"Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)"
Single by the Vamps featuring Shawn Mendes
from the album Meet the Vamps
Released12 October 2014
GenrePop
Length
  • 3:16 (solo version)
  • 3:14 (version with Shawn Mendes)
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Paul Simon
  • Connor Ball
  • Tristan Evans
  • James McVey
  • Brad Simpson
  • Amund Bjørklund
  • Espen Lind
  • Chris Michaud
Producer(s)
The Vamps singles chronology
"Somebody to You"
(2014) 		"Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)"
(2014) 		"Wake Up"
(2015)
Shawn Mendes singles chronology
"Life of the Party"
(2014) 		"Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)"
(2014) 		"Something Big"
(2014)
Music video
"Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)" on YouTube

"Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)" is a 2014 single by British pop band the Vamps, with a chorus adapted from Simon & Garfunkel's 1970 hit "Cecilia". The song appeared on their debut studio album Meet the Vamps (2014), but a later version featuring vocals from Canadian singer Shawn Mendes was released on 12 October 2014 as the album's fifth single.

The song has charted in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, and the United Kingdom (where it peaked at number 9, becoming the group's fifth successive top 10 single), whilst the version featuring Shawn Mendes charted in Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa.

Background

"Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)", which is a pop song, is an adaptation of Simon & Garfunkel's 1970 hit song "Cecilia", with interpolated sampling occurring throughout the song. The verse lyrics do not follow those of the original song, though they still heavily rely on the main chorus (Cecilia, you're breaking my heart / You're shaking my confidence daily / Oh Cecilia I'm down on my knees / I'm begging you please to come home).[1][2]

Music video

Two music videos exist for the song. One of them features the Vamps and Mendes shipwrecked in an area they don't initially realise is already inhabited, sending out an SOS and then bolting upon sight of a plane, and the other is in support of charity and features famous faces.[3]

Track listing

  1. "Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)" (featuring Shawn Mendes) – 3:14
  2. "Hurricane" – 3:19
  1. "Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)" (The Basement Acoustic Mix) – 3:23
  1. "Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart) (Live from the O2 Arena)" – 3:16
  2. "Teenagers" – 2:40
  3. "Dear Maria, Count Me In/Sugar We're Going Down (Medley)" – 2:53
  4. "Girls On TV (Live from the O2 Arena)" – 3:40

Charts

Chart (2014) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[5] 46
Ireland (IRMA)[6] 42
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[7] 13
Scotland (OCC)[8] 3
South Africa (EMA)[9] 4
UK Singles (OCC)[10] 9

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[11] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Cecilia". The Official Simon & Garfunkel Site. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  2. ^ The Vamps - Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart) ft. Shawn Mendes, retrieved 8 October 2023
  3. ^ "This Week's Fresh Music Top 20". 1 October 2014. 4Music. ((cite episode)): Missing or empty |series= (help)
  4. ^ "iTunes - Music - Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart) - Single by The Vamps". Apple iTunes UK. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014.
  5. ^ "The Vamps feat. Shawn Mendes – Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  6. ^ "Chart Track: Week 42, 2014". Irish Singles Chart.
  7. ^ "The Vamps feat. Shawn Mendes – Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)". Top 40 Singles.
  8. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  9. ^ "EMA Top 10 Airplay: Week Ending 2014-11-18". Entertainment Monitoring Africa. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  10. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  11. ^ "British single certifications – Vamps – Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
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