song by Barry Manilow
Factsheet
from the album Even Now
B-side "A Linda Song"
Released June 1978
from the album Even Now
B-side "A Linda Song"
Released June 1978
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Copacabana_(song)
Copacabana (song) - Wikipedia
November 25, 2025 - Lola Falana inspired the song's famous lyric, "Her name is Lola / She was a showgirl". The song's lyrics call the Copacabana nightclub "the hottest spot north of Havana". The story focuses on Lola, a Copacabana showgirl, and her sweetheart Tony, a bartender at the club.
SongFacts
songfacts.com › facts › barry-manilow › copacabana-at-the-copa
Copacabana (At The Copa) by Barry Manilow - Songfacts
The Copacabana is a famous nightclub in New York City named after a district in Rio de Janeiro, which is where the song takes place. True to the song, the club did become a disco in the '70s.
Videos
04:06
Barry Manilow - Copacabana (Lyrics // Letra) - YouTube
05:37
Copacabana (1978) "Barry Manilow" - Lyrics - YouTube
03:59
Barry Manilow - Her name was Lola (Copacabana) (Lyrics) - YouTube
05:51
Copacabana (At The Copa) - Barry Manilow (Lyrics) 🎵 - YouTube
05:51
Copacabana - Barry Manilow - Lyrics - YouTube
05:44
Barry Manilow - Copacabana (At the Copa) Lyric Video - YouTube
SongMeanings
songmeanings.com › b › barry manilow › copacabana (at the copa)
Barry Manilow - Copacabana (At the Copa) Lyrics & Meanings | SongMeanings
Copacabana (At the Copa) Lyrics & Meanings: / / Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl / With yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to the...
Genius
genius.com › Barry-manilow-copacabana-lyrics
BARRY MANILOW – Copacabana Lyrics | Genius Lyrics
While in the Copacabana Hotel in Rio De Janeiro, Barry Manilow and lyricist Bruce Sussman, the former of which being a regular at a New York bar called the Copacabana nightclub, pondered on whether there had…
Onstage Magazine
onstagemagazine.com › barry-manilow-copacabana
Barry Manilow "Copacabana" - Onstage Magazine.com
February 7, 2023 - The chorus of the song is particularly ... Copa tonight.” This line reinforces the setting of the song and creates a sense of exotic glamour and excitement....
LyricsMode
lyricsmode.com › lyrics › b › barry_manilow › copacabana.html
Copacabana lyrics by Barry Manilow, 3 meanings. Copacabana explained, official 2025 song lyrics | LyricsMode.com
November 28, 2006 - Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl ... Who could ask for more? Chorus: At the copa (Co!) Copacabana (Copacabana) The hottest spot north of Havana (here) At the copa (Co!) Copacabana Music and passion were always in fashion At ...
Lyric Stories
lyricstories.com › home › “copacabana” lyrics meaning (barry manilow)
"Copacabana" Lyrics Meaning: Barry Manilow's Song Explained
September 9, 2025 - “Copacabana” is a classic disco song with a tragic story set to an infectious beat. The song’s meaning revolves around the tale of Lola, a showgirl whose life takes a dark turn after a violent nightclub brawl.
Grunge
grunge.com › 2061865 › barry-manilow-serious-doubts-1978-single-copacabana
Barry Manilow Had Serious Doubts About His 1978 Single Copacabana - Grunge
1 day ago - "Copacabana" cinched Manilow's career and remains one of his signature songs all the way to the present. As Barry Manilow told the audience at London's Royal Albert Hall in 1978, "Copacabana" is a "story song." There are characters like Lola, Tony, and Rico; place names like Havana; specific dances like the cha-cha and the merengue; and a story that reads like a tragic piece of fiction.
Song Context
songcontext.com › songs › copacabana
Copacabana | Song Meaning and Lyrics | Barry Manilow
The Copacabana nightclub is referred to in the song as "the hottest spot north of Havana" in the lyrics. The plot opens in roughly 1948 and centres on Lola, a showgirl at the Copacabana, and Tony, the club's barman and her sweetheart.
American Songwriter
americansongwriter.com › home › the gloomy story behind lola the showgirl in barry manilow’s 1978 hit “copacabana”
The Gloomy Story Behind Lola the Showgirl in Barry Manilow's 1978 Hit "Copacabana"
Co-written with Jack Feldman, and ... song was inspired by a visit to the Copacabana Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, once a bygone escape for Marlene Dietrich, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Janis Joplin, Brigitte Bardot, Jayne Mansfield, Walt Disney, and Princess Diana, among many other famous faces. After visiting the Brazilian paradise, Manilow wanted to tell the story of the other Copacabana—the hottest spot north of Havana...
Published June 17, 2023
PopCrush
popcrush.com › lola-showgirl-copacabana-song-meaning
'...Lola, She Was a Showgirl': The Dark & Tragic Meaning Behind the 'Copacabana' Song
October 9, 2023 - According to American Songwriter, "Copacabana" is loosely based on a chic New York City nightclub of the same name — where Manilow used to be a regular in the '60s and which was transformed into a disco in the '70s — as well as the glamorous ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/music › why is copacabana(at the copa) (by barry manilow ) so sad but no one notices
r/Music on Reddit: why is copacabana(at the copa) (by Barry Manilow ) so sad but no one notices
August 28, 2025 -
if you didn't realize the song is about a woman (Lola) who was sexually harassed (by Rico) and when her boyfriend (tony) tried to help her he got shot and killed .
then the song cuts to 30 years later telling us that Lola couldn't let go of the past and now she is an alcoholic without tony in her life .
the song is about sexual harassment ,alcoholism and gun violence
SO, my question is why dose nobody notice ?
Top answer 1 of 5
19
Who says nobody notices? There are a bunch of articles online and other Reddit posts pointing out the same thing. It's one of my karaoke go-to's and it's pretty obvious if you pay attention to the lyrics. I think a lot of people enjoy and are used to sadness in pop music. There are a lot of pop songs with sad or disturbing lyrics. True crime podcasts are immensely popular. Many normal people are fascinated by the lurid, violent, or criminal.
2 of 5
15
Just like "Pumped-Up Kicks" and "I Don't Like Mondays", the song sounds happy and most people don't pay attention to the lyrics other the refrain. For those that do, it only becomes more enjoyable as a little inside joke or factoid to inform others of. Kind of like how you felt the need to do so here.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Copacabana_(musical)
Copacabana (musical) - Wikipedia
November 12, 2025 - Copacabana, also known as Barry Manilow's Copacabana, is a 1994 stage musical with music by Barry Manilow, lyrics by Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman, and book by Manilow, Sussman and Feldman. The show had its roots in an hour-long stage show, Barry Manilow Presents Copacabana, which played in Atlantic City in 1990 and 1991.
Song Meanings and Facts
songmeaningsandfacts.com › home › copacabana (at the copa) by barry manilow lyrics meaning – a deep dive into the heartbreak beneath the glitz
Copacabana (At the Copa) by Barry Manilow Lyrics Meaning - A Deep Dive into the Heartbreak Beneath the Glitz - Song Meanings and Facts
April 26, 2024 - Beneath the dazzling lights and infectious beats of Barry Manilow's 'Copacabana (At the Copa)' lies a narrative steeped in tragedy and lost love. Unpacking the profound storytelling hidden within this ostensibly upbeat disco hit reveals the dark side of the nightclub scene, where the shimmer of the dance floor is often just a reflection of broken dreams.
Call Me Fred
radio.callmefred.com › en › song_story › copacabana-at-the-copa-barry-manilow
The story of a song: Copacabana (At the Copa) - Barry Manilow
As he continues to make hearts swoon with his timeless tunes, Barry Manilow's legacy will forever remain an indelible part of the fabric of popular music. ... "Copacabana", also known as "Copacabana (At The Copa)", is a popular song recorded by American singer Barry Manilow.
Medium
nowordsnosong.medium.com › copacabana-barry-manilow-67870d402d50
Copacabana — Barry Manilow
July 31, 2021 - Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana” is a fine example of a songwriting style I really like…telling a complete story in just three minutes.
Musixmatch
musixmatch.com › lyrics › Barry-Manilow › Copacabana
Barry Manilow - Copacabana (Remastered) lyrics | Musixmatch
Writer(s): Barry Manilow, Bruce H. Sussman, Jack A. Feldman ... The song 'Copacabana' by Barry Manilow tells the story of Lola, a showgirl who experiences love, loss, and tragedy at the famous Copacabana nightclub.
Mixonline
mixonline.com › recording › classic-tracks › classic-tracks-barry-manilows-copacabana-365936
Classic Tracks: Barry Manilow's Copacabana
July 3, 2023 - Dante remembers that “Mandy,” Manilow’s first hit, comprises the pilot vocal from start to finish, with no punch-ins. But with the “Copacabana” track (which Manilow arranged) and the vocal, Dante says there was an implicit understanding that the song shouldn’t get pushed over the edge into out-and-out high camp.
Fandom
ultimatepopculture.fandom.com › wiki › Copacabana_(song)
Copacabana (song) - Ultimate Pop Culture Wiki - Fandom
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Wikiwand
wikiwand.com › en › Copacabana_(song)
Copacabana (song) - Wikiwand
"Copacabana", also known as "Copacabana (At the Copa)", is a song recorded by Barry Manilow. Written by Manilow, Jack Feldman, and Bruce Sussman, it was released in 1978 as the third single from Manilow's fifth studio album, Even Now (1978).