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)
Avenue P
Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It seems
I always see
Avenue P
As it ought to be
In a four-star movie
Directed by me
And starring, of course,
Rosie
In this fabulous movie
You're all gonna see
An entirely different Avenue P
Imagine me
In a jungle gown!
And Avenue P, a jungle town!
With King Kong
Swinging out of a tree
And carrying me
Over that jungle Avenue P
Right!
You don't have to sit
With your face in a droop
On the stoop
Cause your mama the boss
Says you better not cross
That old Avenue P
In a jungle you're free!
The tom-tom beats
The tiger carouses
The jungle creeps over the red brick houses
And for chillers and thrillers
I train giant gorillas
To chase mamas and papas
Clippety-cloppety
Thumping their breasts
Roaring, 'get off my property!'
No one's allowed
Who says maybe or no
They gotta get out
They just gotta go
Right!
In dreams
It seems
I always see
Avenue P
As it ought to be
A terrific place
For people like me
You'll see
I'll make it that way
Someday
Avenue P as it ought to be
Avenue P as it ought to be
The song "Avenue P" by Carole King paints an imaginary picture of a neighborhood that, in reality, is far from perfect. The singer takes us to a place where she sees Avenue P, a location in Brooklyn, as a fabulous, dreamlike place where all of her dreams will come true, mainly through her starring in a four-star movie as Rosie. The singer imagines the transformation of the Avenue P she knows, with its red brick houses, into a jungle town where King Kong swings out of a tree and carries her over the streets. It's a place where no one speaks of "maybe or no," and no one is allowed to stay if they don't agree with her vision. She trains giant gorillas to chase people away, giving her control over the place she sees in her dreams.
The lyrics are an expression of the feeling of wanting to escape a reality where nothing seems to be going right, the feeling of wanting something different, something fantastic. It is a song that speaks to the human need for a better existence, a place where people can be free and fulfilled. The singer is creating a world in her mind where she can live out her wildest dreams and escape the harsh reality of life.
Line by Line Meaning
In dreams
When I dream
It seems
It appears
I always see
I always envision
Avenue P
A place called Avenue P
As it ought to be
The way it should be, perfect
In a four-star movie
As a feature film of high quality
Directed by me
Directed by myself
And starring, of course,
With the main character played by
Yours truly,
Myself
Rosie
My character's name
In this fabulous movie
In this outstanding film
You're all gonna see
Everyone will witness
An entirely different Avenue P
Avenue P that's totally transformed
Imagine me
Picture me
In a jungle gown!
Wearing a gown suited for the jungle
And Avenue P, a jungle town!
Also transformed into a jungle town
With King Kong
Featuring the character King Kong
Swinging out of a tree
Latching on to a tree branch and swinging
And carrying me
And taking me along
Over that jungle Avenue P
Across the transformed Avenue P
Right!
Absolutely!
You don't have to sit
You don't need to just sit
With your face in a droop
Feeling down and gloomy
On the stoop
On the doorstep
Cause your mama the boss
Since your mother is in charge
Says you better not cross
Advises you not to cross
That old Avenue P
The current version of Avenue P
In a jungle you're free!
In a jungle, you have freedom
The tom-tom beats
The sound of drums
The tiger carouses
The tiger roams around
The jungle creeps over the red brick houses
The jungle vegetation encroaches on the red brick structures
And for chillers and thrillers
And for suspense and excitement
I train giant gorillas
I instruct enormous gorillas
To chase mamas and papas
To pursue parents
Clippety-cloppety
Making loud hoof sounds
Thumping their breasts
Hitting their chests with force
Roaring, 'get off my property!'
Yelling loudly, 'Leave my land right now!'
No one's allowed
Nobody can come in
Who says maybe or no
Those who say perhaps or no
They gotta get out
They must leave
They just gotta go
They simply need to depart
Right!
Absolutely!
A terrific place
A fantastic location
For people like me
For individuals like myself
You'll see
You will witness
I'll make it that way
I will transform it into that
Someday
At some point in the future
Avenue P as it ought to be
Avenue P in its ideal state
Avenue P as it ought to be
Avenue P in its ideal state
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING, MAURICE SENDAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind