Oh! Carol

Neil Sedaka

About Oh! Carol

Not to be confused with "Carol" by Chuck Berry, or "Oh Carol" by Smokie"Oh! Carol" is an international hit written by Neil Sedaka in 1958. The song was co-written with Howard Greenfield. The song reached #9 in the American charts in 1959. It also earned Sedaka his first #1 ranking when it went to #1 on the Italian charts for four weeks in January 1960. After release of single, it was included in the album Neil Sedaka Sings Little Devil and His Other Hits. The song is noted for Sedaka's spoken recitation of the verse, the second time around. At the time Sedaka produced the record, his second and third singles, "I Go Ape!" and "Crying My Heart Out For You" had fared poorly on the charts, and RCA Victor was ready to drop him from their label, but producer Al Nevins persuaded the RCA executives to give Sedaka one last chance. Determined to create a hit song, Sedaka purchased the three top singles of the day and listened to them repeatedly, studying their melody, chord progression, and lyrical styles; and he found that they were very similar in structure. He then used this knowledge to create the song, "Oh! Carol". Sedaka had dated Carole King when he was still at high school, and she was still called Carol Klein, so he used her name; Gerry Goffin – King's husband – took the tune, and wrote the playful response "Oh! Neil", which King recorded and released as an unsuccessful single the same year (1958). Sedaka also recorded a Hebrew-language version of "Oh! Carol"' which was written by Chaim Kaynan. It has been covered by other artists in other languages as well. 


1:24
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#3

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Oh! Carol, I am but a fool
Darling, I love you though you treat me cruel
You hurt me, and you made me cry
But if you leave me, I will surely die
Darling, there will never be another
'Cause I love you so
Don't ever leave me
Say you'll never go
I will always want you for my sweetheart
No matter what you do
Oh! Carol, I'm so in love with you
Oh! Carol
Darling

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Neil Sedaka

Neil Sedaka (born March 13, 1939) is an American pop/rock singer, pianist, and composer. His career has spanned nearly 55 years, during which time he has sold millions of records as an artist and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard Greenfield and Phil Cody. more »

3 fans

Written by: HOWARD GREENFIELD, NEIL SEDAKA

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Song Background
"Oh! Carol" was released by Neil Sedaka in 1959.
Song Inspiration
The song was inspired by Sedaka's romantic relationship with the famous singer Carole King. They dated during their high school years.
Co-writing
The song was co-written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, who worked together on numerous songs in the early years of their careers.
Chart Performance
"Oh! Carol" reached the number 9 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, making it one of Sedaka's biggest hits.
International Success
The song was a major international success, reaching number one in Belgium and the Netherlands, and peaking within the top five in numerous other countries.
Counter Response
In response to the song, Carole King wrote her own song with the title "Oh, Neil" however, it didn't achieve much commercial success.
Later Versions
Neil Sedaka re-recorded "Oh! Carol" in 1970 on the album "Emergence" and then again in 1991 on "Timeless - The Very Best of Neil Sedaka."
Multilingual Versions
There are also versions of "Oh! Carol" recorded in Italian, Spanish, and German. The Italian version, “Oh Carol", was translated by Leo Chiosso and performed by Adriano Celentano.
Cover Versions
The song was covered by numerous artists, including the Beatles during their early years. The group performed it during their Hamburg days.
Legacy
"Oh! Carol" helped to establish Neil Sedaka as a pop icon in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The song remains a well-loved classic to this day.

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    Oh! Carol

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1959

    Billboard #9


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