"Goodbye Cruel World" is a song written by Gloria Shayne Baker and recorded by James Darren in 1961.[1][2]
| "Goodbye Cruel World" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by James Darren | ||||
| from the album Sings for All Sizes | ||||
| B-side | "Valerie" | |||
| Released | October 1961 | |||
| Length | 2:27 | |||
| Label | Colpix | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Gloria Shayne | |||
| James Darren singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editThe song is about a man whose heart was broken by a "mean fickle woman", and his plan to join the circus as a brokenhearted clown. He does not mind being shot out of a cannon, and plans to tell the world that she "made a crying clown" out of him. According to disc jockeys at the time the song was released, the calliope-like riff used in the song based on the "Entrance of the Gladiators" theme, was a synthesized recording of a woman's voice rather than a musical instrument.[citation needed]
Chart history
editDarren scored his first top ten hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, at number three. On the Cash Box Top 100, it spent two weeks at number two.[3] It would prove the biggest hit of his career on this chart, as well as on the UK Singles Chart (no. 28).
| Chart (1961–62) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (CHUM)[4] | 1 |
| New Zealand (Lever)[5] | 3 |
| UK (OCC) [6] | 28 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[7] | 3 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[3] | 2 |
References
edit- ^ Noland, Claire (2008-03-15). "Gloria Shayne Baker, 84; helped write 'Do You Hear What I Hear?'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2008-03-27. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
- ^ Fox, Margalit (2008-03-11). "Gloria Shayne Baker, Composer and Lyricist, Dies at 84". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
- ^ a b "Cash Box Top 100 12/16/61". Tropicalglen.com. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
- ^ "CHUM charts, December 4, 1961" (JPG). Chumtribute.com.
- ^ "Lever hit parades". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved Sep 3, 2024.
- ^ "Goodbye Cruel World : James Darren". Official Charts. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
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