King's major success began in the 1960s when she and her first husband, Gerry Goffin, wrote more than two dozen chart hits, many of which have become standards, for numerous artists. She has continued writing for other artists since then. King's success as a performer in her own right did not come until the 1970s, when she sang her own songs, accompanying herself on the piano, in a series of albums and concerts. After experiencing commercial disappointment with her debut album Writer, King scored her breakthrough with the album Tapestry, which topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks in 1971 and remained on the charts for more than six years.
King has made 25 solo albums, the most successful being Tapestry, which held the record for most weeks at No. 1 by a female artist for more than 20 years. Her record sales were estimated at more than 75 million copies worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She has been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a performer and songwriter. She is the recipient of the 2013 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the first woman to be so honored. She is also a 2015 Kennedy Center Honoree.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carole_King
Studio albums
Writer (1970)
Tapestry (1971)
Music (1971)
Rhymes & Reasons (1972)
Fantasy (1973)
Wrap Around Joy (1974)
Thoroughbred (1976)
Simple Things (1977)
Welcome Home (1978)
Touch the Sky (1979)
Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King (1980)
One to One (1982)
Speeding Time (1983)
City Streets (1989)
Colour of Your Dreams (1993)
Love Makes the World (2001)
A Holiday Carole (2011)
Ambrosia
Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been told
You can sit down by the river
And watch yourself unfold
You can drink right from the river
And purify your soul
Oh ambrosia, pour it sweet and slow
I need to overflow
Let my senses know your power
Let your holy mix distill
Oh ambrosia
Let my spirit drink its fill
Oh, I've been like those people
Who need pain to feel alive
But now I'm kind of like a child
Who's been slowly reconciled
To waiting on the wisdom that
He knows will soon arrive
In the hills above ambrosia I have seen
A lovely place of mystery with
Meadows emerald green
And the colors of ambrosia
Are as real as any dream
Just as real as any dream
Oh ambrosia, pour it sweet and slow
I need to be replenished
I need to overflow
Let my senses know your power
Let your holy mix distill
Oh ambrosia
Let my spirit drink its fill
In Carole King's song Ambrosia, she paints a vivid and dreamy picture of a mystical place where one can go to find peace, clarity, and rejuvenation. She talks about fields of sweet ambrosia where one can sit by the river and watch oneself unravel. The word ambrosia refers to the food or drink of the gods in Greek mythology, and King uses it to symbolize something otherworldly and divine.
The lyrics convey a sense of longing for something that can fill a void inside of us - a need to be replenished and overflowed. The river mentioned in the song is not just any river, but a source of purification for the soul. This could refer to the idea of baptism or rebirth, a spiritual cleansing that can leave one feeling renewed.
As the song develops, King talks about how she used to be someone who needed pain to feel alive, but now she has found solace in waiting for wisdom to arrive. The hills above ambrosia are described as a place of mystery, with emerald green meadows and colors as real as any dream. The atmosphere of the song is peaceful, harmonious, and mystical.
Overall, the song speaks to the human need for spiritual fulfillment and the search for something greater than ourselves. The dreamy and otherworldly imagery used in the lyrics adds to the metaphysical element of the song and leaves the listener with a sense of tranquility and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
In the fields of sweet ambrosia
Amidst the plentiful resources and fertile landscapes of great abundance
I've been told
Word has spread that this place offers a bountiful experience
You can sit down by the river
Relax and quietly contemplate the beauty of the surroundings
And watch yourself unfold
Observe your own growth and evolution in this idyllic environment
You can drink right from the river
Access the pure and unadulterated sustenance provided by the natural flow of water
And purify your soul
Cleansing and revitalizing the innermost essence of your being
Oh ambrosia, pour it sweet and slow
The desire for the rich and intoxicating flavors to be savored and enjoyed at a leisurely pace
I need to be replenished
The longing for renewal and restoration of vitality
I need to overflow
The wish to be filled to the brim with the goodness of life
Let my senses know your power
Wanting to experience the full potency and impact of the abundant blessings
Let your holy mix distill
Allow the treasured ingredients to blend and mature into a magnificent elixir
Oh ambrosia
An exclamation of awe and gratitude for the bountiful goodness
Let my spirit drink its fill
Yearning for the deepest parts of the self to be nourished and fulfilled
Oh, I've been like those people
Acknowledging the common human tendency to seek intensity and stimulation through difficult experiences
Who need pain to feel alive
Feeling that challenges and hardships are necessary to fully engage with life
But now I'm kind of like a child
A newfound perspective of returning to a simpler and more innocent way of being
Who's been slowly reconciled
The process of coming to terms with difficult emotions and experiences
To waiting on the wisdom that
Embracing the idea that valuable insights and understandings take time and patience
He knows will soon arrive
The faith that clarity and peace will come with the passage of time
In the hills above ambrosia I have seen
Discovering a beautiful and enchanting landscape that surrounds the abundant fields of ambrosia
A lovely place of mystery with
Describing the aura of intrigue and wonder that pervades the area
Meadows emerald green
Luscious, bright green grasslands that evoke feelings of freshness and vitality
And the colors of ambrosia
Vibrant and rich hues that permeate the landscape
Are as real as any dream
The beauty and abundance that seem too good to be true are actually real and attainable
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING, DAVID PALMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind