"The Immigrant" is a 1975 single written by

Neil Sedaka Neil Sedaka (; born March 13, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Since his music career began in 1957, he has sold millions of records worldwide and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collabo ...

an
Phil Cody
and performed by Sedaka. The single was the second release from his album, ''

Sedaka's Back ''Sedaka's Back'' is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka. The record, composed of selections from his previous three albums, which had been released only in the UK,"Q Rock Stars Encyclopedia" by Dafydd Rees and Luke Cr ...

''. "The Immigrant" was dedicated to

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

and the immigration problems that he faced. The single peaked at number 22 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and spent one week at number one on the

Easy Listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

chart in May 1975. Sedaka has referred to "The Immigrant" as his most controversial song and the only time he ever publicly waded into politics as a performer. According to Philip Cody, the song's lyric writer, it was originally written as a tribute to his father, Anthony Feliciotto, who came to America from Sicily in 1930. Sedaka's parents had also emigrated, from Russia/Poland. Lennon responded favorably, stating that Sedaka and other songwriters in his Brooklyn neighborhood were among "the greatest songwriters in the world;" Sedaka joked that there must have been "something in the

egg cream An egg cream is a cold beverage consisting of milk, carbonated water, and flavored syrup (typically chocolate or vanilla), as a substitute for an ice cream float. Despite the name, the drink contains neither eggs nor cream. It is prepared by p ...

."Neil Sedaka: 'I think the songs will outlive me—It's a form of immortality.'
'' Morning Joe''. Retrieved January 13, 2023.

Chart history

References

1975 singles Neil Sedaka songs Songs written by Neil Sedaka The Rocket Record Company singles Songs about John Lennon 1975 songs Songs with lyrics by Phil Cody Political songs Works about immigration to the United States {{1970s-pop-song-stub

Chart history

See also

References