My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own

Album: More Greatest Hits (1960)
Charted: 1
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" was written by the songwriting team of Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller, and it's a Brill Building production through and through. Between the two of them, they wrote for such artists as Neil Sedaka, The Captain & Tennille, The Shirelles, Barry Mann, Paul Anka, Perry Como, and Tony Orlando, to name only a few. They also worked in television, producing the theme songs for the '60s TV series Bewitched and .

    As explained in The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll, Aldon Music was founded by Al Nevins and Don Kirshner (Al-Don, get it?), and became the base for what was to become the "Brill Building sound." Aldon had a rotating staff of songwriting teams; (Neil)Sedaka-(Howard)Greenfield were amongst the most successful and earliest of those. Aldon Music was actually located at 1650 Broadway, not in the Brill Building, but writers find it convenient to describe these New York City productions as the "Brill Building Sound," so that's how it's commonly known. For more on this, check out our interview with a lady who was part of that scene: the songwriter Toni Wine.
  • As demonstrated in this song, Howard Greenfield's typical lyric-writing method was to utilize some metaphor as the theme for the song, if possible weaving it into each verse. An excellent example of this is his Sedaka hit "Calendar Girl."
  • This was only one of Francis' three number-one Billboard hits. In the space of six years, she managed 35 Top-40 charting hits, about five hits per year.

    Connie Francis trivia: According to a 1958 interview in NME magazine, she detests "insects, hypocrites, giggly girls, elevators, rigid conformists and men who boast of their innumerable conquests." Connie Francis once recorded a TV ad for Richard Nixon's 1968 bid for the Presidency. Her first media appearance was on The Arthur Godfrey Show as a singer and accordionist.

Comments: 1

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn August 15th 1960, "My Heart Has A Mind of Its Own" by Connie Francis entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #56; and on September 26th, 1960 it peaked at #1 {for 2 weeks} and spent 17 weeks on the Top 100 {it was also her 17th record to make the Top 100 chart}...
    It reached #11 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
    The song it replaced at #1 on the Top 100 was "The Twist" by Chubby Checker, and it prevented "Chain Gang" by Sam Cooke from reaching #1, it peaked at #2 {for 2 weeks} and it also peaked at #2 on the R&B Singles chart...
    R.I.P. Mr. Cooke {1931 - 1964} and Ms. Francis will celebrate her 76th birthday in four months on December 12th, 2014.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Ian Astbury of The Cult

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.

Zac Hanson

Zac HansonSongwriter Interviews

Zac tells the story of Hanson's massive hit "MMMbop," and talks about how brotherly bonds effect their music.

Maxi Priest

Maxi PriestSongwriter Interviews

The British reggae legend tells the story of his #1 hit "Close To You," talks about his groundbreaking Shabba Ranks collaboration "Housecall," and discusses his latest project with Robin Trower.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.

Graham Parker

Graham ParkerSongwriter Interviews

When Judd Apatow needed under-appreciated rockers for his Knocked Up sequel, he immediately thought of Parker, who just happened to be getting his band The Rumour back together.

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)Songwriter Interviews

Chad tells tales from his time as drummer for Nirvana, and talks about his group Before Cars.