Story Songs: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

It's not very often a singer can record an uptempo song and take it to No. 1, then turn around 13 years later and see it reach No. 8 on the charts as a ballad. 

Neil Sedaka, one of the great singer/songwriters in pop music, did just that with "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," in 1962 and 1975. 

I grew up listening to Sedaka's songs, from "The Diary" to "Calendar Girl" to "Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen" to "Laughter in the Rain." 

But I thought one of his most expressive songs, written with Howard Greenfield, was "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do."  Those who've been in relationships, and left with a broken heart, know how painful it can be. So much, that you want to avoid it if at all possible.

So the song begins:

"Don't take your love away from meDon't you leave my heart in miseryIf you go then I'll be blue'Cause breaking up is hard to do"
And later we hear:

"I beg of you, don't say goodbyeCan't we give our love another tryCome on baby, let's start anew'Cause breaking up is hard to do"
And in the chorus:

"Don't say that this is the endInstead of breaking up I wish that we were making up again"
I suppose most of us survive those breakups, and perhaps after some reflection, realize it was for the best. But it still hurts.
As for the Sedaka's bittersweet love song, I prefer the slow version because it comes across with so much sincerity. 
"Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" lyrics

Uptempo version:

Slow version:
Until the next time...