CHICAGO—Decades after Neil Sedaka first lamented that “breaking up is hard to do,” the veteran crooner confirmed Tuesday that, yes, breaking up is indeed still hard to do. Sedaka, whose 1962 hit single topped charts for weeks, told reporters that the song’s central premise has held remarkably true throughout his life. He cited numerous instances of post-relationship dissolution proving to be a moderately inconvenient process. Sedaka’s enduring sentiment underscores the timeless difficulty of parting ways with romantic partners. The challenge of disentangling oneself from another human being remains a constant. The core difficulty Sedaka identified is not going away anytime soon.
A Lifetime of Difficulty
“I’ve had to break up with people since then,” Sedaka stated flatly during a press conference held at a local Denny’s. “And every single time, it was at least a little bit hard. Sometimes I’d forget where I parked my car afterward. That was hard.” Sedaka’s co-writer Howard Greenfield reportedly struggled with the song’s emotional core. Greenfield famously said, “I thought it was just a catchy phrase. Turns out, Neil wasn’t kidding.” Greenfield has since retired from songwriting to focus on competitive jigsaw puzzling, an activity he finds considerably less taxing than emotional farewells. For more on Sedaka’s enduring legacy, visit Rolling Stone.
Further Complications
Sedaka further elaborated on the complexities of the breakup experience. “There was this one time, I had to tell my girlfriend we couldn’t see each other anymore. I had to take the Lincoln out of the garage. That was hard too,” he recalled. Sedaka’s unwavering commitment to the song’s central theme has long baffled music critics. They point to his subsequent string of hits, which suggest a person remarkably adept at navigating life’s emotional hurdles. Sedaka, however, dismisses such notions. He insists that even successful relationships require significant effort to terminate gracefully. He believes that “breaking up is hard to do” is less a catchy chorus and more a universal constant.
At press time, Sedaka was reportedly struggling to leave his hotel room due to a stubborn door handle. The incident further validated his lifelong assertion.
