Neil Sedaka (born 13 March 1939 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American pop s… Read Full Bio ↴Neil Sedaka (born 13 March 1939 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American pop singer, pianist, and songwriter often associated with the Brill Building era of songwriting. He teamed up with Howard Greenfield to write many major hit songs for himself and others.

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.

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That's When The Music Takes Me
Neil Sedaka Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

That's when the music takes me
Takes to a brighter day
That's when the music takes me
Helpin' me to find my way

When the day is so long that I can't hold on
When I'm down and I think my hope is gone
Oooh, Yeah,
That's when the music takes me
Closer to a brighter daaaay
I can feel my soul explodin'
There's a good feelin'
Helpin' me to find my waaay
My, my, my way

When the bluebird sings her sad, sad song
And the wind brings a cold to tag along
Oh, yeah,
I can feel the spirit move me
I can almost touch the sky
Reachin' for a new tomorrow
I know it's hard
But music makes me waaaaanna try
Wanna try
And then
That's when the music takes me
Takes to a brighter day
Yeah, yeah
That's when the music takes me
Helpin' me to find my way
(That's when the music takes me)
(That's when the music takes me)
Oh, yeah
But when the music takes me
Closer to a brighter day
I can feel my soul explodin'
There's a good feelin'
Helpin' me to fiiiiiiind my waaay
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
And then I'm sayin'
That's when the music takes me
Takes to a brighter day
Yeah, yeah, yeah
That's when the music takes me
Helpin' me to find my way
(Clap)
Happy, happy, happy day
Happy, happy, happy day
Happy, happy, happy day
(That's when the music takes me)
(That's when the music takes me)
(That's when the music takes me)
(And that's when the music takes me)
Happy, happy when the music takes
Whooooooo

Overall Meaning

The song starts with Neil Sedaka expressing that music takes him to a brighter day through relaxing and inspiring him. Music lifts his spirit and brings joy and happiness that helps him to find his way. Sedaka goes on to explain that he reaches this point when he is tired and hopeless. When he can't hold on and feels down, the music helps him to access and connect to his inner self, and the song helps him to try and reach for a new tomorrow.

The second verse of the song describes how even when everything around him is gloomy (when the bluebird sings her sad song and the wind brings a cold to tag along), he can almost touch the sky and reach for a new day through the spirit that music infuses him with. The song ends with the chorus, and Sedaka repeats the line "That's when the music takes me" multiple times. He also includes a clapping sound, creating a joyful and festive mood.

The song's lyrics express how music can lift one's spirit and help us overcome tough times. The lyrics encourage listeners to embrace music as a path to brighter days, even when everything seems to be falling apart. It's a reminder that music can take us to a better place and bring comfort to our hearts.

Line by Line Meaning

That's when the music takes me
The power of music is illuminating and inspiring

Takes to a brighter day
Music lifts me up and takes me to a better, more positive place

Helpin' me to find my way
Music guides me and helps me navigate the difficulties of life

When the day is so long that I can't hold on
When life feels overwhelming and exhausting

When I'm down, and I think my hope is gone
When I'm feeling low and have lost the will to go on

I can feel my soul explodin'
My heart and soul are filled with joy and energy

There's a good feelin' helpin' me to find my waaay
My spirits are lifted, and I feel hopeful and optimistic

When the bluebird sings her sad, sad song
When I'm surrounded by sadness and despair

And the wind brings a cold to tag along
When I feel alone or isolated

I can feel the spirit move me
I am moved by the power of music and the emotions it evokes

I can almost touch the sky
I feel as though anything is possible and my dreams are within reach

Reachin' for a new tomorrow
I'm striving for a brighter future

I know it's hard
I understand that life can be challenging and difficult

But music makes me waaaaanna try
Music inspires me to keep going and to never give up on my dreams

That's when the music takes me
The power of music is illuminating and inspiring

Closer to a brighter day
Music lifts me up and takes me to a better, more positive place

I'm sayin' happy, happy, happy day
Music fills my soul with happiness and joy

Whooooooo
The exhilaration and excitement of the musical experience

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: HOWARD GREENFIELD, NEIL SEDAKA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@Michael-yb7rh

38w↑1

Awesome vocals

@illustrate100

38w↑1

Salute to Mr Neil Sedaka 👍

@djdon60

7y↑12

...great song, from a fantastic album. I was 14, when it came out; enjoyed every track!

@beatnik5170

Me 13, when I bought this single from my pocket money...I still love this song, has been with me all my life. 😍

@paulhunter8372

Same here brilliant album

@stevenhobin

9y↑18

This filled a lot of dance-floors in England in the 1970's. At that time Neil was much more popular here than in the USA

@armyoldsweat

6y↑23

Fantastic......at 85 I can still move to this though not perhaps as fast as I once did.

@bennie4362

4y↑1

i hope you’re doing well, this is a song every generation bops to

@BassByTheBay

4y↑2

Good for you, keep on moving!!

@donnamarie8008

3y↑1

You go, Girl! 💃🏼🎼
Enjoy!! ♥️❣️🤗

@paulhunter8372

30w

Love the percussion on this track

@70sleftover

2y↑3

I have to say I had to listen for a minute into the song to say I might have heard this before. I was a kid in 1975 and my family always had the kitchen (and usually car) radio tuned to the local "adult contemporary" station, and heard a lot of AM radio broadcast from Philadelphia (and probably from NYC and Boston on a trip that August). Mainly during that era I clearly recall from Neil Sedaka Laughter in the Rain and Bad Blood and his remake of Breakin' Up is Hard to Do. Interesting he was bigger in the U.K., but then it seems in the '70s the U.S. and across the Atlantic were on different music wavelengths.

@christineross14

4y↑4

The words describe how he and we all feel when we are free of worry etc .... Genius lyrics

@kenperk9854

4y↑5

This hit the charts in '75!

@johnnyfortube

2y↑1

No, it was April 1973 in the UK. Maybe you mean US chart .

@MrTrashcan1

1y↑2

@@johnnyfortube In the US, he was virtually unknown by the younger generation until Laughter In The Rain in '74. At first I thought it was a female. Then when I heard his name, I thought he was Japanese.

After that success, they started playing his older stuff. I never heard this until '75 and I thought it was new.

@MrTrashcan1

1y↑1

I never heard of Sedaka until Laughter In The Rain. And then, of course (in the US), they started re-releasing some of his older songs. He was so prolific as a songwriter and his songs were fantastic. But I didn't care much for what he chose to sing himself--or his own "covers" of the hits sung by others. But this and The Immigrant were among my favorites.

@jimmyarmijo2252

3y↑3

15 in '75. Got the album for Christmas!
Tight bass 🔊...

@bencumby9132

1y↑1

Same age as me. I remember I was staying with cousins in Roanoke, VA a week or so summer of '75 and this played on WSLQ all the time.

@AuntyM66

4y↑1

I love this it reminds me of my childhood.

@ronstriebig2749

5y↑6

That's what happens when a concert pianist writes genius songs

@centralparocker8886

8y↑8

Love this song....

@paulinekeegan5013

5y↑2

Loved this song from my teen's x

@stevejauncey3086

4y↑2

Awoke with this song in my head😊

@TheJameslehr

4y↑2

Not rilly keen for the music of NS but i like the life-affirming aspect of this song.

@zanegrey4720

3y↑2

The great Neil sedaka.

@makotthan9931

3y↑1

高校生のとき友人に教えてもらいました。アルバムを毎日きいて、刺激的でした

@eugenespudich8867

3y↑1

MY FAVORITE NEAL SEDAKA ROCK AN D ROLL SONG.

@karpizan

*Neil

@littlemiss80s88

3y↑1

👌👌❤️

@debrathornquist2465

4y↑5

Song just came to my mind so I searched it.

@phillyflash43

Same here, just popped into my head, lol!

@magneto7930

Ditto. Just had it in my head and had to find it.

@ronstriebig2749

5y↑3

Brilliant

@turnerthemanc

1y↑1

Recorded in Stockport, Manchester. Backing session band is 10CC

@bobcat081754

43w

This is fantastic. But somehow I hear it being sung by Carole King.

@haleyjane513

3y↑2

Yes yes yes!!!! 💘

@kenperk9854

4y↑4

Neil looking like Al Capone!

@joexpoe

3y↑1

this kicketh! ...so sayeth the joe.

@frankcarmack1442

7y↑19

Aided and abetted by Graham Gouldman, Lol Creme, Kevin Godley-engineered by Eric Stewart....very shortly to be known as.....10 CC

@frankcarmack1442

7y↑4

At their Strawberry Studio.

@DavidAndrewsPEC

7y↑4

Yep! Bloody versatile band, they were.

@DavidAndrewsPEC

7y↑6

And they did two albums with Sedaka. He was quite a fan of the band, really.

@russgrunert4730

2y↑1

If I recall correctly this was the flip side of Bad Blood

@paulhunter8372

1y↑1

No this was an RCA track, had blood was on POLYDOR

@russgrunert4730

1y↑1

@@paulhunter8372 Muzt have had a back to back hit copy mine had bad blood wascthe flip

@pauleypavillion6088

7y↑9

When I first heard this song way back in 1972 I thought a black woman was singing this on AM radio.

@fazbell

Wha???? You mean that Neil is NOT a black woman????? LOL

@sacollectiblesii

funny, cause when my son was growing up in the early 2000's he always thought "laughter in the rain " was sung by a large black woman. ~ lil bro

@fazbell

5y↑2

@Saul Barbosa That is hilarious. NEVER did I associate Neil Sedaka with large or black. He had a very feminine voice similar to Wayne Newton, but the "large black woman" comment just cracks me up. That made my day.

@sacollectiblesii

@Fred Azbell true story, my son was born with natural musical skills, but this subtlety slipped by him. fyi i always thought the stylistics leader was female and shocking blue ("venus") was male~ lil bro