Neil Sedaka (born 13 March 1939 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American pop s… Read Full Bio ↴Neil Sedaka (born 13 March 1939 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American pop singer, pianist, and songwriter often associated with the Brill Building era of songwriting. He teamed up with Howard Greenfield to write many major hit songs for himself and others.

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.

Everything Happens to Me
Neil Sedaka Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I make a date for gown,
You can bet your life it rains.
Tried to give a party
But the guy upstairs complains.
Guess I'll go through life
Catching colds and missing trains.
Everything happens to me.

I never miss a thing
I've had the measles and the mumps.
And every time I play an ace
My partner always trumps.
Guess I'm just a fool
Who never looks before he jumps.
Everything happens to me.

At first I thought that you would end this jinx for me.
And love would turn the trick to end despair.
Now I just can't fool this head that thinks for me.
I've mortgaged all my castles in the air.
Well I've telegraphed and phoned.
Sent an air mail special too.
Your answer was goodbye.
There was even postage due.
Fell in love just once,

And it had to be with you.
Everything happens to me.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Neil Sedaka's song, "Everything Happens to Me," revolve around the theme of misfortune and bad luck that the singer experiences in different aspects of his life. In the first verse, the singer plans to attend an event but ends up canceling the plan because of an upcoming rainstorm. In the second line, he mentions that he attempted to host a party, but the neighbor complained about the noise, which resulted in an unsuccessful gathering. The singer then expresses how he either catches a cold or misses trains, implying that he constantly faces setbacks and obstacles that prevent him from following through with his plans.

The second verse highlights more struggles experienced by the singer. He claims that he never missed anything, even going through childhood illnesses such as the measles and mumps. However, when playing cards, he fails to win as his partner tends to have a better hand, resulting in a loss. In the second line, he refers to himself as a "fool" who doesn't think before acting. It signifies the singer's recognition of his repeated mistakes, which implies self-blame for his misfortunes.

The final verse turns to love, which seems to be the only hope for the singer to escape his life's perpetual cycle of misfortunes. He initially thought love would end his bad luck. However, he seems to have lost hope, stating that he has "mortgaged all my castles in the air." The singer describes his several attempts to communicate with his significant other, which has all failed. The fact that there was even postage due on his letter to his lover indicates that his current situation is not just unfortunate, but genuinely hopeless. The chorus then concludes the song, stating that everything happens to him, which implies his acceptance of his dismal reality.

Line by Line Meaning

I make a date for gown,
Whenever I plan something special or important for myself,

You can bet your life it rains.
It is almost guaranteed that something will go wrong or there will be a negative turn of events.

Tried to give a party
Once, I attempted to host an event for my friends.

But the guy upstairs complains.
However, someone living above me had an issue with the noise we were making and filed a complaint.

Guess I'll go through life
It seems like my entire life will consist of

Catching colds and missing trains.
getting physically ill and failing to be on time for important events or appointments.

Everything happens to me.
In summary, I am constantly faced with bad luck or negative events.

I never miss a thing
I am always present for everything, both good and bad.

I've had the measles and the mumps.
I've had all sorts of illnesses and diseases.

And every time I play an ace
Whenever I feel like I have an advantage or have played my best hand,

My partner always trumps.
Someone or something seems to always come along and ruin my plans or efforts.

Guess I'm just a fool
It appears that I am simply naive or foolish when it comes to my expectations and decisions.

Who never looks before he jumps.
I tend to act impulsively without thinking about the consequences or potential risks.

At first I thought that you would end this jinx for me.
Once upon a time, I had hoped that you would bring an end to all of the misfortunes that constantly plague me.

And love would turn the trick to end despair.
I believed that finding love would be the solution to all of my problems and the cure to my unhappiness.

Now I just can't fool this head that thinks for me.
However, I have now come to the realization that I cannot deceive myself into thinking that everything will magically get better.

I've mortgaged all my castles in the air.
I have pinned all of my hopes and dreams on unrealistic or imaginary things, leaving me with nothing concrete to hold onto.

Well I've telegraphed and phoned.
I have tried everything, including sending messages and making phone calls.

Sent an air mail special too.
I even tried sending a special, urgent message through air mail.

Your answer was goodbye.
However, the response I received was a final farewell or rejection.

There was even postage due.
I had to pay extra for the delivery or message, adding insult to injury.

Fell in love just once,
There was only one time in my life when I truly fell in love, and

And it had to be with you.
it happened to be with you, the one person who ultimately brought me more misfortune and pain than happiness.

Everything happens to me.
Once again, I am left with the profound understanding that bad luck and negative events are a constant in my life.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, O/B/O CAPASSO
Written by: HOAGY CARMICHAEL, JOHNNY MERCER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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