Carroll was born Ronald Cleghorn in Roslyn Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1934, the son of a plumber. He scored his first hit in 1956 with "Walk Hand in Hand" on the Philips label.
He is the only singer to have represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest two years in succession. Having taken part in the 1960 UK Eurovision selection contest with the song "Girl with a Curl", he returned to win the selection and be Britain's entry in the 1962 contest, and with the song "Ring-a-Ding Girl" shared fourth place, the same placing he reached in 1963 with "Say Wonderful Things". This success was followed by two Top 10 hits during 1962 and 1963, but a lack of good material meant that he could not sustain a chart presence. In 1962 he appeared on the bill of "The Winifred Atwell Show". From Monday, 17th September, 1962, for one week only, he gave twice nightly performances at the Brighton Hippodrome.
Carroll subsequently worked on cruise ships, including the QE2, with John Marcangelo who was the drummer with the Ronnie Carroll Orchestra. He played a pop musician named 'Ronnie' in the 1965 film Man in the Dark.
In 2005, he released a comeback album, Back on Song.
Carroll contested his home Hampstead and Highgate constituency seat in the 1997 UK General Election, and the Uxbridge by-election in July that year with the Rainbow Alliance. He stood in the 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election as a candidate for Make Politicians History and received 29 votes, despite announcing that he was trying to enter the record books by receiving no votes.
He stood as a candidate (under the name 'The Eurovisionary Carroll') for the 2015 general election, in the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency. Nominations had closed on 9 April 2015, just four days before his death, but polling day was not until 7 May. He was standing as an independent so the poll continued; if he had won the election, the ballot would have been re-run at a later date. In the event he polled 113 votes to finish sixth out of seven candidates.
Through work in variety theatre he met his first wife, Millicent Martin, to whom he was married from 1958 to 1960. His second wife was the Olympic runner June Paul with whom he ran an unsuccessful nightclub in Grenada. He was declared bankrupt in 1974 and his second marriage ended. Carroll later married and divorced a third wife, South African-born Glenda Kentridge.
He latterly lived in Hampstead, north London, and was a regular caller to phone-in shows on BBC London 94.9. He died in London on 13 April 2015, at age 80. He was survived by two sons with June and a daughter and son, his children with Glenda.
Singles discography
"Walk Hand in Hand" – (1956) – UK Singles Chart - No. 13
"The Wisdom of a Fool" – (1957) – No. 20
"Footsteps" - (1960) – No. 36
"Ring-A-Ding Girl" – (1962) – No. 46
"Roses Are Red" – (1962) – No. 3
"If Only Tomorrow" – (1962) – No. 33
"Say Wonderful Things" – (1963) – No. 6
Around the World
Ronnie Carroll Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ya todo estaba preparado para enamorarte
El tiempo que perdí, los besos que regale, fueron necesarios para aprender
Que cuando te encontrara, lo sabría tan solo con mirarte, por primera vez
Déjame que tengo la receta para el resto de las cenas que nos quedan juntos, Déjame, las horas pasan como minutos entre tu y yo
La escena que no quiero parar de vivir contigo
Buscándote logre, tener lo que no puedo comprar
Y por tu amor estoy vivo
Na Na Na Cada día mas vivo Na Na Na
Siento que haberte conocido no es casualidad
Na Na Na Y ahora que te tengo no te voy a dejar escapar
Déjame aclararte en este momento Que no te encontrabas en ningún lugar diferente a este Pues viniste a verte conmigo
Por eso te ves radiante
Por eso estoy elegante
Disculpa no quiero perder ni un instante contigo
Y ahora
Solo hace falta tocarte no tienes que hablar
No hay nada mas que esperar
Llego el momento del beso
Y me hacerco despacio a tus labios
Tus manos no dejan de temblar
Me doy cuenta mi niña bonita que valio la pena esperarte
Buscándote encontré La fuente de la felicidad
La escena que no quiero parar de vivir contigo
Buscándote logre, tener lo que no puedo comprar
Y por tu amor estoy vivo
Na Na Na ra cada dia mas vivo na na na
Siento que haberte conocido no es casualidad
The song "Buscándote" by Ronnie Carroll is a beautiful love song that expresses the sentiment of finding true love after waiting patiently. The lyrics explain that everything was prepared for the singer's new love even before they arrived. The experiences and previous relationships that may not have worked out were necessary to learn how to love properly. The singer found the source of their happiness by finding their love, and they did not want the scene of their life together to end.
The singer expresses their desire to spend more time with their significant other, and they want to cherish every moment. The lyrics suggest that being with their love gives them a feeling of liveliness that they have not experienced before. The song also highlights the idea that finding true love is not a coincidence, and the singer feels that meeting their love was destiny. Finally, the singer acknowledges that they did not want to waste any moment without their love and explains that they have been waiting for this moment for a long time.
Line by Line Meaning
Tengo que decirte, Que antes que llegaras
Ya todo estaba preparado para enamorarte
El tiempo que perdí, los besos que regale, fueron necesarios para aprender
I need to tell you that before you arrived, everything was already set in motion to make you fall in love. The time and kisses I've given before were necessary lessons, so I could be ready for you.
Que cuando te encontrara, lo sabría tan solo con mirarte, por primera vez
I knew I would recognize you the moment I first saw you.
Déjame que tengo la receta para el resto de las cenas que nos quedan juntos, Déjame, las horas pasan como minutos entre tu y yo
Let me take care of the plans for our dinners together - I have the perfect recipe. Time flies when we're together.
Buscándote encontré La fuente de la felicidad
La escena que no quiero parar de vivir contigo
Buscándote logre, tener lo que no puedo comprar
Y por tu amor estoy vivo
I found the source of happiness by searching for you. The moments we share are so special that I never want them to stop. By searching for you, I got something that money can't buy, and I'm alive because of your love.
Na Na Na Cada día mas vivo Na Na Na
Siento que haberte conocido no es casualidad
Na Na Na Y ahora que te tengo no te voy a dejar escapar
Every day, I feel more alive since I've met you. It's not a coincidence that we found each other. And now that we're together, I won't let you go.
Déjame aclararte en este momento Que no te encontrabas en ningún lugar diferente a este Pues viniste a verte conmigo
Por eso te ves radiante
Por eso estoy elegante
Let me make it clear that you were meant to be here with me all along. You look radiant because of it, and I wanted to dress up for you.
Disculpa no quiero perder ni un instante contigo
Y ahora
Solo hace falta tocarte no tienes que hablar
No hay nada mas que esperar
Llego el momento del beso
Y me hacerco despacio a tus labios
Tus manos no dejan de temblar
Me doy cuenta mi niña bonita que valio la pena esperarte
I'm sorry if I seem impatient, but I don't want to waste any time being with you. It's time for the kiss we've been waiting for. Your hands are trembling, and I realize how much it was worth waiting for you, my beautiful girl.
Writer(s): Victor Young, Harold Adamson
Contributed by Carter K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.