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.
My World Keeps Getting Smaller
Neil Sedaka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Since you went away the world is closing in on me
Every day I face tomorrow knowing you'll be there
I see your face in every little thing we used to share
The memory of you is everywhere
And my world keeps getting smaller every day
I run but I can't run away
And I find you're in my heart and in my mind
There's no place left on earth to stay
My world gets smaller every day
In the lonely of the morning when I'm waking up
I find you standing at the bottom of my coffee cup
I see you on the highway when I'm driving in the car
Downtown in the city I just turn and there you are
I run from you but never get too far
And my world keeps getting smaller every day
I run but I can't run away
You're with me everywhere I go
And I find you're in my heart and in my mind
There's no place left on earth to stay
My world gets smaller every day
And my world keeps getting smaller every day
I run but I can't run away
My world gets smaller every day
In this song, Neil Sedaka is expressing the feeling of being trapped within his own thoughts and emotions after a painful separation from his lover. He is trying to escape from the memories of the past, but it is impossible for him to do so. He is going around in circles, constantly haunted by the memories of his past relationship, and he feels that the more he tries to escape from them, the more they keep closing in on him. Neil is aware that his lover is still present in his life in one way or another, as he sees her face in everything that they used to share, be it their coffee cups or the streets of the city. He is trying to find a space for himself to breathe, but he realizes that there's no escape- he can't run away from the memories that keep chasing him.
The lyrics of the song convey a sense of helplessness and despair, reflecting Neil Sedaka's emotions of sadness and loneliness after a heart-wrenching separation. Even though he is physically away from his lover, he feels that she is with him everywhere he goes, and there's no place left on earth for him to stay away from that memory. The song beautifully captures the feeling of being trapped within your own thoughts and emotions, unable to break free from the painful memories of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Round and round I go in circles trying to be free
I am going in circles and trying to free myself from my thoughts and feelings about you.
Since you went away the world is closing in on me
Ever since you left, my world feels like it is shrinking and I am feeling trapped.
Every day I face tomorrow knowing you'll be there
I wake up every morning knowing that you will still be a presence and influence in my life.
I see your face in every little thing we used to share
My memories of us are everywhere and they keep me thinking of you constantly.
The memory of you is everywhere
The memories of you are everywhere and they are making me feel trapped and unable to escape my feelings.
And my world keeps getting smaller every day
My world feels like it is getting smaller as I feel increasingly trapped by my thoughts and feelings about you.
I run but I can't run away
I am trying to run away from my thoughts and feelings, but they keep following me and I can't escape them.
You're with me everywhere I go
You seem to be following me everywhere I go, in my thoughts and in my memories.
And I find you're in my heart and in my mind
You are constantly on my mind and in my heart, and I can't seem to shake my feelings for you.
There's no place left on earth to stay
All the places I go seem to remind me of you, and there feels like there is no place I can go to escape my thoughts and feelings.
My world gets smaller every day
As my thoughts and feelings about you continue to follow me, my world feels like it is getting smaller and smaller.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: HOWARD GREENFIELD, NEIL SEDAKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paullamb8114
My dad covered this song on a 7" vinyl ep back in 1974. He died of Leukaemia in 1980. I've since lost my mam in 2019 then my brother in 2021 my World is now a great deal smaller but my memories live on in my heart ❤️
@deanjove4556
This song reminds me when i was assigned inTqrlqc Philippines as a philippine Constabulary way back on 1975.... i really love this song....
@patrickwellington4214
What a lyricist,what a voice.I must confess,this song and the before,I did not know.Neil Sedaka really had a way with words,what a poet.I always knew that he was a natural tenor,but I did not know that he sang in a very high register.He never even had to use the falsetto,he just sang naturally.Sedaka was one of those vocalists whose speaking voice matched his singing voice like Little Anthony or Smokey Robinson.Pianist,songwriter and singer,what a talent.
@emerald733
Indeed
@acctim100
I met my wife in 1985 she was 15 at the time we fell in love with Neil Sedaka & we still love his music till this day we had are first child in 1986 & we still have this album on LP & play it from time to time as it sounds better than the CD
@bak2mb
agree analog rules..nothing like Vinyl or lossless Flac files
@allurandomoran7230
Naririnig ko ang awiting ito sa AM radyo,,wala pang FM radyo noon..at ang story sa awiting ito nabasa ko sa komiks na wakasan,,cguro 14 yrs old ako noon ng marinig ko ang awiting ito at mabasa ko sa komiks ang story ng awiting ito.ngayon 58 yrs old na ako at laki pasasalamat ko at naririnig ko pa ang awiting ito..maraming salamat sa nag upload,,sa palagay ko pwede na akong bumalik kong saan man ako galing sa alabok..
@ferociousvixen
Beautiful and meaningful song.
Every day, as another sunlight touches our face, time moves, bringing us to age. I just remember this song. I was around 7 or 8 yrs old when my eldest sister, who was just in her early teens, would sing this song along with her guitar. It was years ago, and yes! This song is a reality. Now, I am 52! And my world, as I wake up every day, keeps getting smaller and smaller. One day soon, I know that there could be no more space to shrink in my life and ultimately, there will be no more world for me here.
@aprilby7296
🥰
@jhanzent2024
according to my father,, this is the song na nirequest in Marcial baby Ama bago sya ma electick chair.. nice song...