Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American … Read Full Bio ↴Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of all time, King is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the US, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100. King also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK, making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts between 1962 and 2005.

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)

Growing Away From Me
Carole King Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You've been my life to me.
My very soul and my heart,
But lately something's come over you,
And it's tearing me apart.

[Chorus]
Darlin', I feel you growing away from me
More and more each day.

Whatever you want me to be I'll be
If it keeps you from growing away from me.

Even when you say you love me,
The feeling's no longer there.
I know there's somebody else,
And it's more than I can bear.

[Chorus]

Believe me, I would let you go if I could,
But I don't know if it's a worse thing being lonely
Than having you here, in body only.

It's no use pretending
When the love you used to feel is gone,
Yet even though I'm losing you
I can't help tryin' to hold on.

[Chorus]

I feel you
Growing away from me.

Overall Meaning

Carole King's song, "Growing Away from Me," tells the story of a woman who has been everything to the singer, but recently she has begun to change. Even though she tells him she loves him, the feeling is no longer there. The singer knows there is someone else, and it's become unbearable. He feels her growing away from him more and more each day, which is tearing him apart.

The chorus of the song is particularly heart-wrenching, as the singer is desperately trying to hold on to their relationship, even if it means changing himself. He will be whatever she wants him to be if it keeps her from growing away from him. However, the singer knows deep down that he will have to let her go someday, and he is unsure whether it's better to be lonely than to have her there in body only.

The lyrics are poignant and relatable to anyone going through a similar situation. Growing away from someone is a painful experience, particularly when you're in love with them. Perhaps the most powerful aspect of the song is the singer's vulnerability and raw emotion. He loves her so much that he's willing to change himself to save their relationship, but ultimately it might not be enough.

Line by Line Meaning

You've been my life to me.
You were everything to me.

My very soul and my heart,
You were my soulmate.

But lately something's come over you,
But now you're acting different.

And it's tearing me apart.
And it's hurting me badly.

Darlin', I feel you growing away from me
My love, you're slipping away.

More and more each day.
Every day, you're drifting farther.

Whatever you want me to be I'll be
I'll be whoever you want me to be.

If it keeps you from growing away from me.
If only you'll stay with me.

Even when you say you love me,
Even when you tell me you love me,

The feeling's no longer there.
I don't feel the same love in your words.

I know there's somebody else,
I have a feeling someone else has your heart.