Sedaka wrote his 1959 hit "Oh! Carol" about his then-girlfriend, Carol Klein, later to become Carole King. In 1963, King released a humorous answer entitled "Oh Neil".
The Laughter In the Rain Songfacts says Sedaka's hits dried up when The Beatles arrived, but then he teamed up with the lyricist Philip Cody and had a a number 1 hit with "Laughter In The Rain." It re-ignited Sedaka's career and he had 6 more Top-40 hits in America by 1977.
Sedaka's voice is in the tenor range.
Bad Girl
Neil Sedaka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What they're saying isn't true
Everybody calls her bad girl (Bad bad girl)
Everybody put her down (Bad bad girl)
Why don't they take the time to understand
She's looking for a love she's never found
That's the way she got her name (Bad bad girl)
All she did was look for someone to love
And they put the girl to shame
(Hey there she's not the girl for you)
Well you don't know her like I do
(Hey there listen to your friends )
If you're gonna put her down, here's where our friendship ends
I don't hear a word you're saying (Bad bad girl)
She's the one I'm dreaming of (Bad bad girl)
So don't you ever call her bad girl again
'cause she's found someone to love
(Hey there open up your eyes)
All I see is just a pack of lies
(Hey there she's gonna break your heart)
I'm gonna listen to the rumours that you start
I don't hear a word you're saying (Bad bad girl)
She's the one I'm dreaming of (Bad bad girl)
So don't you ever call her bad girl again
'Cause she's found someone to love
The lyrics of Neil Sedaka's song "Bad Girl" tell a story of a girl who is judged by everyone in her community. She is called a "bad girl" and is put down by everyone around her. However, the singer of the song believes that these accusations are not true and people do not take the time to understand her. The girl is simply searching for love that she has never found. The reason she got her "bad girl" name is that she is lonely, and people are quick to judge her actions. She is shamed by people who don't understand her, putting her down when all she ever did was to look for someone to love.
The chorus of the song expresses the singer's frustration with those who judge this girl. They don't know her like he does and, therefore, don't have the right to put her down. He tells his friends that if they cannot accept his opinion, their friendship has to end. For the singer, this girl is the one he is dreaming of, and he sees all the accusations as a pack of lies. He is defensive when people talk about her as if he were protecting her from their rumors.
Overall, the song strives to point out how often people judge others without knowing their story. The singer of the song sees the injustice being done to the girl and defends her truth by speaking out and standing up for her, urging others to do the same.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't believe a word they're saying
I do not trust the rumors spreading about her
What they're saying isn't true
The rumors are false
Everybody calls her bad girl (Bad bad girl)
Everyone refers to her as a bad girl
Everybody put her down (Bad bad girl)
Everyone disrespects and humiliates her
Why don't they take the time to understand
People should empathize with her situation
She's looking for a love she's never found
She longs for love, but cannot find it
And it's only 'cause she's lonely (Bad bad girl)
Her behavior is a result of her loneliness
That's the way she got her name (Bad bad girl)
Her reputation is based on her behavior
All she did was look for someone to love
She was simply searching for love
And they put the girl to shame
They humiliated and shamed her
(Hey there she's not the girl for you)
You are misunderstanding her character
Well you don't know her like I do
I understand her better than you
(Hey there listen to your friends )
You should take your friends' advice
If you're gonna put her down, here's where our friendship ends
I will end our friendship if you disrespect her
So don't you ever call her bad girl again
Do not disrespect her in that way
'cause she's found someone to love
She has found love
(Hey there open up your eyes)
You are not seeing the truth
All I see is just a pack of lies
The rumors are all untrue
(Hey there she's gonna break your heart)
You are wrong about her, and she will not break your heart
I'm gonna listen to the rumors that you start
I will not believe the lies you spread
She's the one I'm dreaming of (Bad bad girl)
I dream of her, despite her bad reputation
So don't you ever call her bad girl again
Do not disrespect her or refer to her as a bad girl
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOWARD GREENFIELD, NEIL SEDAKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind