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)
Goodbey Don't Mean I'm Gone
Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And here we are still carrying on
Reaching out for one another
Like a telephone call from an old friend or a brother
And you are there to share this song in the making
Goodbye don't mean I'm gone
I know how alone you are
From the ones who mean the most to you
When you would so much rather have them close to you
I hope you know you haven't been forsaken
Goodbye don't mean I'm gone
I'll never be what you think you see in me
If I can help you deal with what you see as real
That makes me glad to have known you
Missing you the way I do
You know I'd like to see more of you
But it's all I can do to be a mother
(My baby's in one hand, I've a pen in the other)
You know my love is always there for the taking
And goodbye don't mean I'm gone
In "Goodbye Don't Mean I'm Gone," Carole King sings about the power of friendship and love to overcome even great distances. The song starts by observing the passage of time, how it seems to march on despite our efforts to hold onto the moments that make life meaningful. Yet even as life moves forward, the singer notes how she and her friend remain connected, reaching out to each other like an old, familiar phone call. In this way, the song explores the idea that true friendship has a way of transcending time and space, uniting people even when they are far apart.
The second half of the song is more personal, with the singer addressing a specific friend who is struggling with loneliness and distance from loved ones. She acknowledges the pain of being far from the people we care about most and the desperate longing we can feel to have them close to us. And yet, she offers a message of hope and reassurance to her friend, reminding them that they are never really alone because their connections to others are always present. Even when saying goodbye, we are still united in love and friendship, and that bond endures even when we can't physically be together.
Overall, "Goodbye Don't Mean I'm Gone" is a powerful tribute to the importance of relationships in our lives. It reminds us that even when we can't be physically present with the people we love, we can still be there for them in meaningful ways, supporting each other through the ups and downs of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't it seem like the time goes on
Time passes by so fast
And here we are still carrying on
We are still going on despite everything that has happened
Reaching out for one another
We always try to stay connected
Like a telephone call from an old friend or a brother
Our connection is like a phone call from someone we've known for a long time
And you are there to share this song in the making
You are here to share in the creation process of this song
Goodbye don't mean I'm gone
Just because I say goodbye doesn't mean I'm not here anymore
I know how alone you are
I understand how lonely you feel
When it's so hard to be so far
When being far away is so difficult
From the ones who mean the most to you
From the people who matter the most to you
When you would so much rather have them close to you
When you'd prefer to have them near you
I hope you know you haven't been forsaken
I want you to know that I haven't abandoned you
I'll never be what you think you see in me
I'm not exactly who you think I am
If I can help you deal with what you see as real
If I could help you cope with what you consider reality
That makes me glad to have known you
I'm pleased to have known you
Missing you the way I do
I really miss you a lot
You know I'd like to see more of you
I would really like to spend more time with you
But it's all I can do to be a mother
Being a mother is consuming all of my time
(My baby's in one hand, I've a pen in the other)
(I'm juggling my responsibilities as a mother and artist)
You know my love is always there for the taking
You can always count on me for love and support
And goodbye don't mean I'm gone
Just because I say goodbye doesn't mean I'm not here anymore
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind