It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday

"It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday"
Single by G.C. Cameron
from the album Cooley High: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack/G.C. Cameron
B-side	"Haulin' + Cold Blooded (Instrumental)" by Freddie Perren
Released	September 1, 1975 (1975-09-01)
Format	7" single
Recorded	1975
Genre	Soul
Length	3:25
Label	Motown 1364
Writer(s)	Freddie Perren Christine Yarian
Producer	Freddie Perren
G.C. Cameron singles chronology
"If You're Ever Gonna Love Me" (1975) "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" (1975) "Dream Lady" (1976)

"It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday"
Single by Boyz II Men
from the album Cooleyhighharmony
Released	August 20, 1991 (airplay) September 3, 1991
Format	7" single Cassette single CD single
Recorded	1990
Genre	R&B Soul A cappella
Length	2:47
Label	Motown 2136
Writer(s)	Freddie Perren Christine Yarian
Producer	Dallas Austin
Boyz II Men singles chronology
"Motownphilly" (1991) "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" (1991) "Uhh Ahh" (1992)

"It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" is an R&B song written by Motown husband-and-wife songwriting team Freddie Perren and Christine Yarian for the 1975 film Cooley High. In the film, the song is performed by Motown artist G.C. Cameron, whose rendition peaked at number 38 on the Billboard R&B singles chart that same year. Perren also composed the instrumental score for Cooley High, and the B-side to "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" features two of his score compositions from the film.

The composition fared better when covered in an a cappella rendition by contemporary R&B Motown group Boyz II Men 16 years later. Boyz II Men's recording of "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" peaked at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 on December 21, 1991. The song also reached number five on the Hot 100 Airplay on December 7, 1991 and number two on the Hot Singles Sales on November 23, 1991. "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" was included on Boyz II Men's first album, Cooleyhighharmony, its name a reference to the film from which the song originated.

The song was also featured in the films Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) and as the center of gags in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), and in episodes of the television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Psych and Martin. It was also performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon immediately after Conan O'Brien's final Tonight Show in 2010, with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots singing it in the studio O'Brien had occupied when he hosted Late Night (now home of The Dr. Oz Show).

Singer Jacky Cheung recorded a Cantonese version of "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" entitled "偷闲加油站" in 1993.

The Notorious B.I.G. humorously refers to the song in the song "Gimme the Loot," from his 1994 album Ready to Die, indicating that if a potential robbery victim tried to resist his efforts, the victim's bereaved mother would be left singing "It's so haaaard."

Nas also did something similar in the song "Destroy & Rebuild", where he didn't mention Cormega's name in the first verse of the song: "Right: Mega was his name, sorry 'bout that, but 'it's so hard' to put a coward's name in my raps!"

In 1995, Barrio Boyzz dedicated the song in spanish to Selena after her death on March 31, 1995.

In 2001, Boyz II Men re-recorded a version of "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" entitled, "The Aaliyah Song" dedicated to fellow R&B singer Aaliyah, who died in August of that year.

In 2002, Busch Stadium played the song while showing a memorial video of late pitcher Darryl Kile.

In 2007, the Irish pop group Westlife, covered the song and released it as a single from the Deluxe Edition from the Back Home album.

In 2008, Jamelody covered the song on his debut album, "Be Prepared".

U.S. chart performance

G.C. Cameron version

Chart (1975)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles	38

Boyz II Men version

Peak positions

Chart (1991)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	2
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles	1

End of year charts

End of year chart (1992)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	37

See also

• R&B number-one hits of 1991 (USA)