Carol Welsman is a Canadian jazz singer and pianist. She graduated in the … Read Full Bio ↴Carol Welsman is a Canadian jazz singer and pianist. She graduated in the 1980s from the Berklee College of Music where she majored in piano performance. Her sound is similar to the smooth jazz vocals of Diana Krall.

Musical influences include Antonio Carlos Jobim and Keith Jarrett.

When You're Smiling
Carol Welsman Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When you're smilin'
When you're smilin'
The whole world smiles with you.
And when you're laughin'
When you're laughin'
The sun comes shinin' through.

When you're cryin',

You bring on the rain,
So, stop you're sighin',
Won't you be happy again!

When you're smiling,
Keep on smilin'
And the whole world smiles with you

When you're smilin'
You bring on the joy
Be happy
You got to groove my boy

When you're smiling,
Keep on smilin'
And the whole world smiles with you

Cause I'm the sheik of Araby
(Put your turban on)
Your love belongs to me

At night when you're asleep
(Put your turban on)
And the stars that shine above
We'll light our way to love
We'll rule this crazy land

Just me & you
Cause I'm the king of babalu

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Carol Welsman's song "When You're Smiling" talks about the universal power of a smile and how it can affect the people around us. The first two lines reiterate the saying 'smile and the world smiles with you.' When we are happy and content, people surrounding us tend to pick up on that positive energy and reflect it back at us. The second stanza talks about the opposite of smiling, crying which brings on the rain. The lyrics urge people to be happy again and keep smiling because that way we bring joy to the world. The third stanza repeats the sentiment of the first stanza and emphasizes the contagious nature of smiling.

The fourth stanza brings a quick and playful shift in lyrics, with an interruption of the song to a Ska version of the song "The Sheik of Araby." It presents an opportunity to let loose and groove with the rhythm. The lyrics are inviting someone to dance and enjoy the music, encouraging them to put their turban on and become "the sheik of Araby." The last few lines of the lyrics talk about the joy of being in love and how it can make us feel like we rule the world.

Line by Line Meaning

When you're smilin'
You radiate happiness

When you're smilin'
Your positive outlook attracts positivity from others

The whole world smiles with you.
Your contagious smile spreads joy to those around you

And when you're laughin'
Your laughter brings happiness to others

When you're laughin'
Your joy reflects in your surroundings

The sun comes shinin' through.
Your happiness is reflected in nature

When you're cryin',
Your sadness affects your surroundings

You bring on the rain,
Your tears can bring on a gloomy atmosphere

So, stop you're sighin',
Don't dwell on negative thoughts

Won't you be happy again!
Try to find happiness once more

You bring on the joy
You spread positive energy