In 1974, the song was covered -- entirely as an instrumental -- by "The Crusaders" on their live LP "Scratch." It was also released as a studio version, lasting almost 12-minutes, on "The Crusader's" compilation CD "The Golden Years."
In 2001, The House Jacks recorded an a cappella version on their album "Drive," which is now performed by vocal groups around the world.
In 2002, Reba McEntire sang the song on her hit TV series Reba.
In 2007, the song was covered by Tina Arena on her album Songs of Love & Loss.
Also in 2007, the Filipino rock band Bamboo covered “So Far Away” on their third album, We Stand Alone Together.
In 2008, drummer Russ Kunkel and the group Chateau Beach covered the song from their album Rivage.[1]
On July 26, 2011, the funeral of Amy Winehouse in London ended with a rendition of the song.
So Far Away Songfacts states that this was a favorite of Amy Winehouse and she sung it with her father, Mitch. Her funeral service on 26 July 2011 ended with a rendition of the song.
So far away
Carol King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
Doesn't help to know you're just time away
Long ago I reached for you and there you stood
Holding you again could only do me good
How I wish I could, but you're so far away
Can't say much of anything that's new
If I could only work this life out my way
I'd rather spend it bein' close to you.
But you're so far away, doesn't anybody stay in one place any more
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
Doesn't help to know you're so far away
Travelin' around sure gets me down and lonely
Nothin' else to do but close my mind
I sure do hope the road don't come to own me
There's so many dreams
I've yet to find
But your so far away
Doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
And it doesn't help to know you're so far away...
Carol King's "So Far Away" is a heart-rending ballad in which the singer is bemoaning the distance between her and her loved one. The opening lines lament the way that people are constantly on the move, never staying in one place for any length of time. The singer is yearning to see her loved one's face at her door, but knows that they are only just out of reach, a mere phone call or plane ride away. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore?" emphasising the feeling of isolation that the singer is experiencing.
The second verse tells the story of how the singer had once been with her loved one, but now that they have been separated, she longs for their presence once more. She imagines holding them again, knowing how much it would do her good, but the distance between them makes that impossible. The third verse returns to the theme of travel and loneliness, with the singer expressing her desire to be with her loved one and not stuck on the road. She hopes that she will not be consumed by the journey and that she will be able to fulfil her dreams and be reunited with her beloved.
The song is a powerful commentary on the difficulties of long-distance relationships and the yearning that is experienced when one is separated from a loved one. King's plaintive delivery and poignant lyrics make "So Far Away" a timeless classic that speaks to the heart of anyone who has ever been separated from someone they love.
Line by Line Meaning
So far away, doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore?
I'm feeling alone and disconnected because people are always on the move nowadays.
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
It would make me very happy to have you come visit me.
Doesn't help to know you're just time away
It's not really comforting to know that you're not far away in distance, but simply in time.
Long ago I reached for you and there you stood
I've loved you for a long time and in the past, I was able to be with you.
Holding you again could only do me good
Being with you again would make me very happy and feel good.
How I wish I could, but you're so far away
Unfortunately, it's not possible for me to be with you right now because you're too far away.
One more song about movin' along the highway
This is yet another song about traveling and being on the move.
Can't say much of anything that's new
There's not much more to say about it that hasn't already been said in countless other songs.
If I could only work this life out my way
If I had any control over my life, I'd choose to be with you instead of constantly traveling and being on my own.
I'd rather spend it bein' close to you.
Being near you is what I really want in life, more than anything else.
Travelin' around sure gets me down and lonely
All this traveling really bums me out and makes me feel lonely.
Nothin' else to do but close my mind
I don't have anything else to do except try to forget about how lonely I am.
I sure do hope the road don't come to own me
I hope I don't get stuck living life on the road and always feeling lonely and disconnected.
There's so many dreams I've yet to find
I still have a lot of unfulfilled hopes and dreams that I want to achieve in my life.
And it doesn't help to know you're so far away...
It's not very comforting to know that you're too far away for me to be with you right now.
Contributed by Taylor B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@pigeon2665
[Chorus]
So far away
Doesn't anybody stay in one place any more?
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
Doesn't help to know you're just time away
Long ago I reached for you and there you stood
Holding you again could only do me good
How I wish I could
But you're so far away
[Verse 1]
One more song about moving along the highway
Can't say much of anything that's new
If I could only work this life out my way
I'd rather spend it being close to you
[Chorus]
But you're so far away
Doesn't anybody stay in one place any more?
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
Doesn't help to know you're so far away
Yeah, you're so far away
[Verse 2]
Traveling around sure gets me down and lonely
Nothing else to do but close my mind
I sure hope the road don't come to own me
There's so many dreams I've yet to find
[Chorus]
But you're so far away
Doesn't anybody stay in one place any more?
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
And it doesn't help to know you're so far away
Yeah, you're so far away
Hey, you're so far away
@nancyharabedian7293
This song popped into my head this morning, and I instantly started crying.
The lyrics that really get me emotional are:
Long ago I reached for you
And there you stood
Holding you again
Could only do me good
How I wish I could
But you're so far away.
I lost my mom to dementia back in January, and these lyrics make me think of her.
Once you lose such an important person in your life, your life is never the same ever again. The heartache, missing the person and sadness never ever truly go away. You just kind of have to try to go on in your life without them, but it is never easy.
RIP, mom! I will never stop loving or missing you.
@brianjtatro
My wife and I were going through a difficult time. I was going to leave her. We told our kids and they were upset. Next day I got home after work and she played this song. I realized then how much I loved her and how much she loved me. That was 24 years ago. We've now been married for 44 years. This song saved my life.
@brianmonayong2769
That’s a wonderful story man. I’m happy for you and your wife.
@roberture5903
God bless you and your wife Brian.
@gailjestus5734
Beautiful
@rosemarysilva5697
So beautiful your story.
@jerryeriksen
😥
@npv87
Everyone should hear this song once in lifetime.
@juliegregory8885
Tears in my eyes right now
@margaretfarmer8184
And a second time fifty years later.. . .
@LVVMCMLV
Everyone should hear this song once … A week or maybe more often