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)
Hey Girl
Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna miss you so much if you go.
And, Hey, Girl! I tell you no lie,
Something deep inside of me's going to die,
if you say so long, if this is goodbye. Oh!
Hey, Girl! This can't be true,
How am I supposed to exist without you?
What's gonna happen to me when you're gone.
How will I live. How can I go on.
How can I go on? Hey, Girl!
Hey, Girl! Now sit yourself down,
I'm not ashamed to get down on the ground,
Don't go away. Hey, Girl!
Don't go away. Hey, Girl!
Carole King's "Hey Girl" is a poignant, soulful song about heartbreak and the impending loss of a loved one. The singer here is expressing their profound sadness and desperation at the prospect of their girl leaving them. The opening lines are a heartfelt plea that shows how much the singer values their relationship with the girl, and how difficult it will be for them to maintain their life without her. The line, "something deep inside of me's going to die if you say so long if this is goodbye" encapsulates the emotion and sincerity with which the singer is addressing the girl. It's a beautiful, heartfelt bid to persuade the girl to stay with them.
Further, the stanza "How am I supposed to exist without you?... How will I live. How can I go on. How can I go on? Hey, Girl!" exposes raw emotions and vulnerability of an individual in love. The singer is overwhelmed with thoughts of how they will not only survive but thrive without their girl. They are pleading with the girl to stay and not break their heart. The final lyrics of the song serve to complete the overall message of the singer's love for this girl, they ask her to sit down, and not to go away. The repetition of "Hey, Girl" throughout serves as an emphasis on the singer's desperate appeal to the girl.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, Girl! I want you to know,
I want you to understand that you are important to me.
I'm gonna miss you so much if you go.
I will feel the loss of you deeply if you leave.
And, Hey, Girl! I tell you no lie,
I am being truthful when I say the following.
Something deep inside of me's going to die,
If you leave, a part of me will wither away and perish.
if you say so long, if this is goodbye. Oh!
If you say farewell, if this is our parting, then my inner self will suffer irreparable harm.
Hey, Girl! This can't be true,
I cannot believe that you will no longer be around.
How am I supposed to exist without you?
What am I meant to do once you are gone?
And, Hey, Girl! Now don't put me on,
I am not joking or deceiving you.
What's gonna happen to me when you're gone.
I am unsure what my future holds once you are absent from my life.
How will I live. How can I go on.
My survival, my continuing, will be in serious question if you are not here.
How can I go on? Hey, Girl!
How will my life march forward? Please understand my concerns.
Hey, Girl! Now sit yourself down,
Take a moment to listen.
I'm not ashamed to get down on the ground,
I will do what it takes to make you stay.
Don't go away. Hey, Girl!
I am pleading with you to remain in my life.
Don't go away. Hey, Girl!
Please do not depart from me, my dear.
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ANDREW CARRABBA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Connie Goldhahn
Love it, she is so talented. What a song writer. There are not alot of good song writers these days.
MovieTalk
Love Carol Kings rendition on her amazingly written song, but Billy Joel's version takes the cake.
windbreaker57
This piece is and will be timeless. That's how gems are.
David Thomas
Carole, thanks for writing this tune and thanks to Freddie Scott for blasting it to the top. Great song.
A GM
David, I agree with you. Carole was such a powerhouse writer and Freddie Scott did the best rendition of this song and Billy Joel did good also. This song brings a lot of memories of my youth.
Shane Bruce
yeah but the harmonies of The Osmonds!
Charlene Sikorski
Greatest songwriter I know all of her songs by heart. I love love Billy Joel covering this song . It’s just like Whitney Houston covering Dolly Parton’s, “I will always Love You”.
edward shafer
Celestial Musician Carole King🕊🎹❣️
zenobardot
Props to Carole for not changing the lyric to "Hey Guy" or something. She would never have done something that hurt her own song like that, but there's certainly plenty of precedent for it (for example, all the versions of "This Girl's in Love with You" recorded by women in 1969-1970). Sadly for lyric writers, "girl" and "guy" have very different vocal qualities and are not interchangeable. Plus, it's fun to shake things up a little by singing a love song to a member of your own sex.
June Lynn
Carole together with her ex-husband Gerry Goffin wrote this wonderful song....Goffin and King wrote so many great pop tunes of the early 60's.....I absolutely ADORE Billy Joel's version ~ 💜💜💜: )