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.
Look to the Rainbow
Neil Sedaka Lyrics
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said my father, said he,
I've an elegant legacy
waiting for ye.
'Tis a rhyme for your lips
and a song for your heart,
To sing whenever the world falls apart.
Follow it over the hill and stream.
Look, look, look to the rainbow.
Follow the fellow who follows a dream.
Follow the fellow, follow the fellow,
Follow the fellow who follows a dream.
'Twas a sumptuous gift bequeathed to a child.
Oh, the lure of that song
Kept her feet running wild.
For you never grow old and you never stand still
With a whippoorwill singing beyond the next hill.
So, I bundled me heart and I roamed the world free.
To the east with the lark
Tow the west with the sea.
And I searched all the world and I scanned all the skies.
But I found it at last in my own true love's eyes.
The opening lyrics to Neil Sedaka's "Look to the Rainbow" speak of an elegant legacy that his father left him, one that includes a rhyme for his lips and a song for his heart. This legacy is not one of tangible possessions, but instead something much more meaningful: the ability to find joy and hope when the world "falls apart". The song's lyrics implore the listener to "look, look, look to the rainbow" and follow it over the hill and stream, following the fellow who follows a dream. This image of a rainbow serves to represent hope and beauty, and following it serves as a pathway to finding one's own dreams, rather than simply following in someone else's footsteps.
The second verse tells of a child who was given this "sumptuous gift" of a song, and it kept her "feet running wild". The implication here is that the gift of hope and possibility allows for freedom and exploration, instilling a sense of adventure and excitement in the recipient. The verse ends with the idea that with the song in her heart, the child will never grow old and will always be moving forward with the hope that something beautiful or exciting is waiting beyond the horizon.
Line by Line Meaning
On the day I was born, said my father, said he,
My father told me that from my birth, an inheritance of beautiful artistry awaits me.
I've an elegant legacy waiting for ye.
A treasure of poetic lyrics and melodies eagerly anticipates me.
'Tis a rhyme for your lips and a song for your heart, To sing whenever the world falls apart.
This legacy gives me the power to overcome any hardship and keep my spirits high.
Look, look, look to the rainbow. Follow it over the hill and stream.
If I look to the rainbow, I will find inspiration and joy that will carry me through the toughest of times and the most beautiful of places.
Look, look, look to the rainbow. Follow the fellow who follows a dream.
I must follow those who dream big, for they will lead me to true greatness.
Follow the fellow, follow the fellow, Follow the fellow who follows a dream.
I must follow and seek out those who have a true vision and purpose in life.
'Twas a sumptuous gift bequeathed to a child.
This gift of artistic expression is an incredible and valuable inheritance.
Oh, the lure of that song Kept her feet running wild.
The beauty of this artistry kept my spirits high and inspired me to keep moving forward.
For you never grow old and you never stand still With a whippoorwill singing beyond the next hill.
This gift will never fade and will always be with me, like the sweet sound of a bird singing in the distance.
So, I bundled me heart and I roamed the world free.
I packed up my heart and set out to explore the world and find my place in it.
To the east with the lark Tow the west with the sea.
I traveled far and wide, from sunrise to sunset, exploring all that I could.
And I searched all the world and I scanned all the skies.
I searched everywhere for inspiration and wonder, looking to the heavens and the earth for signs of magic.
But I found it at last in my own true love's eyes.
But the greatest inspiration and joy I found in my life was in the eyes of my beloved. They are the rainbow that I now follow.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Burton Lane, E. Y. Harburg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind