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)
Queen of the Beach
Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's steady
She's up on her feet
Dancing on the water
To her own kind of beat
She's in it
She's rockin' the skills
Tearin' up the current like a girl's got gills
Pop up
Leanin' side to side
Laid back, hang ten
Go for a ride
Catch that curl
Get into the tube
Do the mahi, mahi
Make your tail fin move
She's the queen of the waves
Check it out
She's spinnin'
That board around
Queen of the waves
No one's gonna
Take away her crown
Surf's up
Bow down
She's the queen of the waves
She's floating
She's flying
She's out of reach
Zooma to lagoona
She's best on the beach
Hi-tide, low-tide
Rip-tide too
She's in it
She's win it for Malibu
Pop up
Leanin' side to side
Laid back, hang ten
Go for a ride
Catch that curl
Get into the tube
Do the mahi, mahi
Make your tail fin move
She's the queen of the waves
Check it out
She's spinnin'
That board around
Queen of the waves
No one's gonna
Take away her crown
Surf's up
Bow down
She's the queen of the waves
Lemme see it now
One foot up
Hand in the air
Cause a comotion
Jump in the ocean
Ahhh!
She's the queen of the waves
Check it out
She's spinnin'
That board around
Queen of the waves
No one's gonna
Take away her crown
She's the queen of the waves
Check it out
She's spinnin'
That board around
Queen of the waves
No one's gonna
Take away her crown
Surf's up
Bow down
She's the queen of the waves
In "Queen of the Beach," Carole King creates a memorable tribute to a surfer girl who dominates the waves with her skills and attitude. The song depicts a girl who surfs like a true champion and enjoys every moment it offers to her. She is the "queen of the waves", who is always ahead with her sharp senses and fierce spirit. The lyrics give a sense of thrilling energy that mirrors the high intensity of the wave-riding experience. The way Carole King describes the thrilling journey of the surfer girl, from "pop up, leanin' side to side" until "She's best on the beach," creates an image of adventure and power on a surfboard.
Throughout the song, the lyrics talk about how the woman in question is one of a kind, floating and flying across the water, ripping through the surf with her unique style. Carole King uses the lyrics to honor this surfer girl's skills and spirit, and the powerful image of the queen of the waves she creates inspires awe and admiration for such a confident and daring woman.
Line by Line Meaning
She's ready
She is fully prepared and eager to participate
She's steady
She is calmly confident and focused
She's up on her feet
She is standing on her surfboard
Dancing on the water
She is gracefully maneuvering on the waves
To her own kind of beat
She is riding the waves in her unique style
She's in it
She is fully engaged and invested
She's on it
She has full control and mastery
She's rockin' the skills
She is displaying exceptional surfing abilities
Tearin' up the current like a girl's got gills
She is skillfully navigating the waves as if she were a fish
Pop up
She quickly pops up onto her surfboard
Leanin' side to side
She is shifting her weight to stay balanced on the board
Laid back, hang ten
She is leaning backwards and has all ten toes hanging off the board
Go for a ride
She is riding the waves for an exhilarating experience
Catch that curl
She is riding on the curved, breaking part of the wave
Get into the tube
She is surfing inside the hollow part of the wave
Do the mahi, mahi
She is surfing with a fluid and rhythmical style
Make your tail fin move
She is adding a stylish and playful movement to her surfing
She's the queen of the waves
She is the most skilled and commanding surfer on the beach
Check it out
Take notice of her!
She's spinnin'
She is rotating her board quickly and skillfully
That board around
Her surfboard is rotating in a circular motion
No one's gonna
Nobody can
Take away her crown
Dethrone her from her position as queen of the beach
Surf's up
The waves are good for surfing
Bow down
Acknowledge her superiority and show respect
She's floating
She is gliding effortlessly on the water
She's flying
She is moving swiftly and freely on the water
She's out of reach
She can't be caught up to or beaten
Zooma to lagoona
She is quickly surfing from one place to another
She's best on the beach
She is the most talented and exceptional surfer on the shore
Hi-tide, low-tide
She can surf at any tidal level
Rip-tide too
She can even surf in the potentially dangerous rip-tide
She's win it for Malibu
She is competing and bringing glory to her hometown of Malibu
Lemme see it now
Let me witness her spectacular surfing
One foot up
With one foot on her surfboard
Hand in the air
Waving her arm and showing off
Cause a commotion
Attracting attention and excitement
Jump in the ocean
Going for another surf
Ahhh!
An exclamation of excitement and pleasure
Writer(s): Goffin, King
Contributed by Ethan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.