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)
My Simple Humble Neighborhood
Carole King Lyrics
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Here's where I heard that beat
Here's where I tapped that tap
With my natural rhythm feet
In my simple humble neighborhood
On my simple humble street
Here's where the dreams I had
Were pecked and pushed and hustled
Just like chickens in a coop
Life wasn't always neat
In my simple humble neighborhood
On my simple humble street
Here's where I learned the rules
Of rosie's way
Of how to play
A magic game
That changed the same
Old sheepy bleat
In my simple humble neighborhood
On my simple humble street
Here's where I made up folks
Who came to visit me
Not just ordinary folks
Coming unexpectedly
Talent scouts! producers! directors!
Glamour boys!
In other words
The hoy-poloys!
The grand elite!
To make them green with envy
In my simple humble neighborhood
On my simple humble street
Here's where it all began
Here's where I heard that tune
Here's where I sang of sailing
In a carnival balloon
Life was so darn sweet
In my simple humble neighborhood
On my simple humble street
In Carole King's song "My Simple Humble Neighborhood", she takes us on a trip down memory lane to where it all began for her. The lyrics illustrate how her small neighborhood, the simple and humble streets she grew up on, helped shape and define her as an artist. Carole fondly remembers the beat she heard in her neighborhood which led to her natural rhythm and love for music. She traces the origins of her dancing feet, tapped to the same beat, in the very place where she dreamed of making it big.
The lyrics also depict the challenges of growing up in a simple humble neighborhood, the hustle and bustle and the competition, where dreams are fought for and hopes are kept alive. Carole describes her stoop, where she would sit with other dreamers in her neighborhood, as being a crowded place where the dreams of each person were pushed together like a coop full of chickens. Despite the challenges of her neighborhood, Carole King learned the rules of the game in Rosie's way, a magic game that changed the same old sheepy bleat.
Carole King also uses her imagination, creating stories of folks who came to visit her, including talent scouts, producers, directors, and glamour boys. These extraordinary, unexpected guests were created to make people green with envy, a testament to the success she dreams of achieving. The song ends describing her childhood as sweet, despite being filled with challenges. Carole King longs for the sweet life she experienced in her simple, humble neighborhood, on her simple, humble street.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's where it all began
This is the place where my journey started
Here's where I heard that beat
I first heard the music that inspired me in this location
Here's where I tapped that tap
I danced with joy and rhythm in this spot
With my natural rhythm feet
I danced instinctively, with no formal training
In my simple humble neighborhood
This area I lived in was not glamorous or wealthy
On my simple humble street
Even my actual street was not grand or extravagant
Here's where the dreams I had
This location was where I had all my ambitious ideas
Were crowded on a stoop
I shared these dreams with others, often in a modest or cramped setting
Were pecked and pushed and hustled
I faced adversity and obstacles while trying to achieve my dreams
Just like chickens in a coop
Our struggles were similar to the conditions of caged animals
Life wasn't always neat
Overcoming challenges wasn't easy or clean-cut
Here's where I learned the rules
This is where I picked up essential knowledge and skills
Of rosie's way
I discovered a specific way of doing things, taught by someone important to me
Of how to play
I learned how to navigate and excel in certain aspects of life
A magic game
I enjoyed an activity that felt especially enchanting
That changed the same
My life was transformed in some way by this magic game
Old sheepy bleat
I left behind a mundane or monotonous existence
Here's where I made up folks
I created imaginary people to keep me company or inspire me
Who came to visit me
These characters were so vivid that they felt real to me
Not just ordinary folks
These were not average, boring people
Coming unexpectedly
They would show up in surprising or unconventional ways
Talent scouts! producers! directors!
I imagined hugely successful industry insiders coming to see me
Glamour boys!
These glamorous men epitomized my aspirations
In other words
Translated, this means
The hoy-poloys!
People who are at the top of society, often monetarily driven
The grand elite!
Those who are in the highest social, political or economic standing
To make them green with envy
I was driven to perform so well that it would cause extreme jealousy in others
In my simple humble neighborhood
Despite being in an area without many luxuries or advantages
On my simple humble street
Even my own street was not especially noteworthy or opulent
Here's where it all began
This location was truly the starting point for my life
Here's where I heard that tune
This is where I was inspired by a particular melody
Here's where I sang of sailing
I let my imagination run wild and dreamed of fanciful things
In a carnival balloon
I conjured up a whimsical image to bring me joy
Life was so darn sweet
Despite any hardships or barriers, my memories of this place bring me joy and warmth
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING, MAURICE SENDAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind