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.
Stairway to Heaven
Neil Sedaka Lyrics
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Climb up, way up high
Climb up, way up high
Well a, well a, well a, heavenly angel
I want you for my girl
When I kissed your sweet, sweet lips
I knew that you were out of this world
I'll build a stairway to heaven
I'll climb to the highest star
I'll build a stairway to heaven
Cause heaven is where you are
Well a, well a, well a, over the rainbow
That's where I'm gonna climb
Way up high where the bluebirds fly
I'm gonna love you all the time
I'll build a stairway to heaven
I'll climb to the highest star
I'll build a stairway to heaven
Cause heaven is where you are
I'll build a stairway to heaven
I'll climb to the highest star
I'll build a stairway to heaven
Cause heaven is where you are
Well a, well a, well a, I gotta be going
Gonna leave the world behind
Every day in a heavenly way
You're gonna drive me outta my mind
I'll build a stairway to heaven
I'll climb to the highest star
I'll build a stairway to heaven
Cause heaven is where you are
I'll build a stairway to heaven
Cause heaven is where you are
Clim up, way up high
Clim up, way up high
Clim up, way up high...
In Neil Sedaka's song "Stairway to Heaven", the lyrics revolve around the theme of love and adoration. The singer is infatuated with a heavenly angel and wants nothing more than to be with her. He claims he will do whatever it takes to reach her, even building a stairway to heaven. The repetition of the phrase "climb up, way up high" suggests determination and a willingness to go to great lengths for his love.
When the singer speaks of kissing the angel's lips and feeling like she is out of this world, it suggests that she is an otherworldly being or even an allegory for the concept of heaven itself. This idea is reinforced with the song's chorus – where the singer says he will build a stairway to heaven to be with her, implying that she is the embodiment of heaven for him.
The singer speaks of the joy he feels going "every day in a heavenly way" with his angel, suggesting that she brings him a sense of happiness and comfort that he may not find elsewhere. The repetition of the phrase "well a, well a, well a" throughout the song adds a sense of playfulness and lightness to the overall message, as if the singer is reveling in the joy of his newfound love.
Line by Line Meaning
Climb up, way up high
Repetitive encouragement to climb high, possibly in a metaphorical sense.
Climb up, way up high
Repetitive encouragement to climb high, possibly in a metaphorical sense.
Climb up, way up high
Repetitive encouragement to climb high, possibly in a metaphorical sense.
Well a, well a, well a, heavenly angel
Introduction of a heavenly angel, possibly the love interest of the artist.
I want you for my girl
Expressing the romantic interest of the artist towards the heavenly angel.
When I kissed your sweet, sweet lips
The singer has previously kissed the heavenly angel, implying a physical relationship.
I knew that you were out of this world
The heavenly angel is perceived by the singer as being otherworldly and exceptional.
I'll build a stairway to heaven
The artist will metaphorically build a way towards the heavenly angel, possibly through self-improvement or other efforts.
I'll climb to the highest star
The artist is willing to undertake great efforts to reach the heavenly angel, going as far as to reach the highest point in the universe.
Cause heaven is where you are
The presence of the heavenly angel is equated with heaven itself, emphasizing their importance to the artist.
Well a, well a, well a, over the rainbow
A reference to the song 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow', possibly implying that the singer's pursuit of the heavenly angel is akin to chasing a dream.
That's where I'm gonna climb
The artist will climb to the metaphorical 'over the rainbow' location.
Way up high where the bluebirds fly
The 'over the rainbow' location is described as being somewhere high up, where bluebirds fly, possibly symbolizing happiness or freedom.
I'm gonna love you all the time
The singer expresses their eternal devotion to the heavenly angel.
I'll build a stairway to heaven
Reemphasis on building a metaphorical way towards the heavenly angel.
I'll climb to the highest star
Reemphasis on reaching the highest point possible to reach the heavenly angel.
I'll build a stairway to heaven
Reemphasis on building a metaphorical way towards the heavenly angel.
Cause heaven is where you are
Reemphasis on the importance of the heavenly angel to the singer.
Well a, well a, well a, I gotta be going
The singer has to leave, possibly implying a sense of urgency to reach the heavenly angel.
Gonna leave the world behind
The artist will abandon the world to pursue the heavenly angel.
Every day in a heavenly way
The artist's life with the heavenly angel is described as being perfect, in a heavenly sense.
You're gonna drive me outta my mind
The overwhelming emotions caused by the heavenly angel are portrayed as being intense, possibly implying that they drive the artist to the brink of sanity.
I'll build a stairway to heaven
Final reemphasis on building a metaphorical way towards the heavenly angel.
I'll climb to the highest star
Final reemphasis on reaching the highest point possible to reach the heavenly angel.
I'll build a stairway to heaven
Final reemphasis on building a metaphorical way towards the heavenly angel.
Cause heaven is where you are
Final reemphasis on the importance of the heavenly angel to the singer.
Clim up, way up high
Repetitive encouragement to climb high, possibly in a metaphorical sense.
Clim up, way up high
Repetitive encouragement to climb high, possibly in a metaphorical sense.
Clim up, way up high...
Final repetitive encouragement to climb high, possibly in a metaphorical sense.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind