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.
No Vacancy
Neil Sedaka Lyrics
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They're makin' a highway so they're rippin' my buildin' down
I gotta find a place, within a week
Or else I'll be sleepin' out on the street
Woe is me, I'm lookin' for a vacancy
All day long I'm walkin' 'round (no vacancy)
Walkin' up and walkin' down (no vacancy)
No apartment to be found (no vacancy)
On my dishwasher's pay (can't find a place to stay)
I found myself a place but the rent sure is a crime
It's a cold water flat that was built in Lincoln's time
The paint is peelin' right off of the wall
Good golly, the bathroom is in the hall
Woe is me, I'm lookin' for a vacancy
I could budget myself, scrimp and save to get along
But it ain't no fun givin' up wine, women and song
So I'll have a roof up above my head
But under those conditions I would rather be dead
Woe is me, I'm lookin' for a vacancy
All day long I'm walkin' 'round (no vacancy)
Walkin' up and walkin' down (no vacancy)
I've been searchin' 'round the town (no vacancy)
No apartment to be found (no vacancy)
On my dishwasher's pay (can't find a place to stay)
All day long I'm walkin' 'round (no vacancy)
Oh, All day long I'm walkin' 'round (no vacancy)
All day long I'm walkin' 'round (no vacancy)
All day long I'm walkin' 'round (no vacancy)
All day long I'm walkin' 'round (no vacancy)
The lyrics to Neil Sedaka's song "No Vacancy" tell the story of a man who is in trouble. He is facing eviction from his home, as they are making a highway where his building once stood. With only a week to find a place to stay, he is desperately searching for somewhere to live. Unfortunately, he is constantly met with disappointment as every place he looks at has a "no vacancy" sign hanging in the window. He eventually finds a place, but the rent is high, and the living conditions are terrible. He can't afford to enjoy the things he loves, such as wine, women, and song, and he would rather be dead than live in such a place. The song is a commentary on the housing crisis and the struggles that people face when they lose their homes.
The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and helplessness through their repetition and catchy melody. The use of the refrain "no vacancy" reinforces the idea that there is no hope for the singer, who is trapped in a situation that he cannot escape. The song also highlights the contrast between the singer's low income and the expensive housing market, which is a theme that is still relevant today.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm livin' in a house on the other side of town
The singer is currently residing in a house that is far from where they want to be.
They're makin' a highway so they're rippin' my buildin' down
The singer's current home is being demolished to make way for a new highway construction project.
I gotta find a place, within a week
The singer is under a tight deadline to find a new place to live.
Or else I'll be sleepin' out on the street
If the artist fails to find a new place, they will be forced to live on the streets.
Woe is me, I'm lookin' for a vacancy
The artist laments their current situation and the difficulty of finding a new place to live.
All day long I'm walkin' 'round (no vacancy)
The singer spends their days searching for a new place to live, but there are no vacancies available.
Walkin' up and walkin' down (no vacancy)
Despite their efforts to find a new home, no vacancies can be found by the singer.
I've been searchin' 'round the town (no vacancy)
The artist has searched throughout the town for a new place to live, but none are available.
No apartment to be found (no vacancy)
The artist has exhausted their search for apartments, but none are available for them to rent.
On my dishwasher's pay (can't find a place to stay)
The artist cannot afford a more expensive place to live on the income they make as a dishwasher.
I found myself a place but the rent sure is a crime
The singer has found a place to live, but the rent is exorbitantly high.
It's a cold water flat that was built in Lincoln's time
The new place the artist found is likely old and in poor condition, possibly without modern amenities like hot water.
The paint is peelin' right off of the wall
The new home the singer found is in a state of disrepair with peeling and chipped paint on the walls.
Good golly, the bathroom is in the hall
The new home has a shared bathroom that is accessed by going out into the hallway, which is inconvenient for the singer.
I could budget myself, scrimp and save to get along
The singer could live frugally in order to afford the new high rent, but it would not be an enjoyable lifestyle.
But it ain't no fun givin' up wine, women and song
The artist is unwilling to make sacrifices and give up enjoyable things like socializing and drinking in order to afford the high rent.
So I'll have a roof up above my head
The new home may not be ideal, but it is better than being homeless.
But under those conditions I would rather be dead
The singer believes that living in the new home is so difficult that they would rather die than have to live there long-term.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HOWARD GREENFIELD, NEIL SEDAKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mutleybird
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