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.
Betty Grable
Neil Sedaka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I used to go
Every Saturday afternoon
To the picture show
Close up to the screen
My life wasso serene
I lived through every scene
Betty Grable
Three hundred howlin' kids were always pack the house
But they just came for Donald Duck
And Mickey Mouse
But there would be a world of fantasy
Wrapped in the melody
She sang and danced for me
Betty Grable
Lots and lots of pine up shots
I had them all
And there they were pasted up
Upon the wall
When mama said
That it was time for bed
I'd eat some jam and bread
And watched your overhead
Betty Grable
Just the other night I saw her on
Some late, late show
And it occurred to me I'm someone that
She'll never know
So I wrote this little songI
For the lady that I've loved so long
Betty Grable
The lyrics of Neil Sedaka's song Betty Grable is a nostalgic ode to the singer's childhood crush on the Hollywood actress Betty Grable, who was regarded as the pin-up girl of the World War II era. Sedaka reminisces about spending his Saturday afternoons at the picture show, being transported into the magical world of cinema, where he lived through every scene with his movie queen. Even though the theater would be packed with screaming kids there to watch cartoons, he found solace in Betty Grable's performances, wrapped in melody and fantasy, as she sang and danced for him. Sedaka talks about how he had pictures of her pinned up on his walls and how he would eat jam and bread while watching her movies on the overhead projector.
As the song progresses, Sedaka talks about how he saw Betty Grable again on a late-night TV show, and it occurred to him that he was just someone she will never know. But as a final tribute to his childhood idol, he wrote this little song, expressing his love for her that has lasted for so long. The lyrics are an insight into how pop culture influences young minds and shapes their perceptions of beauty and love. Even though Betty Grable was just a Hollywood actress, she had an incredible impact on Sedaka's childhood, which he carried into his adulthood.
Line by Line Meaning
When I used to be a little kid
When I was younger
I used to go
I would attend
Every Saturday afternoon
Each and every week on Saturdays
To the picture show
To the cinema
Close up to the screen
I would sit very close to the movie screen
My life wasso serene
My life was calm and peaceful
I lived through every scene
I felt as if I were experiencing each scene in the movie
With my movie queen
With the actress who played the leading lady in the film
Betty Grable
The actress' name was Betty Grable
Three hundred howlin' kids were always pack the house
The theater was always full of three hundred loud children
But they just came for Donald Duck
The children were there to see the cartoon character Donald Duck
And Mickey Mouse
And the cartoon character Mickey Mouse
But there would be a world of fantasy
However, the movies would transport me into a world of make-believe
Wrapped in the melody
This make-believe world was accompanied by the movie's soundtrack
She sang and danced for me
Betty Grable performed musical numbers in the movies
Lots and lots of pine up shots
There were many photos of Betty Grable on display
I had them all
I possessed all of the photos
And there they were pasted up
I had pasted the photos all over my wall
Upon the wall
On the wall of my room
When mama said
When my mother would say
That it was time for bed
That it was time for me to go to sleep
I'd eat some jam and bread
I would consume some jam and bread
And watched your overhead
I would look up at the pictures of Betty Grable on my ceiling
Just the other night I saw her on
Recently, I saw Betty Grable on
Some late, late show
A very late-night television program
And it occurred to me I'm someone that
At that moment, I realized that I was a person who
She'll never know
Betty Grable will never know me
So I wrote this little songI
Because of this realization, I wrote a small song
For the lady that I've loved so long
For the actress whom I have admired for a very long time, Betty Grable
Betty Grable
The song is dedicated to Betty Grable
Contributed by Elliot J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tom Grady
This was my favourite song as a kid - the first piece I ever choreographed a tap routine to (when I was 7), and out of all the many routines I've done since, still probably one of the best! Guess that's what a great song does when it inspires you. Thanks for posting - the images are lovely
David Quinton
Love Neil's work. I was truly lucky several years to see him live in my town. I walked home in a daze, he was stunning. This is one of his best songs though.
pete64barbie61
Lovely song and images performed by a gifted musician
Gerard Barker
Brilliantly song from a song writting genius not to mention a fantastic performer !!
Janet Green
Absolutely love this haunting little song! Wonderful!
Colin Fisher
To my brother in law who sadly passed away,this is how I remember you Paul ❤️
jasmine dugan
I love this song! He's singing a song for his idol......Betty Grable... I love Niel Sedaka one of my father's fave singer...:)
Dpf
Love the song and the video,I love Betty Grable,I play this regularly,thanks Neil!
Jenny Perrio
I saw Neil when he came to Guernsey many years ago ,he is still amazing ,come back soon please xx
PIERO
A tribute to Neil to enjoy great actress Betty Gable good listening..