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)
Jazzman
Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make it nice, play it clean jazzman.
When the jazzman's testifyin' a faithless man believes
He can sing you into paradise or bring you to your knees.
It's a gospel kind of feelin', a touch of Georgia slide,
A song of pure revival and a style that's sanctified.
Jazzman take my blues away;
Make my pain the same as yours with every change you play.
Jazzman, oh jazzman.
When the jazzman's signifyin', and the band is windin' low.
It's the late night side of morning in the darkness of his soul.
He can fill a room with sadness as he fills his horn with tears.
He can cry like a fallen angel when risin' time is near.
Jazzman take my blues away;
Make my pain the same as yours with every change you play.
Oh lift me, won't you lift me with ev'ry turn around;
Play it sweetly, take me down, oh jazzman.
The lyrics of Carole King's "Jazzman" convey a powerful message of the healing power of music. The song is written as a tribute to the jazz musicians who are able to take their listeners on a journey that lifts them above the mundane, into a place of inspiration and transformation. The song encourages the jazzman to continue playing his music, providing a sense of uplift, joy, and solace to those who listen. The singer implores the jazzman to take away her blues, matching her pain with his, and infusing her with the emotional energy of his music.
One of the key themes of the song is the idea of transcendence. The jazzman is presented as a kind of spiritual guide, able to lift his listeners out of their everyday lives and into a realm of pure emotion and pure music. The reference to "testifyin'" suggests that he is able to communicate a message that is both deeply personal and universal, touching the hearts of his listeners and inspiring them to believe in something greater than themselves. Moreover, the jazzman is able to convey a sense of the sacred, offering a glimpse into a world beyond the mundane.
Overall, "Jazzman" is a powerful tribute to the transformative power of music. It speaks to the way that jazz can change lives, inspire hope and faith, and provide a sense of solace in difficult times. The song's lyrics are deeply moving, and they offer a powerful reminder of the importance of music in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Lift me, won't you lift me above the old routine;
Help me break away from my monotonous life and experience something new and exciting.
Make it nice, play it clean jazzman.
Play your music in a smooth and pleasant way, without any flaws or mistakes.
When the jazzman's testifyin' a faithless man believes
When the jazzman is performing, even those who lack faith can believe in something greater because of the power of music.
He can sing you into paradise or bring you to your knees.
The jazzman's music can uplift you and transport you to a better place, or it can bring you low and make you feel the depths of despair.
It's a gospel kind of feelin', a touch of Georgia slide,
The feeling that the jazzman's music evokes is similar to that of gospel music, and it has a distinct Southern influence.
A song of pure revival and a style that's sanctified.
The jazzman's music has the power to revive and renew the listener, and it has a holy, almost divine quality to it.
Jazzman take my blues away;
I turn to the jazzman's music to help me forget my troubles and find some peace of mind.
Make my pain the same as yours with every change you play.
The jazzman's music resonates with me so deeply that my pain feels like his pain as I listen to each new musical phrase.
When the jazzman's signifyin', and the band is windin' low.
As the jazzman plays his music, and the band starts to slow down, there is a certain melancholy feeling that comes over everyone in the room.
It's the late night side of morning in the darkness of his soul.
The jazzman's music is like the dark side of the morning, where time seems to stand still, and deep emotions come to the surface.
He can fill a room with sadness as he fills his horn with tears.
The jazzman's music is so emotive that it can make an entire room feel sad, and the notes that he plays on his horn sound like tears.
He can cry like a fallen angel when risin' time is near.
As the jazzman's music comes to its climax, he plays with such emotion that it sounds like the cry of a fallen angel, ready to be redeemed.
Oh lift me, won't you lift me with ev'ry turn around;
I want to be lifted up by the jazzman's music with each new musical phrase, and feel that sense of catharsis as the music flows over me.
Play it sweetly, take me down, oh jazzman.
Let me immerse myself in the sweetness of your music, and let it take me down to a place of peace and comfort.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Suri-A_
I am 60year old African American WOMAN 💋💋💋💋 growing up in rough tough environments it's so much to get into 😢i am not sure exactly how old i really was when i discovered who Miss Carole King was i guess early teen or mid teens.... well all i really know... is that I discovered who she was along with James Taylor, Carly Simon ,and Joni Mitchell and also the late incomparable Miss Lauro Nyro💋💋💋 well these are just a few artist musician singer songwriter composers i love 💕 and adore so GREATLY ❤💋 i have brought and purchased so many numerous recorded albums CDs cassettes well 😪 anyway jazzman by Carole King is my absolute all time number#1❤❤❤❤ favorite of mines...thanks Miss King 😅😅😅😅
@benjamincarter1884
Hello from Los Angeles. Girlfriend stop announcing your Race. It doesn't matter. Great music is for anyone. This just proves you have great taste in music. Keep on listening
@Hal09i
Takes me back to a simpler time. A hot summer, 1974...backyard bbq's and swimming with the radio on in the background...so much has changed...
@Petefx86
Indeed it has. This and other music of that wonderful era and (mostly) innocent days of my youth, makes me feel both happy and sad at the same time.
@dm2156
@@Petefx86 Agreed, I wish my kids could have experienced that time too
@josephconsoli4128
You said it! I was just a kid, but I recall joy, people with less worries, people happier. Fantastic time to be a kid.
@spiritgover4223
This song's intro always stopped me in my tracks as a kid in the 1970s. Music and the radio was all we had. Our primary source of entertainment. It got me through my early life. Carole's voice is in all our DNA.
@JohnnyCopper-zl4zx
How true.
@drkimberlystclair
I can't believe how lucky I was to be a teenager in the 70's. Thank you God!
@alistaircooke7000
A kid of the 70's here.