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)
Down to the Darkness
Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I keep moving, but I can't seem to get out of the shadows
Out into the light of day
Everyone's out in the afternoon
Turning their faces up to the sun like a spotlight
What's wrong with me, I don't want to play
You're my obsession, I just can't get you out of my mind
They say danger
I know you're gonna take me down to the darkness
Down to the darkness
Oh, but I want you to
I know you're gonna take me down to the darkness
Down to the darkness
Oh, but you know I want you to
Oh, yes I want you to
I'm afraid of the dark
Oh, but I'm attracted to it
I'm afraid of the dark
I want to run away, but I can't do it
Through my hazy confusion
I close my eyes, but your image is indelibly burned there
Seared into my memory
Now as I stand on the edge of the precipice
Looking down into the black abyss
I know I'll be lost with just one kiss
But I want to be
Even as the tongues of fire lick at me from below
No turning back, I just can't let go of the danger
I know you're gonna take me down
I know you're gonna take me down to the darkness
Oh, but I want you to
I know you're gonna take me down to the darkness
Oh, down to the darkness
Oh, but you know I want you to
Oh, yes I want you to
I want you to take me down to the darkness
Down, down, down to the darkness
Carole King's "Down to the Darkness" is a song about addiction in which an individual knows that they are being led down a dark path but cannot resist the temptation. The lyrics are full of contradictions as the singer expresses fear of the dark while being attracted to it at the same time. The first lines of the song, "Everything's lost in illusion, I keep moving, but I can't seem to get out of the shadows," indicate that the singer is lost in a world of illusion, and no matter how hard they try to escape, they just keep moving and can't seem to find their way out of the shadows.
The character mentions "everyone's out in the afternoon, turning their faces up to the sun like a spotlight,” which is a vivid description of individuals who are living their normal lives and enjoying the light and happiness that life has to offer. However, the singer feels that there is something wrong with them and they don't want to participate in what others find fun and joyful. They know they are obsessed with something, which they can’t shake out of their mind and they see all the signs of danger.
The singer admits to being attracted to the dangerous side of life; they know that in the darkness lies destruction but cannot resist the temptation of being taken into darkness. The words “I know you're gonna take me down to the darkness, down to the darkness, oh, but you know I want you to, oh yes, I want you to,” are so powerful indicating the singer's inability to resist the temptations of the addiction they are struggling with, despite understanding that there are deep, dark consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything's lost in illusion
I feel like I'm living in a world of illusion, where nothing is real or certain.
I keep moving, but I can't seem to get out of the shadows
I'm trying to move forward in life, but I feel like I'm stuck in my own fears and insecurities.
Out into the light of day
I want to break free from the darkness and find the courage to face the unknown.
Everyone's out in the afternoon
Everyone around me is enjoying the sunshine and the happiness that comes with it.
Turning their faces up to the sun like a spotlight
They are basking in the beauty of life, and are not afraid to be seen in the light of day.
What's wrong with me, I don't want to play
I feel like I don't belong in this world, and that I can never be truly happy like everyone else.
You're my obsession, I just can't get you out of my mind
I'm obsessed with someone, and I can't stop thinking about them no matter how hard I try.
I look around and I see all the signs
I see the warning signs that tell me this person is dangerous for me, yet I can't stay away.
They say danger
Even though I know this person is bad news, I can't resist their pull.
I know you're gonna take me down to the darkness
I know that being with you will lead me down a dark path, but I still want to be with you.
Oh, but I want you to
Even though I know the consequences, I still want to be with you because of the intense attraction I feel.
I'm afraid of the dark
I'm scared of the unknown and all the things that could go wrong if I follow my heart.
Oh, but I'm attracted to it
Despite my fears, I can't help but be drawn to danger and darkness.
I want to run away, but I can't do it
Even though I know I should walk away, I can't bring myself to do so.
Through my hazy confusion
My mind is clouded and unclear, making it hard for me to make sound decisions.
I close my eyes, but your image is indelibly burned there
I try to forget about you, but your presence lingers in my thoughts, leaving a lasting impression.
Seared into my memory
Your image is etched into my mind as a permanent reminder of you.
Now as I stand on the edge of the precipice
I am at a critical moment where my decisions will determine my fate.
Looking down into the black abyss
I am faced with the unknown and the dangers that come with it.
I know I'll be lost with just one kiss
I know that giving in to temptation will lead me down a path of destruction.
But I want to be
Despite the potential consequences, I still want to be with this person because of my overwhelming attraction.
Even as the tongues of fire lick at me from below
Despite the danger that surrounds me, I can't help but be drawn to the heat of passion and desire.
No turning back, I just can't let go of the danger
I am unable to walk away from this person, even though I know it's not safe for me to be with them.
Down, down, down to the darkness
I am willingly falling deeper and deeper into the darkness, knowing the consequences but unable to stop myself.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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