Sixteen Candles
The Crests Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Happy birthday
Happy birthday, baby
Oh, I love you so

Sixteen candles
Make a lovely light
But not as bright
As your eyes tonight (as your eyes tonight)

Blow out the candles
Make your wish come true
For I'll be wishing
That you love me too (that you love me too)

You're only sixteen (oh, sixteen)
But you're my teenage queen (oh, my queen)
You're the prettiest
The loveliest
Girl, I've ever seen (I've ever seen)

Sixteen candles
In my heart will glow
Forever and ever
For I love you so (for I love you so)

You're only sixteen (oh, sixteen)
But you're my teenage queen (oh, my queen)
Oh, you're the prettiest
The loveliest
Girl, I've ever seen (I've ever seen)

Sixteen candles
In my heart will glow
Forever and ever




For I love you so
For I love you so

Overall Meaning

The Crests' "Sixteen Candles" is a sentimental love song that expresses the feeling of a young man for his teenage queen. The singer sings to his sweetheart on her birthday, telling her that he loves her and hopes she loves him too. The song's title is not a literal reference to candles but rather a metaphor. It suggests that the young woman is like a "candle" that lights up the singer's life. She's the "prettiest" and "loveliest" girl he has ever seen, and her eyes shine even brighter than sixteen candles.


The song's lyrics also represent a rite of passage. At sixteen, the girl is on the cusp of adulthood, and the boy is hoping that his love will grow along with her. He wants her to make a wish when she blows out the candles, and he hopes that her wish will involve him. The singer's admiration for his teenage queen is evident, but the song's sweetness is tempered by a hint of melancholy. The phrase "Forever and ever" suggests that the singer knows that teenage love cannot last, and that someday, the candles will burn out.


Line by Line Meaning

Happy birthday
Celebrating your special day


Happy birthday, baby
Emphasizing the importance of the day and the person


Oh, I love you so
Expressing deep affection toward the person


Sixteen candles
Symbolizing the age of the person


Make a lovely light
Shining brightly and beautifully


But not as bright
Comparing the brightness of the candles to the person's eyes


As your eyes tonight (as your eyes tonight)
Describing the person's eyes as captivating and special


Blow out the candles
Blowing out the candles to make a wish


Make your wish come true
Hoping that the person's wish comes true


For I'll be wishing
Expressing the singer's own wish


That you love me too (that you love me too)
Desiring the person to reciprocate the singer's love


You're only sixteen (oh, sixteen)
Emphasizing the age and youth of the person


But you're my teenage queen (oh, my queen)
Describing the person as the singer's special and beloved queen


You're the prettiest
Complimenting the person's appearance


The loveliest
Praising the person's beauty and character


Girl, I've ever seen (I've ever seen)
Expressing the singularity of the person's beauty and character


Sixteen candles
Repeating the symbol of the person's age


In my heart will glow
Expressing the depth and longevity of the singer's love


Forever and ever
Indicating the timelessness of the singer's love


For I love you so (for I love you so)
Continuing to express the intensity and depth of the singer's love




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Luther Dixon, Allyson R. Khent

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@KnightsOldies

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@mariamancinas8593

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@phyllisbradshaw4744

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Are thier any other songs for the age of 16

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@thegemlet9736

hi i just turned 16 last week n my grandma n grandpa put me on can’t stop listening 😌

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