Friday Song: “Heartbreaker”
A breakthrough song by British songwriters required some Americanized lyrics
Written by two British songwriters — Geoff Gill and Clint Wade — the original lyrics of Pat Benatar’s 1979 breakout hit “Heartbreaker” were originally full of British expressions and colloquialisms. To make the song sound American, Benatar rewrote the lyrics, but says she loved the music and title from the first time she heard it. It remains one of her favorites.
Born Patricia Mae Andrzejewski in 1953, her 4th grade teacher realized the young girl had a standout singing ability, and encouraged her. After plans to attend Julliard shifted, at 19 she married her high school sweetheart, Dennis Benatar, who was in the Army. The couple moved to Virginia, where she worked as a bank teller. After seeing Liza Minelli perform in Richmond, she quit her job to pursue singing. She gradually climbed the ladder from Holiday Inns to New York’s Catch a Rising Star.
Halloween 1977 was pivotal. Benatar entered a Halloween contest in Greenwich Village dressed as a character from the film Cat-Women of the Moon. This ensemble of a tight leotard, black stockings, and high heels would become her trademark look, as later that evening she went onstage at Catch a Rising Star still in costume with photographers in attendance.
She recorded commercial jingles for Pepsi-Cola and a number of regional brands and headlined New York City’s Tramps nightclub over four days in spring 1978. This performance was heard by representatives from several record companies, and she was signed to Chrysalis Records by co-founder Terry Ellis the following week. She and her first husband divorced shortly after, although Benatar kept his surname.
Soon, a producer introduced Neil Geraldo to Benatar. The two would become incredible musical collaborators, with Geraldo playing guitar, producing all but two of Benatar’s albums, and writing some of her most massive hits. The two married in 1982.
This live version of “Heartbreaker” show Benatar’s power as a vocalist and Geraldo’s guitar chops. It’s a great performance of a great song.
Enjoy!
