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)
Peace In The Valley
Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Peace in the valley just don't come
Though I know that man's my brother
And that I'm the selfish one
The hour is getting later
It's time we had begun
Knowing something's one thing
Take care of little jealousies
And talk that kills for fun
And hold your heart in readiness
It's so easy to come undone
But I think I saw a brand new light
Coming over the horizon
Brighter than all the others
And it says all men are brothers under the skin
Brothers under the skin
Looking out my window
Peace in the valley just don't come
Though I know that she's my sister
And that I'm the selfish one
And I look at all the people
And I love the ones I can
And I wonder if the dream will be
Or be turned into sand
Still I think I saw a brand new light
Coming over the horizon
Brighter than all the others
And it says all men are brothers under the skin
Brothers under the skin
Peace in the valley just don't come
The opening verse of Carole King's "Peace in the Valley" speaks to the human condition of wanting peace, yet struggling to find it. King sings of looking out her window and not seeing the peace she longs for. She acknowledges that while she knows that all humans are brothers and sisters, she also accepts that she is selfish. Later in the song, she recognizes that this is a feeling that many share, as she sings, "Take care of little jealousies and talk that kills for fun, and hold your heart in readiness, it's so easy to come undone." These lines speak to the idea that it is our own selfishness and negative thoughts and behaviors that prevent us from achieving peace.
The second verse adds further depth to the theme of the song. King sings of looking at all the people, loving the ones she can, and wondering if the dream of peace will ever be realized or if it will crumble and turn to sand. These words highlight the fragile state of peace and the doubts that can arise even when we are working towards it. Nevertheless, King ends the song on a hopeful note, with the repetition of "still I think I saw a brand new light coming over the horizon, brighter than all the others, and it says all men are brothers under the skin, brothers under the skin." This final chorus suggests that despite the challenges and doubts, King still sees hope in achieving peace and unity.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking out my window
Observing the world outside my window
Peace in the valley just don't come
There is no peace in the world around me
Though I know that man's my brother
Despite knowing that all people are connected and share a common humanity
And that I'm the selfish one
Acknowledging one's own tendency for self-centeredness and lack of compassion
The hour is getting later
Time is running out
It's time we had begun
It is time to start making changes
Knowing something's one thing
Having knowledge and understanding is important
But the race must still be run
But action is necessary to achieve progress
Take care of little jealousies
Address and overcome petty insecurities and rivalries
And talk that kills for fun
Stop engaging in conversations that only serve to hurt others
And hold your heart in readiness
Be prepared to act with compassion and kindness at all times
It's so easy to come undone
It is easy to lose sight of what is truly important
But I think I saw a brand new light
But there is hope for change
Coming over the horizon
A new era is beginning
Brighter than all the others
Full of potential and promise
And it says all men are brothers under the skin
All individuals are connected and equal in essence
Looking out my window
Observing the world outside my window
Peace in the valley just don't come
There is still no peace
Though I know that she's my sister
Despite knowing that all people are connected and share a common humanity
And that I'm the selfish one
Acknowledging one's own tendency for self-centeredness and lack of compassion
And I look at all the people
Observing all the people in the world
And I love the ones I can
Feeling love and compassion towards some, but not all individuals
And I wonder if the dream will be
Questioning whether the hope for peace and unity will ever be realized
Or be turned into sand
Or if it will be destroyed and lost forever
Still I think I saw a brand new light
Despite the challenges, there is still hope
Coming over the horizon
A new era of peace and unity is on the horizon
Brighter than all the others
Full of potential and promise
And it says all men are brothers under the skin
All individuals are connected and equal in essence
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING, TONI STERN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind