Karel Svoboda was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Prague, Czech Republic) and began his career as a pop composer after stopping studying medicine in his third year of university. He became a member of the rock band "Mefisto" in the 1950s. Later, he composed music for the "Laterna Magica" theatre in Prague and for many Czech singers. In 1969 he wrote "Lady Carneval" for Karel Gott, a major Czech pop star. Svoboda wrote a total of 80 songs for him.