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.
Teh Other Side of Me
Neil Sedaka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But how can you tell,
You never get inside my head.
The times we talk, we never speak,
We play hide and seek
So many things are left unsaid.
Why can't you see
The side of me that reaches out to you.
Sweet thoughts and dreams,
Like drops of rain on rippling streams
That wind and bend,
Rivers with no end,
Flowing on the other side of me.
It seems I always get unstrung
I trip on my tongue
With words that come out something else.
I'm so afraid the things I say
Might chase you away,
I have to hide behind myself.
Why can't you see
What's on the other side of me,
The side of me that reaches out to you.
Why must I hide
These feelings that have been denied.
Only you can set me free
See what's on the other side of me.
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la
I have to hide behind myself.
Why can't you see
What's on the other side of me,
The side of me that reaches out to you.
Why must I hide
These feelings that have been denied.
Only you can set me free
See what's on the other side of me,
On the other side of me,
On the other side of me.
In "The Other Side of Me", Neil Sedaka sings about feeling misunderstood and unable to express his true emotions to someone he cares about. He laments that his attempts at communication always seem to fail, leaving him feeling like he has to hide behind a façade. Despite this, he longs for the other person to see the "other side" of him – the side that is open, vulnerable, and filled with love and affection.
The first verse sets the scene for the song, with Neil questioning how well the other person really knows him. He notes that they never truly get inside his head, and that much of what they discuss is left unsaid. The second verse delves deeper into his insecurities, with Neil lamenting that he often "trips on his tongue" and says things he doesn't mean. He fears that these slip-ups might drive the other person away, and so he hides his true self.
The chorus highlights the central theme of the song, as Neil pleads with the other person to see him for who he truly is. He likens his hidden thoughts and feelings to "sweet thoughts and dreams", and says that only the other person can "set him free" to express himself fully. The repeated "la la la" refrain at the end of the song adds a touch of wistfulness, as if Neil is resigned to the fact that he may never be able to fully convey his emotions.
Overall, "The Other Side of Me" is a poignant and heartfelt song that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to express themselves to a loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
You think you know me pretty well,
You believe that you have a good understanding of who I am,
But how can you tell,
However, you cannot confirm that assumption without truly knowing me on a deeper level,
You never get inside my head.
You do not see the innermost thoughts or emotions that I keep hidden away within myself,
The times we talk, we never speak,
Our conversations lack substance and authenticity,
We play hide and seek
We avoid revealing our true selves and instead put up a facade,
So many things are left unsaid.
There are numerous topics and feelings that remain unaddressed and unexpressed between us,
Why can't you see
What prevents you from recognizing or acknowledging,
What's on the other side of me,
The aspects of myself that I keep hidden from the outside world,
The side of me that reaches out to you.
The part of me that wants to connect with and be understood by you,
Sweet thoughts and dreams,
Positive emotions and aspirations that I have,
Like drops of rain on rippling streams
Are like small but significant contributions to a larger picture,
That wind and bend,
That may shift and change over time,
Rivers with no end,
Yet still flow continuously,
Flowing on the other side of me.
All of which still exist within me, but that I keep hidden from the world.
It seems I always get unstrung
I tend to become disconnected or disjointed when speaking with you,
I trip on my tongue
I struggle to articulate what I really feel or want to say,
With words that come out something else.
Leading to miscommunication or misunderstandings between us,
I'm so afraid the things I say
I hold back out of fear that the truth of how I feel will push you away,
Might chase you away,
And cause you to distance yourself from me,
I have to hide behind myself.
So I feel like I must conceal what I'm truly feeling behind a mask of neutrality or detachment,
Why must I hide
What makes me feel like I need to keep my true self hidden from others,
These feelings that have been denied.
The emotions and desires that I have yet to express openly,
Only you can set me free
Only by accepting me for who I truly am can I feel liberated and able to be my authentic self,
See what's on the other side of me.
Get to know and understand the parts of myself that I keep hidden and reveal only to those I trust the most.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: HOWARD GREENFIELD, NEIL SEDAKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike 45B
You think you know me pretty well,
But how can you tell,
You never get inside my head.
The times we talk, we never speak,
We play hide and seek
So many things are left unsaid.
Why can't you see
What's on the other side of me,
The side of me that reaches out to you.
Sweet thoughts and dreams,
Like drops of rain on rippling streams
That wind and bend,
Rivers with no end,
Flowing on the other side of me.
It seems I always get unstrung
I trip on my tongue
With words that come out something else.
I'm so afraid the things I say
Might chase you away,
I have to hide behind myself.
Why can't you see
What's on the other side of me,
The side of me that reaches out to you.
Why must I hide
These feelings that have been denied.
Only you can set me free
See what's on the other side of me.
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la
I have to hide behind myself.
Why can't you see
What's on the other side of me,
The side of me that reaches out to you.
Why must I hide
These feelings that have been denied.
Only you can set me free
See what's on the other side of me,
On the other side of me,
On the other side of me.
Songwriters: Howard Greenfield / Neil Sedaka
The Other Side of Me lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Matthew Ollerenshaw
One of the best songs ever written and performed.... The best solo singer songwriter that ever lived
Daniel Hines
He is incredible.
John Davis
Neil Sedaka has written so many great songs, this is one.
MisterHot
I only knew Crystal Gayles version, but after listening to this one, I have to say it’s truly heartfelt ❤️
Mike 45B
You think you know me pretty well,
But how can you tell,
You never get inside my head.
The times we talk, we never speak,
We play hide and seek
So many things are left unsaid.
Why can't you see
What's on the other side of me,
The side of me that reaches out to you.
Sweet thoughts and dreams,
Like drops of rain on rippling streams
That wind and bend,
Rivers with no end,
Flowing on the other side of me.
It seems I always get unstrung
I trip on my tongue
With words that come out something else.
I'm so afraid the things I say
Might chase you away,
I have to hide behind myself.
Why can't you see
What's on the other side of me,
The side of me that reaches out to you.
Why must I hide
These feelings that have been denied.
Only you can set me free
See what's on the other side of me.
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la
I have to hide behind myself.
Why can't you see
What's on the other side of me,
The side of me that reaches out to you.
Why must I hide
These feelings that have been denied.
Only you can set me free
See what's on the other side of me,
On the other side of me,
On the other side of me.
Songwriters: Howard Greenfield / Neil Sedaka
The Other Side of Me lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Daniel Hines
Such a beautiful song
Bob Rodriguez
Lovely song; heard him do this live a couple of days ago in Lancaster, PA, and he sounds great even today!
Stuart Sandham
Hi, I'm from Lancaster, UK, and saw Neil in Manchester in 2009. This was his opening number. What a fabulous show it was.
Stuart Sandham
My favorite song by Neil and indeed, any composer. There are plenty of covers but the only one that comes anywhere close to Neil's is that by Mae Mckenna, released in 1975.
Aziz Azizov
I've heard this song in my childhood on father's tapes.. Thought it was Beatles.. Now have searched and found it was Neil.. Great catching song!