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)
Golden Man
Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You hold my heart in your hand
You made me understand
The pain the earth is feeling
You know what love is worth
You're real, and you know
Your purpose on earth
And I can see the sun
Golden man
Beneath the crescent moon you stand
You speak to the wind and
Unmistakably it answers
And just like two dancers
We move together
In perfect harmony
And I can see the sun
Shining in your eyes
Son, lover, brother
Father and friend
From the mountain
You've come down
You wrap your love around me
And I know my soul has found me
By the way we blend again and again
And again
Golden man
My now and forever's planned
The land is our destiny and
You have brought me home to it
Together we'll build our dream
I know that we can do it
'Cause I can see the sun
Shining in your eyes
The lyrics to Carole King's song Golden Man describe a deep love and admiration for someone who is regarded as an exemplary figure, a “golden man” who holds the singer's heart in his hand. The song speaks about the connection between two people who share a deep understanding of the world's pain and the value of love. This person has a purpose, understands the value of love, and is cognizant of his role in the world. The song's tone feels ethereal and otherworldly, casting the “golden man” as a mystical figure who is connected to the earth's elements like the wind and the moon. He has a level of spiritual consciousness that aligns with the singer's worldview.
The third stanza reveals the “golden man” to be the singer’s son, lover, brother, father, and friend. He is described as someone who comes down from a mountain and wraps his love around the singer. Carole King uses the metaphor of two dancers to describe the synchronicity between their actions. She feels that her soul has found her true home within his embrace.
Overall, the song's interpretation spans various layers of relationships and emotions, highlighting the importance of love and connection between two people.
Line by Line Meaning
Golden man
Referring to the person the singer is addressing as a precious and valuable man.
You hold my heart in your hand
Acknowledging the influence the man has over the singer's emotions and feelings.
You made me understand
The pain the earth is feeling
Recognizing the man's ability to raise awareness and make the singer more conscious about the harm being caused to the planet.
You know what love is worth
You're real, and you know
Your purpose on earth
Praising the man for his genuine nature and clarity of purpose, and his understanding of love's value.
And I can see the sun
Shining in your eyes
Illustrating the depth of the man's warmth and radiance through his eyes.
Beneath the crescent moon you stand
You speak to the wind and
Unmistakably it answers
Depicting the man as a charismatic figure who has a sway over the natural elements and can communicate with them.
And just like two dancers
We move together
In perfect harmony
Comparing the relationship between singer and man to the smooth choreography between two accomplished dancers who complement each other perfectly.
Son, lover, brother
Father and friend
From the mountain
You've come down
Listing the many roles the man plays in the singer's life, including that of a son, lover, brother, father, and friend; and emphasizing how significant his descent from the mountain is.
You wrap your love around me
And I know my soul has found me
By the way we blend again and again
And again
Describing the feeling of being embraced and loved by the man, and how it brings completeness and contentment to the singer.
My now and forever's planned
The land is our destiny and
You have brought me home to it
Together we'll build our dream
I know that we can do it
Expressing the singer's assurance that this relationship is what she wants for the present and the future, and that she and the man can build a great life together.
'Cause I can see the sun
Shining in your eyes
Reiterating the man's brilliance and radiance as glimpsed through his eyes.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CAROLE KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind