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.
Standing On The Inside
Neil Sedaka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lookin' in
You know it's been a long time,
Don't know where to begin
So much I want to say,
so much I want to do,
Friends are tellin' me
It's time that you broke through.
I've been through the hard times
Of searchin' souls,
You know it's been a hard climb
From rock and roll.
Now I feel a need in me,
so hard to explain,
Now I've seen the joy and light,
And I want to remain.
Standin' on the inside,
I finally broke that line,
Ring around the circle,
Don't you know that it feels so fine.
Every waking moment
I just want to sing the news
That I'm standin' on the inside,
I kicked away them blues.
All the phony faces
Stand in line.
All the back-slappers
Know my name this time.
Now that I've turned the lock,
now that I've opened the door,
I won't be on the outside,
not anymore, not any more.
Standin' on the inside,
I finally broke that line,
Ring around the circle,
Don't you know that it feels so fine.
Every waking moment
I just want to sing the news
That I'm standin' on the inside,
I pushed away them blues.
Now that I've turned the lock,
now that I've opened the door,
I won't be on the outside, not anymore.
Standin' on the inside,
I finally broke that line,
Ring around the circle,
Don't you know that it feels so fine.
Every waking moment
I just wanna sing the news
That I'm standin' on the inside,
I kicked away them blues.
Standin' on the inside,
Standin' on the inside,
I kicked, kicked, kicked it,
Standin' on the inside,
Standin' on the inside,
I kicked, kicked
In Neil Sedaka's song "Standing On The Inside," he sings about feeling like an outsider looking in and how he overcomes that feeling. He begins by expressing how difficult it is to know where to start as so much has built up inside of him. His friends have encouraged him to break through the barriers he feels are in place. Neil then reflects on his musical journey "from rock and roll" and how it has been a "hard climb." However, he feels a need to keep going, one that is "hard to explain." He has now become aware of the joy and light in his life and wants to hold onto it.
As the song progresses, Neil talks about how the people who once ignored him now have to take notice. He feels like he has found his place and isn't on the outside looking in anymore. The line "I kicked away them blues" expresses how he has overcome the negative emotions he felt previously. Finally, he sings about standing on the inside repeatedly, emphasizing how secure he feels now.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was recorded for Neil's 1975 comeback album, "Sedaka's Back." The album was a huge commercial success, relaunching his career. The album also featured the hit song "Laughter in the Rain." Another fascinating fact is that Neil had originally written "Standing On The Inside" for The Captain and Tennille, but after they declined, he decided to keep it for himself.
Line by Line Meaning
Standin' on the outside
Feeling like an outsider and not knowing how to enter the inner circle.
Lookin' in
Desperately wanting to be a part of the group.
You know it's been a long time,
Don't know where to begin
It has been a while since the person tried to break in and they are hesitant about how to go about it.
So much I want to say,
so much I want to do,
Feeling like they have a lot to offer to the group.
Friends are tellin' me
It's time that you broke through.
The person's friends are pushing them to take a chance and try to join the group.
I've been through the hard times
Of searchin' souls,
Having gone through difficult times of feeling lost and searching for their place in life.
You know it's been a hard climb
From rock and roll.
The person has had to work hard to get where they are now.
Now I feel a need in me,
so hard to explain,
Feeling a strong desire to be a part of the group, but struggling to express why.
Now I've seen the joy and light,
And I want to remain.
The person has experienced the positive aspects of being a part of the group and wants to continue to enjoy those benefits.
All the phony faces
Stand in line.
Referring to insincere people who try to be part of the group.
All the back-slappers
Know my name this time.
After joining the group, people are taking notice and recognizing the person.
Now that I've turned the lock,
now that I've opened the door,
I won't be on the outside,
not anymore, not any more.
Having successfully joined the group, the person feels like they are finally a part of it and will not be excluded anymore.
Ring around the circle,
Don't you know that it feels so fine.
Feeling like they are part of an exclusive, tight-knit group.
Every waking moment
I just want to sing the news
That I'm standin' on the inside,
I kicked away them blues.
Feeling very happy and content to be a part of the group and wanting to express that to others.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NEIL SEDAKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fakerating
I went to a Neil Sedaka concert somewhere in a smaller club around L.A., around 1982, and he opened with this song... it was amazing to be in a smaller venue, up close...
@Bricray
A fabulous voice that remains undiminished even though Neil's in his 70s now. A songwriting genius and a true professional.
@kympridham8267
Doing corona virus mini concerts for his fans ATM one each day fantastic
@johnwilliams2479
Was cutting hair in Kentish town, north London, and this song came on the radio, took me five years in hair styling to get to do the world styling I wanted to, this song told me I got their at last, not on the outside anymore
@bisonette5
My fav. Sedaka song. Thanks for posting.
@Cara-house
Great song. & killer Chorus, just brilliant
@helenpeirce8358
Great performer ...my husband and l saw him in concert twice in Australia.
Whilst he's a true professional ,he remains a very humble man ...
Appreciating that his success is due to fans ..
Thanks for sharing video .
@phillipoos
What a great song !
@cherpizzuti1245
WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!! I love this song and haven't heard it sooo many years. What an old friend this is:-) I believe this was released the year after I was born.......And boy do I remember it;-) Thank you thank you thank you soooo much. Awesome stuff
@patrickgiles1829
This man is just ONE CLASS ACT...