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.
The First Noel
Neil Sedaka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the king of Israel
Shining in the east beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the king of Israel
And let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made heaven and earth of nought
And with his blood mankind hath brought
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the king of Israel
"The First Noel" is a traditional English Christmas carol that dates back to the 18th century. The lyrics take us back to the night of Christ's birth, where the angels proclaimed the good news to the shepherds in the fields. The song begins with the angel announcing the news to the shepherds, who were among the poorest people in society. They were the first to witness the birth of Christ, which is what the song is all about.
The song goes on to describe the moment when the shepherds saw the bright star shining in the east. The star led them to the birthplace of the king of Israel, where they paid homage to the new-born child. The song emphasizes the importance of acknowledging Jesus as the king of Israel and recognizing his divine grace. The message of this carol is one of hope, love, and faith, reminding us of the reason for the season and the joy that Christ's birth brings to the world.
Line by Line Meaning
The first Noel, the angel did say
According to the angel, the first announcement of Jesus’ birth was to certain poor shepherds.
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay
The shepherds were in the fields while the first announcement of Jesus’ birth was made known to them.
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
The shepherds were keeping watch over their sheep in the fields when the announcement was made.
On a cold winter's night that was so deep
The announcement came on a deeply cold night in winter.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Christmas greetings and cheers to all
Born is the king of Israel
Jesus, the king of Israel, has been born.
They looked up and saw a star
The shepherds looked up and saw a shining star in the east.
Shining in the east beyond them far
The star shone in the east, far beyond the shepherds.
And to the earth it gave great light
The star gave out great light to the earth below.
And so it continued both day and night
The star continued to shine both day and night.
And let us all with one accord
Let us all join together in unison.
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
We should sing praises to our divine Lord.
That hath made heaven and earth of nought
Our Lord created heaven and earth from nothing.
And with his blood mankind hath brought
Through his blood, he has redeemed mankind.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Christmas greetings and cheers to all
Born is the king of Israel
Jesus, the king of Israel, has been born.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TRADITIONAL, AVRIEL KAPLAN, BEN BRAM, KEVIN OLUSOLA, SCOTT HOYING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind