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.
Hungry Years
Neil Sedaka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
we went so high we couldn't stop
we climbed the ladder leading us nowhere
Two of us together building castles in the air
We spun so fast we couldn't tell
the gold ring from the carousel
How could we know the right would turn-out bad
Everything we wanted, was everything we had
the once upon a time
the lovely long ago
we didn't a dime
those days of me and you,
we lost along the way
how could I be so blind
not to see the door
closing on the World
I now hunger for
Looking through my tears,
I miss the Hungry years
We shared our day dreams one by one
Making plans was so much fun
We set our goals and reached the highest star
Things that we were after were much better from afar
Here we stand just me and you
with everything and nothing too
It wasn't worth the price we had to pay
Honey take me home Let's go back to yesterday
I miss the Hungry Years
the once upon a time the lovely long ago
we didn't have a dime
those days of me and you,
we lost along the way
how could I be so blind
not to see the door
closing on the World I now hunger for
Looking through my tears,
I miss the Hungry years
I miss the Hungry Years ?
The song "Hungry Years" by Neil Sedaka is a nostalgic reflection on the evolution of a romantic relationship that has lost its fervor over time. The singer, who seems to be speaking from a male perspective, recounts how he and his partner once had big dreams that they chased together relentlessly. They climbed the ladder to success so high that they "couldn't tell the gold ring from the carousel," meaning that they were on a perpetual ride, always striving for more, but never satisfied.
As the song progresses, however, the singer acknowledges that all of their hard work and striving has taken a toll on their relationship. They've lost touch with the simplicity and innocence of their early days when they "didn't have a dime," but they had each other and their dreams. Now, they have "everything and nothing too" because they've sacrificed their connection to achieve success.
Overall, the song invites listeners to reflect on the value of chasing after material success versus holding onto important relationships and experiences that shape our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl we made it to the top
We achieved success and reached the height of our ambitions
we went so high we couldn't stop
Our success was so great that it was difficult to slow down or stop
we climbed the ladder leading us nowhere
Our success did not really lead to anything meaningful
Two of us together building castles in the air
We had grand plans and aspirations that were not grounded in reality
We spun so fast we couldn't tell the gold ring from the carousel
We were moving so quickly that we lost clarity and could not distinguish between important and trivial things
How could we know the right would turn-out bad
We did not anticipate that our success would lead to negative consequences
Everything we wanted, was everything we had
We achieved all of our goals but ultimately it was not enough to bring us satisfaction
I miss the Hungry Years
I long for the days when we were struggling and striving for success
the once upon a time the lovely long ago we didn't have a dime
In the past, we were poor and struggling but we were happy and hopeful
those days of me and you, we lost along the way
We lost our connection and closeness as we became more successful
how could I be so blind not to see the door
I failed to recognize the signs that our success was causing us harm
closing on the World I now hunger for
The world that I used to know and love is now out of reach and unattainable
Looking through my tears, I miss the Hungry years
I am filled with regret and sadness for the time when we were struggling but happy
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: PETERY ROONEY BYFORD, STEPHEN DAWSON, PETER FRANCIS GILL, GRAHAM OLIVER, PAUL QUINN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kevin Murphy-Steele
I have always loved this song initially as a musician because of its structure and chord sequence, but as a middle aged man I now appreciate the message of the lyrics....a man who has achieved everything he aspired to in his youth, but realising it wasn't all it was cracked up to be and hungers for the simpler years of his youth....it's a lesson for us all
rship19
Am at a loss to understand how it is possible for Neil to not be already in the R&R Hall of fame. The poetry and depth of this song alone gives proof of his talent. Make it happen.
Patrick Hicks
I can't believe it either
Ron N
The r&r hof was formed in 1983. They should have inducted all those prior r&r stars immediately over the course of a few months. They’ve really embarrassed themselves with all the stars they’ve omitted.
Bernie Briffa
The Hungry Years "is a beautiful poignant ballad that stands as one of the most wonderful songs ever written by Neil Sedaka.
Denise Celi
Yes I also can relate to this wonderful song written by one of the masters who grasps your heart and soul for I have lived the ballad many years ago. I too miss the hungry years for many years later after being divorced, and remarried I still miss him. Now a widow and alone being older now I still have memories of the loves in my life.
Gaetano Green
Neil Sedaka is a musical genius! The Hungry Years is a perfect example of his genius.
Peggyu Short
ANYONE who could put a thumbs down to this incredibly beautiful performance simply does not understand true beauty‼️‼️‼️‼️
Robbie Peck
100% agree
Neil Beard
Totally agree ,makes me look back at our own lives.