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.
perfect strangers
Neil Sedaka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shared in the hope of mending broken dreams
The constant struggle after simple pleasures
Finds us perfect strangers, you and I
You know I hate to see you cry
And through the tears that fall like winter rain
You say you're tired of merely just surviving
[Chorus:]
Perfect strangers singing perfectly in tune
From separate corners of the room
Held together by our hunger to get by
Perfect strangers, you and I
Let's make a toast to no regrets
Wet down the painful sting of sweet love lost
Let evening find us whispering in our whiskey
Come and sit beside me for a while
You know I love to see you smile
And if perhaps you're only passing through
At least we tried to reach an understanding
And for just one moment we were
[Chorus x 2]
The lyrics of the song "Perfect Strangers" by Neil Sedaka seem to be about two people who have just met and share a mutual understanding of the troubles that life throws at them. In the first verse, the two people are having a conversation about their "sad affairs" and how they hope to mend their broken dreams. They are "perfect strangers" who find themselves in similar situations, struggling to find joy in the simple things in life.
The second verse reflects on the woman's tears, falling like "winter rain," and her admission that she is tired of merely surviving. The two people realize that they have so much in common, and they sing together, perfectly in tune, despite being from "separate corners of the room." They are held together by their shared experience of trying to get by in life.
The chorus celebrates this connection between the two people, who toast to "no regrets" and try to forget past pain through whiskey and whispered conversations. Even though they may only be passing through each other's lives, they have made an effort to understand and connect with each other, if only for a brief moment.
Overall, the song "Perfect Strangers" is a bittersweet reflection on the fleeting connections we make with people throughout our lives, and how those connections can bring about a sense of belonging, even if only for a short time.
Line by Line Meaning
An afternoon of sad affairs
We started talking about our problems and things that have made us upset.
Shared in the hope of mending broken dreams
We talked about them so that we could try and make ourselves feel a little better and start to hope again.
The constant struggle after simple pleasures
It's difficult to find happiness in the little things in life.
Finds us perfect strangers, you and I
We may not know each other well, but we understand what the other is going through.
You know I hate to see you cry
I care about you and don't like it when you're upset.
And through the tears that fall like winter rain
You're crying a lot and it's hard to watch.
You say you're tired of merely just surviving
You're tired of just getting by and want more out of life.
We've so much in common that we're
We relate to each other's hardships and struggles.
Perfect strangers singing perfectly in tune
Even though we just met, we're able to connect and understand each other.
From separate corners of the room
We may not know each other well, but we're coming from different experiences and backgrounds.
Held together by our hunger to get by
Our need to survive is what's bringing us together.
Let's make a toast to no regrets
We shouldn't dwell on things we've done in the past that we can't change.
Wet down the painful sting of sweet love lost
We should try and forget about lost love that still hurts us.
Let evening find us whispering in our whiskey
Let's continue to talk and comfort each other with a drink.
Come and sit beside me for a while
I want you to be close to me and keep talking.
You know I love to see you smile
I care about you and want to see you happy.
And if perhaps you're only passing through
Even if this is just a short time in our lives, it's been meaningful.
At least we tried to reach an understanding
We've made an effort to connect and empathize with each other.
And for just one moment we were
We were able to put aside our differences and enjoy each other's company.
Perfect strangers singing perfectly in tune
We were able to find harmony and understanding despite our differences and past struggles.
From separate corners of the room
We're coming from different places, but we're able to connect and find common ground.
Held together by our hunger to get by
Our shared desire to survive and thrive is what connects us.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: HOWARD GREENFIELD, NEIL SEDAKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paulette Langlois
What a great composer and singer!
Always a forever fan
💘
Armando Anasco
Neil forever and ever. He´s amazing¡¡¡
Emmanuel Ravalo
I am also a forever fan of Neil Sedaka. The great and beautiful melody of this song could have brought it to the top of the charts if Neil released this as a single.
Aristea Alcoriza
Thank you Sir NEIL for your wonderful music,,very touching
CA Babyboomerq
I saw him at Branson, MO a couple of years ago, He still sounded GREAT and sang all the classics we all love and some other fin songs with his grand kids. . It was well worth the 8 hour drive and the over night hotel room. I would do it again, it was so enjoyable.
Emmanuel Ravalo
If this song was released as the SIDE A, it could have been a number 1 hit for Neil Sedaka! It has a very good melody! 💖
Eloisa Patton
Its already 2020,but i still lisening to this song.love it❤
CA Babyboomerq
Yes, his songs stand the test of time. I love this one too,.
Don Crabbe
Somewhere, definitely, in my Neil Sedaka top five; I, never, tire, of this tune!
JENNY WAX
Amen to this being the most fabulous wonderful heartbreaking song from Neil Sedka or anyone else in the whole wide world.