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)
If I Didn't Have You To Wake Up To
Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To wake up to each day
Who'd take my troubles and put them in bubbles
And make them burst away
And where would I find the innocence
That tells me it's okay
If I didn't have you to wake up to each day
Your father's going to be a little bit jealous
When the boys come around to call
And when you don't come home on time
He'll be pacing up and down the hall
But that's just a part of growing up
What could I do anyway
If I didn't have you to wake up to each day
Should I be strict, should I be mean
Should I teach you discipline
The times say yes, but I say no
You'll learn it from within
I know that every mother thinks her child
Is the prettiest one
But you've got a smile that can't be refused
It even brightens up the sun
I wish I could make time stand still and
Just keep lookin' at you
But that's something even Old Methuselah wasn't able to do
I hope you come around to see me
When I'm feeble, old and gray
Oh, what would I do
If I didn't have you to wake up to each day
Oh, what would I do
If I didn't have you to wake up to each day
Carole King's song "If I Didn't Have You To Wake Up To" is a tender ode to a mother's love for her child. The lyrics express the deep gratitude the mother feels for her child, who is a source of joy and comfort in her life. The song reflects on the support that the mother receives from her child, who helps her to face the challenges of life with a positive outlook. The child is portrayed as a person who brings love and happiness into the mother's life, who puts her troubles in bubbles and makes them burst away. The innocence of the child assures her that everything will be okay, and this reassures the mother that she has someone to turn to each day.
The song also reflects on the challenges of parenting and the anxieties that come with raising a child. The father is expected to be overprotective when the boys come around to call, and there is a sense of helplessness as the child grows up and faces the challenges of the world. The mother is torn between being strict and being kind, but ultimately, she hopes that the child will learn from within and grow into a responsible adult. The song expresses the profound bond between a mother and her child, which endures even as the child grows up and becomes an adult.
Line by Line Meaning
What would I do if I didn't have you
An expression of gratitude for having the person in question in their life.
To wake up to each day
Grateful for the opportunity to see the person every morning.
Who'd take my troubles and put them in bubbles
The person in question is someone who helps the singer forget their troubles and is able to lighten their mood.
And make them burst away
The person in question is able to make the artist forget their troubles so easily that they disappear completely.
And where would I find the innocence
The artist is grateful for the sense of innocence and safety that the person in question brings into their life.
That tells me it's okay
The singer feels comforted by the person's presence and is reassured that everything will turn out okay.
Your father's going to be a little bit jealous
The singer acknowledges that the person in question may bring unwanted attention from the opposite sex.
When the boys come around to call
People of the opposite gender are interested in the person in question.
And when you don't come home on time
The artist predicts that the person in question will face typical teenage problems e.g. coming home late, disobeying parents etc.
He'll be pacing up and down the hall
The artist predicts the father of the person in question will be anxious or worried.
But that's just a part of growing up
The singer is advising that the person in question should be given space to make mistakes and that experiencing these problems is natural and necessary for their growth.
What could I do anyway
The artist acknowledges that they cannot do anything to control or stop the person in question's experiences.
Should I be strict, should I be mean
The singer is questioning their parenting style and assessing if they should be more authoritative or conventional.
Should I teach you discipline
The singer is questioning if they should be more controlling and teach the person in question to be more well behaved.
The times say yes, but I say no
The singer is defying the conventional wisdom of their era and choosing not to be authoritarian.
You'll learn it from within
The artist believes that the person in question will develop their own sense of discipline and moral compass without the need for strict parenting.
I know that every mother thinks her child
The artist acknowledges that every mother believes their child is special.
Is the prettiest one
The singer acknowledges that they consider the person in question to be attractive.
But you've got a smile that can't be refused
The singer is expressing how charming and appealing the person in question is.
It even brightens up the sun
The artist is saying that the person in question's smile is so bright and captivating that it could even light up the sun.
I wish I could make time stand still and
The artist wishes they could enjoy the time they have with the person in question and stop their inevitable aging process.
Just keep lookin' at you
The artist wants to keep appreciating the person in question's beauty and youth.
But that's something even Old Methuselah wasn't able to do
The singer acknowledges that savoring youth and beauty is impossible due to time's passage.
I hope you come around to see me
The artist wishes to see the person in question again in the future.
When I'm feeble, old and gray
The singer anticipates being old and gray and hopes to see the person in question in that stage of their life.
Oh, what would I do
The singer is contemplating their life without the person in question.
If I didn't have you to wake up to each day
The singer would feel a sense of loss and emptiness if they did not see the person in question each morning.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CAROLE KING, GERRY GOFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind