Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye

Album: Jock Rock, Vol. 1 (1969)
Charted: 9 1
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  • Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
    He'll never love you, the way that I love you
    'Cause if he did, no no, he wouldn't make you cry
    He might be thrillin' baby but a-my love (my love, my love)
    So dog-gone willin'
    So kiss him (I want to see you kiss him. want to see you kiss him)
    Go on and kiss him goodbye, now

    Na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
    Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye

    Listen to me now
    He's never near you to comfort and cheer you
    When all those sad tears are fallin' baby from your eyes
    He might be thrillin' baby but a-my love (my love, my love)
    So dog-gone willin'
    So kiss him (I want to see you kiss him. I want to see you kiss him)
    Go on and kiss him goodbye, na-na na-na-na na na

    Na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
    Hey hey-ey, goodbye
    Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
    Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
    Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye Writer/s: DALE FRASHUER, GARY DE CARLO, PAUL LEKA
    Publisher: Royalty Network, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 38

  • Annie from Cape Cod, Mai remember when gary and his friends had made the song. i was good friends with gary's sister. as i remember it, they created it in a house and were jamming, with gary's sister hitting on a bedpost to the beat. i believe the story as gary told it. it was made to be "side B", but got radio play and people liked it.
    i do hope he is getting royalties!!
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyExactly fifty years today on November 30th, 1969 "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Steam peaked at #1 {for 2 weeks} on Billboard's Top 100 chart...
    The rest of the Top 10 on November 30th, 1969:
    At #2. "Leaving On A Jet Plane" by Peter, Paul and Mary
    #3. "Come Together/Something" by The Beatles {#1 the week before}
    #4. "Take A Letter Maria" by R.B. Greaves
    #5. "Down On The Corner/Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
    #6. "And When I Die"* by Blood, Sweat and Tears
    #7. "Wedding Bell Blues"* by The 5th Dimension
    #8. "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" by Stevie Wonder
    #9. "Someday We'll Be Together" by Diana Ross and the Supremes
    #10. "Eli's Coming"* by Three Dog Night
    * And from the 'For What It's Worth' department; three of the records in the Top 10 were composed by Laura Nyro, "And When I Die", "Wedding Bell Blues", and "Eli's Coming"...
    May Ms. Nyro {1947 - 1997} R.I.P.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1983 {April 2nd} Bananarama performed their covered version of "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)" on the Dick Clark ABC-TV Saturday-afternoon program, 'American Bandstand'...
    One month later on May 8th, 1983 the song peaked at #101 on Billboard's Bubbling Under the Top 100 chart...
    It reached #14 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart...
    Fourteen years earlier on November 30th, 1969 the original version by the New York City group Steam reached #1 {for 2 weeks}...
    Between 1982 and 1988 Bananarama had eleven records on the Top 100 chart, three made the Top 10 with one reaching #1, "Venus", for one week on August 31st, 1986...
    Besides "Venus", the British trio's other two Top 10 records were "Cruel Summer {#9 for 1 week in 1984} and "I Heard A Rumour" {#4 for 3 weeks in 1987}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyPer: http://www.oldiesmusic.com/news.htm
    Gary DeCarlo, lead singer with Steam and co-writer of their 1969 #1 hit, "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss him Goodbye)"*, died Wednesday (June 28th, 2017) of cancer in a hospice center near his home in Shelton, Connecticut, he was 75...
    The song was initially the B-side of a record Gary, Paul Leka and Dale Frashuer were to release under his pseudonym, Garret Scott. Instead, Mercury Records released it under the name Steam and sent a bogus group out to support it on tour. The song went on to sell a reported 6 ½ to 8 million copies and became a sports anthem...
    May he R.I.P.
    * "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss him Goodbye)" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart on October 12th, 1969; seven weeks later it would peak at #1 {for 2 weeks} and it spent 16 weeks on the Top 100, they had one other Top 100 record, "I've Gotta Make You Love Me", it reached #46 in 1970.
  • Maxwell from BostonGary DeCarlo as original lead voice on the record? I wonder about that after watching him perform because he cannot carry a tune and was pitchy and flat. One could see the surprise on some of the faces in the audience although most just sang along and could not really hear him anyway. It somehow seems awfully suspicious that this man is staking claims more than 40 years after the record came out, and then only after the other writers and the producer all died. I remember the 1983 Bananarama version from when I was in school, but have heard the 1969 original from time to time. We wanted to use it for a team homemade video which turned out to be far more complicated and expensive than it sounded, and I started looking into all of this more. I came across this page and youtube vids that were horrible and end up scratching my head. All I know is that any producer that hires him for a concert should be prepared to refund money.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn October 12th 1969, "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Steam entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #76; and on November 30th, 1969 it peaked at #1 {for 2 weeks} and spent 16 weeks on the Top 100...
    The two weeks that it was at #1, the #2 record was "Leaving On A Jet Plane" by Peter, Paul and Mary {and it was also that record that bumped Steam out of the top spot}...
    Steam had one other record make the Top 100, "I've Gotta Make You Love Me", it stayed on the chart for 7 weeks, peaking at #46.
  • Randy from Battle Creek, MiI heard that Richard Nixon was a huge fan of this song, and even requested it be played at his funeral.
  • Ctrocker from Bridgeport, CtWho is Ray Coria? (not sure of last name spelling).
    Says he was the drummer for this song and Steam drummer. Has gold record framed on wall.
  • Ce from Mesa, AzI see Only one true comment on where it was first used at sporting events, Comiskey Park in Chicago. The organist started playing the "hey hey hey goodbye" part when s Sox player hit a homer, the term " you can kiss it goodbye " was commonly used by the broadcasters, hence the easy transition from the title. The fans of course saw the obvious and would sing along.
  • Ronald from Pendleton, , ScBudd, and also, Rupert Holmes was not the "voice" of The Archies. That honor goes to Ron Dante.
  • Camille from Toronto, Oh"He might be thrillin' baby, but my love, so dog-gone willin'" WOW. Some of the best rhyming lyrics to a song, EVER, and even better when you sing them along loud and passionately:
    He might be thrillin' baby but a-my love (my love, my love)
    So dog-gone willin'
    So kiss him (I wanna see you kiss him. Wanna see you kiss him)
    Go on and kiss him goodbye, now
  • Esskayess from Dallas, TxNo cover of this song can match the one performed by The Nylons in the 80s. It would make a dead man's toe tap.
  • Richard from Calimesa, CaBrit girl group Bananarama covered this song in 1982 on thier debut LP,"Deep Sea Skiving".
  • Joshua from New Berlin, WiSad news... Paul Leka passed away 12 Oct 2011 at the age of 68.
  • Bill from Ocean View, Njhey budd from n.y. where do you get your information from?? leka had nothing to do with the 1910 fruit gum co. and 12 writers did not write this song.and gary decarlo and garret scott are the SAME PERSON.if you were there,you would have known that. I WAS THERE !!and they were not staff writers for buddah records.by the way,the record was on the mercury records subsidiary label fontana records.
  • John from Grand Island, NyThe now defunct NHL franchise Quebec Nordiques used to play this song every time the game's outcome was decided in favor of the Nordiques. The team moved from Le Colisee to Denver's Pepsi Center in 1995 and promptly won the Stanley Cup in their first year in Colorado.
  • Chip from Stratford, Ct1969 was an interesting year,a lot of history. I loved growing up in the 60's.
  • Javier from Irapuato, MexicoMy dad used to tell me a story about this song.. For the FIFA 1970 World Cup, Germany played in Leon, every time they were wining the game the crowd started singing "Alemania, Alemania Hey Hey Alemania"

    Alemania is the Spanish word for Germany, used like this sounds exactly as the song.
  • Carla from Orlando, FlThe drummer, the one you hear, was William "Bill" Bayers, he was only 17 at the time, he lived in Bridgeport Conn. He never received any payment for being the drummer on such a one hit wonder song. He and his family moved to Orlando in the 70's to work at Disney World as drummers, his father, and his brother were in the original fife and drum in front of Presidents Hall, they later were sent to work at Epcot to perform there. He was/and I am sure still is a brilliant drummer.
  • Camille from Toronto, OhThis song sounds fabulous on the ipod with earbuds. Just a fabulous beat. It's a song I always wish Cher would cover & have the radio play it, I think it'd be a huge hit for her.
  • Bill from Ocean View, Njto budd from n.y. the archies are ron dante not rupert holmes,it's dale frashuer not dale fruesco it wasn't written to be bad just a B side.
  • Bill from Ocean View, Njtommy james did not write this song!!
  • George from Ansonia, CtFive members of the "STEAM ROAD BAND"-(Hank,Tom,Jay,Bill,George) were also members of another Connecticut band called "SPECIAL DELIVERY" who had a single release in 1968 on Verve Records called "HELLO LOVE" Verve-VK 10606.
  • Fran from Stockton, CaI can't believe someone actually intended this song to be a B-side throw-away song. The rhythm section is complexly layered. It sounds like it combines at least 2 drum sets, bongos, a zylaphone, and chimes. A true musical genius arranged this song.
  • Bob from Westport, CtI was associated with Paul Leka back in the 60's and I remember being his studio in Bridgeport, listening to a rough mix of NA NA Hey Hey. It was pretty wild, and never thought this song would turn out to be as big as it did. I played a few rocl&roll gigs with Gary De Carlo, and he still collects royalties from that song!
  • Eric from Gnash, Tnsteam was the perfect name for a blue eyed soul group-hot,white and wet.
  • David from Easton, CtWorking for Paul in the mid to late 70's, we would sometimes find ourselves in his studio (Connecticut Recording Studios, on Main Street in Bridgeport), late at night, seeing what would happen if we me put Na-Na to a disco beat. Or perhaps run it threw a new effect.
    Paul was an incredible genus, and well ahead of his time, and a loyal friend. I too once lived in the NW CT facility - a piece of heaven.
  • Budd from Ny, NyThis song was written by a team of 12 staff songwriters who worked for Paul Leka, Gary DeCarlo and Dale Fruesco who were the satff songwriters of Buddah records in the late 70's. True, it was written in one session and true, it was to have been a B-side. I was there... written in studio with the intent on being as bad as possible.
    Paul Leka was never a member of any bands during that period, but as a member of Buddah Records was directly responsible for the Bubble Gum sounds with such bands as the Lemon Pipers (who evolved into Ram Jam with their hit "Black Betty", The Archies (who was actually Rupert Holmes of "Pina Colada Song" fame),and the 1910 Fruitgum Company. Paul was also later directly responsible for the legendary Harry Chapin (and did occasionally play keyboard during performances. Last time I saw Paul he was living in Northern Connecticut.
  • Edward from Washington, DcPaul Leka was not a member of the Lemon Pipers, merely a songwriter for them.
  • Joe Ardinger from Fairfax, VaI have heard that they "drummed" on the table and pots and pans because they originally intended this song to be a "B" side
  • Fyodor from Denver, CoI bought this 45 as a kid. I've since decided that the famous chorus is very reminiscent of the fade-out section of Hey Jude. Towards the end, the chorus starts out quietly and fades up; the fade-up is rather clumsy!
  • Howard from St. Louis Park, MnAn unlikely number one song for a single that was intended to be a "B" side. Who would have thought that the song would be popular again thanks to the White Sox. I really like The Nylons version. It's one of the best songs to sing in the shower.
  • Confusing from Sydney, AustraliaThis song was remade by the band Bus Stop (apparently called London Bus Stop or some such nonsense in the US) as Na Na. The same group has also remade Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas, Jump by Van Halen, and You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet by Bachmann Turner Overdrive.
  • Brian from Meriden, CtSteam hailed from Bridgeport, Connecticut's largest city, a crappy place struggling to survive in the wake of investment pull-outs caused by the revelations of the decadent corruption of ex-Mayor/now-inmate Joe Ganim. (One of Connecticut's most disgusting ringleaders in a wave of atrocious and more-than-arrogant political crime to rock the state, which includes it's now ex-Governor/now-inmate John Rowland.) We have a kick-ass Attorney General, thank God, in Dick Blumenthal. He will be our governor in not too long. But it's about time I digress (sorry.) Steam's management compromised a bit when they formed an all-new touring band by the same name. Not the first time this has happened. It even happened to Fleetwood Mac at one point. I guess you could call Bridgeport the captial of compromise.
  • Sam from Chicago, IlDespite the fact that this song has become a staple of baseball stadiums everywhere, few know that it was actually first used at Comiskey Park with the Chicago White Sox.
    Go Sox!
  • Deb from Boston, MaAn a cappella group called the Nylons released a version of this, too, in the mid-1980s.
  • Gary from Albertville, Ali heard that tommy james wrote this song after he wrote crystal blue persasion. becausee he was to write a song for them. but decided to keep it then he wrote ney ney hey hey kiss him goodbye for steam
  • Caitlin from Sailsbury, Ncthis song was used on remember the titans in a few scenes.
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