Song #75: "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" by Neil Sedaka

Date: Aug 11, 1962
Weeks: 2

This song opens with the catchy and memorably weird hook "Down doobie doo down down, comma comma down doobie doo down down." That hook has probably outlived the rest of the song in popular consciousness. When I listened to it, I initially thought, "Oh, this is that song, I know this song." And then I realized I didn't know anything past that.

Past that part, the song starts out well enough. Sedaka and his backup singers create a pleasant harmony in the first verse. That part of the song is representative of the early 60s era, and I like it. Unfortunately, the song then gives way to the weird chorus. Is it the chorus? It seems to occur less often than the verse, yet it's the only part of the lyrics that repeats. Maybe it's the bridge? I'm not sure. This song seems to defy conventional pop song structure. Not that that's a bad thing, it just makes me work harder to find the right words to describe it.

Anyway, the part that starts "They say that breaking up is hard to do" is the part I want to complain about. It sounds like a completely different song. The tune changes, the instrumentation changes, and the chord progression changes. I don't like the music in that part at all. Truthfully, this section almost single-handedly ruins the song for me.

I say "almost" because I'm also not a fan of the lyrics. I have no objection to the oddly specific "down doobie doo" stuff. I object more to the song's general sentiment. Basically, the guy is begging not to get dumped and the best argument he can seem to make is that breaking up is harder than staying together. Just because staying together is easier doesn't mean it's the best thing for anyone, Neil.

I thought that maybe a good cover version could change the music just enough to make me like the song, if not this performance of it, but I can't find a good one. The Carpenters made one, but other than nicer vocals, it doesn't fix any of the problems. The Partridge Family version adds new problems without fixing anything. Apparently Neil Sedaka himself re-recorded it as a slow lounge song, but that's almost a completely different song.

My verdict: Don't like it. It starts off with a great hook, but doesn't live up to that initial promise.