As Long as I Live" in Italian as "Tu Non Lo Sai" and "Finche Vivro", respectively, further endearing him to his Italian fans.

Described by Allmusic as "two minutes and sixteen seconds of pure pop magic," "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11, 1962 and peaked at number twelve on the Hot R&B Sides chart. The single was a solid hit all over the world, sometimes with the text translated into foreign languages. For example, the Italian version was called "Tu non lo sai" ("You Don't Know") and was recorded by Sedaka himself.

On this version, background vocals on the song are performed by the female group The Cookies.

The personnel on the original recording session included: Al Casamenti, Art Ryerson, and Charles Macy on guitar; Ernie Hayes on piano; George Duvivier on bass; Gary Chester on drums; Artie Kaplan on saxophone; George Devens and Phil Kraus on percussion; Seymour Barab and Morris Stonzek on cellos; and David Gulliet, Joseph H. Haber, Harry Kohon, David Sackson, and Louis Stone on violins.

1975 version

"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"
Single by Neil Sedaka
from the album The Hungry Years
B-side	"Nana's Song"
Released	1975
Genre	Pop
Length	3:14
Label	Rocket Records
Writer(s)	Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield
Neil Sedaka singles chronology
"Bad Blood" (1975) "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do (1975) "Love in the Shadows" (1976)

Though originally an uptempo song, Sedaka re-recorded it as a ballad in 1975. The slower arrangement was originally debuted by Lenny Welch; it peaked at #34 on the US Billboard charts in January of 1976. Sedaka's slow version peaked at #8 in December of 1975 and went to number one on the Easy Listening chart. It was only the second time that an artist made the Billboard Top Ten with two different versions of the same song.

Cover versions

"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"
Single by The Carpenters
from the album A Kind Of Hush
Recorded	1976
Genre	Pop
Length	2:36
Writer(s)	Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield
The Carpenters singles chronology
"Goofus" (1976) "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" (1976) "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song" (1977)

"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" has been covered by numerous other artists over the years, including:

• Paul Anka
• Carpenters
• Dee Dee Sharp
• Nick Carter
• Gloria Estefan
• La Onda Vaselina
• The Four Seasons
• Eydie Gorme
• Lucy Hale
• Garrett Haley
• Alvin and the Chipmunks
• The Happenings, whose version charted at #67 on the Billboard Hot 100
• Tom Jones
• Killola
• Carole King
• Little Eva
• Renee Olstead
• The Partridge Family
• Zoogz Rift
• Svenne & Lotta
• Lenny Welch
• Andy Williams
• Cartoons
• A duet between Sedaka and Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebø
• Mak and the Dudes
• Damian McGinty of Celtic Thunder
• Clay Aiken recorded the song as a bonus track for his 2010 album,Tried and True.
• Shelley Fabares recorded the song for her 1962 album The Things We Did Last Summer
• Aimer
• The Overtones
• British rock duo The Marbles recorded the song and appears on their 1970 self-titled album

German version: Abschiednehmen ist so schwer

• Anna-Lena Löfgren (1962; she was a Swedish singer, born 1944, died 2010)

French version: Moi je pense encore à toi

• sung and adapted by Claude François (co-author of "My Way") the title means "I'm still thinking of you".
• Sylvie Vartan under the same French title Moi je pense encore a toi (I'm still thinking about you)

Portuguese version: O Superstar

• sung by new wave/comedy rock band João Penca e Seus Miquinhos Amestrados (1993)

Spanish version: Qué triste es el primer adiós

• sung by La Onda Vaselina (1989).

See also

• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1962 (U.S.)
• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1976 (U.S.)

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
• Waking up is hard to do

Preceded by "Roses Are Red (My Love)" by Bobby Vinton

Billboard Hot 100 number-one single August 11, 1962 (two weeks)

Succeeded by "The Loco-Motion" by Little Eva