Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American … Read Full Bio ↴Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of all time, King is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the US, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100. King also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK, making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts between 1962 and 2005.

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)

Simple Things
Carole King Lyrics

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Simple things mean a lot to me
Some things only children can see
Simple things like horses running free
And easy acceptance of life

Simple things never compromise
All things have a rhythm I can't realize
I feel content in my freedom

And I feel my freedom is right

I never want to stop being a child
I want to see the flowers growing wild on the hillside
To see the sun rise in the morning
Sunlight growing, filling the skies

Simple things of the earth don't die
They just grow and change as time goes by
There are no questions without answers

I've found my answer to life is living
The secret of living is life

Overall Meaning

"Simple Things" by Carole King is a beautiful ode to the little joys in life that we often overlook in our pursuit of materialistic pleasures. The song highlights how the simple things in life, like the sight of horses running free or the acceptance of life as it is, hold great meaning and contentment for the singer. The lyrics suggest that a child's innocent perception of the world enables them to appreciate the simple things of life that adults often ignore.

The singer finds solace in the rhythm of life, which she cannot comprehend but accepts with ease. She hints at her desire to hold on to her childlike wonder and fascination for the natural world, which she describes as the flowers growing wild on the hillside and the sun rising in the morning. The singer recognizes the fact that simple things, unlike the material things we strive for, don't die. They continue to evolve and exist in different forms, much like life itself.

King's lyrics go beyond just acknowledging the beauty in simplicity; they hint at the key to living a meaningful life. The singer finds her answer to life as "living," suggesting that embracing the simple joys in life and living in harmony with nature can provide us with the fulfillment we seek.

Line by Line Meaning

Simple things mean a lot to me
I find value in the small things in life.

Some things only children can see
Children have a unique perspective on the world.

Simple things like horses running free
For me, it's the simple pleasures like observing horses at play.

And easy acceptance of life
I find peace in surrendering to the natural flow of life.

Simple things never compromise
I refuse to settle or sacrifice what's important.

All things have a rhythm I can't realize
Everything has a natural, unstoppable flow.

I feel content in my freedom
I am satisfied with my independence.

And I feel my freedom is right
My choice to embrace freedom feels correct.

I never want to stop being a child
I want to maintain my sense of wonder and amazement.

I want to see the flowers growing wild on the hillside
I desire to witness nature's beauty untouched.

To see the sun rise in the morning
I want to take in the natural cycles of the sun.

Sunlight growing, filling the skies
I appreciate the beauty of a sunrise.

Simple things of the earth don't die
Natural wonders continue to exist and evolve.

They just grow and change as time goes by
Natural wonders continue to transform.

There are no questions without answers
Every question has an answer.

I've found my answer to life is living
My personal philosophy is that living is the key to understanding life.

The secret of living is life
The key to living is simply to exist and experience life.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CAROLE KING, RICK EVERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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