Paul Leka, Writer of 'Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye),' Dead at 68
- Posted on Oct 24th 2011 1:05PM by Cameron Matthews
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Paul Leka, the writer of 1969 No. 1 hit 'Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye),' has passed away due to lung cancer, the New York Times reports. He was 68. According to the producer/songwriter's brother George, Leka died on Oct. 12 in hospice care near his home in Sharon, Conn.
Leka started out as a Tin Pan Alley songwriter, often arranging pop tunes for other performers. He first scored a No. 1 hit with 'Green Tambourine,' a song he wrote and produced for the Lemon Pipers in 1967. Leka went on to sign soft-rock heroes REO Speedwagon and produce several Harry Chapin albums in the '70s.
In '69, Leka was working on a B-side single for his friend Gary DeCarlo. Originally titled 'Kiss Him Goodbye,' the song clocked in at only two minutes. The duo (under the name Steam) wanted to ensure the A-side would get radio play, so they extended 'Kiss Him Goodbye' to over four minutes with a drawn out chorus. But the result didn't turn off any radio prospects, as it soon shot to the top of the charts.
"I started writing while I was sitting at the piano, going 'na na na na, na na na na' ... " Leka told author Fred Bronson of the iconic song's conception. "Everything was 'na-na' when you didn't have a lyric." 'Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)' went on to have success in radio throughout the early '70s. Just when Leka believed the song to have run its course, it was reinvigorated as a sports anthem.
"It's a song where a guy wants a girl, but she's going out with someone else," DeCarlo told the New York Times. "It's basically a sad situation, but we made it upbeat. The guy sounds like he's going to come out ahead. That's why I think it caught on. It gives you a lift."
Leka is survived by his wife Engjellushe, sons Alexander and Derek, daughter Heather and sister Evelyn Kreta.
Listen to 'Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)'
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Leka started out as a Tin Pan Alley songwriter, often arranging pop tunes for other performers. He first scored a No. 1 hit with 'Green Tambourine,' a song he wrote and produced for the Lemon Pipers in 1967. Leka went on to sign soft-rock heroes REO Speedwagon and produce several Harry Chapin albums in the '70s.
In '69, Leka was working on a B-side single for his friend Gary DeCarlo. Originally titled 'Kiss Him Goodbye,' the song clocked in at only two minutes. The duo (under the name Steam) wanted to ensure the A-side would get radio play, so they extended 'Kiss Him Goodbye' to over four minutes with a drawn out chorus. But the result didn't turn off any radio prospects, as it soon shot to the top of the charts.
"I started writing while I was sitting at the piano, going 'na na na na, na na na na' ... " Leka told author Fred Bronson of the iconic song's conception. "Everything was 'na-na' when you didn't have a lyric." 'Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)' went on to have success in radio throughout the early '70s. Just when Leka believed the song to have run its course, it was reinvigorated as a sports anthem.
"It's a song where a guy wants a girl, but she's going out with someone else," DeCarlo told the New York Times. "It's basically a sad situation, but we made it upbeat. The guy sounds like he's going to come out ahead. That's why I think it caught on. It gives you a lift."
Leka is survived by his wife Engjellushe, sons Alexander and Derek, daughter Heather and sister Evelyn Kreta.
Learn to Play 'Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)'
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