It's My Party (song)

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"It's My Party"
Single by Lesley Gore
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"It's My Party" is a song popularized by singer Lesley Gore in 1963. This song hit #1 on both the Pop and Rhythm and Blues charts in the United States and #9 in the United Kingdom, becoming her only major hit in the latter country. It was written by authors Gold/Gottlieb/Gluck Jr./Wiener and produced by Quincy Jones. The song lyrically portrays the emotional downfall and public humiliation of a teenage girl who, at a party she is throwing, is humiliated when her boyfriend Johnny abruptly leaves her and takes up with her high school rival Judy, to whom he gives a ring to show his love for her.

The song's chorus ("It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to, You would cry too, if it happened to you") quickly became a part of American pop cultural language, as a phrase used to describe being utterly humiliated and miserable during an event that is supposed to be a happy occasion.

The song was covered by Bryan Ferry on his 1973 album These Foolish Things.

A 1981 cover by Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin was a UK number one hit single and charted at #72 in the US. There is also a Swedish language version, known as "Leva livet". "Leva livet" has been recorded by artists as Lill-Babs (1963), Magnus Uggla (1979) and Lotta Engberg (1997).

The song was used by Richard Christy in a song parody of K.C. Armstrong to the theme that K.C. is gay.

[edit] The Sequel: "Judy's Turn to Cry"

Due to the pop cultural obsession with the song and the tragic nature of the song, Lesley Gore recorded a sequel titled "Judy's Turn to Cry". In the song, the teenage girl narrator gets her revenge on Judy (who is obviously enjoying the pain and humiliation she caused the narrator). In the lyrics the narrator kisses another guy in front of Johnny and Judy during another party, which causes a jealous Johnny to immediately dump Judy in front of their classmates and then punching the poor boy the narrator kissed while screaming that the narrator was Johnny's girl. As the narrator dances with her returning boyfriend, she takes satisfaction in the emotional devastation Judy is feeling, having been dumped: the shoe is now on the other foot.

"Judy's Turn To Cry" was not quite as popular as "It's My Party," but still was a sizeable hit, reaching #5 on the Billboard charts in the summer of 1963.

Preceded by "If You Wanna Be Happy" by Jimmy Soul	Billboard Hot 100 number one single (Lesley Gore Version) June 1, 1963	Succeeded by "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto
Preceded by "Prince Charming" by Adam & The Ants	UK number one single (Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin version) October 11, 1981	Succeeded by "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police