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)
Spaceship Races
Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spinnin' around in a busby swirl
With all that razzle-dazzle
I know at heart you want a down-home girl
Aw, ya know I want to take you to the spaceship races
Watch 'em do a few laps around the sun
But if you don't go in for far-off places
When the day is done
Baby, you're so scattered
Your span of attention is shrinkin' fast
Your brain's been battered
By all the disappointments of the recent past
Aw, ya know I want to take you to the spaceship races
Watch 'em do a few laps around the sun
But if you don't go in for far-off places
I'll take you home with me
Didn't I see you walkin' on Main Street
Lookin' in the windows
Waitin' by turnstiles
Thinking of things you thought you'd like to buy
Living off dreams stored up in film cans
Looking at screens just waiting your turn while
You looked up and saw a rocket in the sky
Aw, ya know I want to take you to the spaceship races
Watch 'em do a few laps around the sun
But if you don't go in for far-off places
I'll take you home with me
When the day is done
When the day is done
In Carole King's Spaceship Races, the singer is addressing someone who is feeling overwhelmed and disoriented. The lyrics are about trying to cheer this person up by getting them excited about new possibilities and adventures. The singer is urging the person they're addressing to think outside the box, to see beyond the mundane and the disappointing, and to consider bigger and more exciting options. There are a few images in the song that help to paint this picture, such as the mentions of the "frazzled" person spinning around in a "busby swirl" and of taking them to the "spaceship races" to watch laps around the sun.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, you're so frazzled
You seem to be overwhelmed and anxious.
Spinnin' around in a busby swirl
You are so busy and preoccupied that it feels like you are in a dizzying frenzy.
With all that razzle-dazzle
You are projecting a flashy and showy image to the world.
I know at heart you want a down-home girl
Despite your outward appearance, you really crave the comfort and simplicity of an ordinary person.
Aw, ya know I want to take you to the spaceship races
I want to show you something truly amazing and exciting.
Watch 'em do a few laps around the sun
We'll witness something truly extraordinary and out of this world.
But if you don't go in for far-off places
If you're not interested in exploring the unknown and faraway, that's okay.
I'll take you home with me
I'll bring you back to the familiar and comfortable surroundings of home.
Baby, you're so scattered
You seem to be losing focus and direction in your life.
Your span of attention is shrinkin' fast
You are finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate and sustain your focus.
Your brain's been battered
Your mind has taken a beating from all the setbacks and disappointments you've experienced.
Didn't I see you walkin' on Main Street
Have I not spotted you strolling down the busy urban thoroughfare?
Lookin' in the windows
Peering into the storefront displays and imagining what could be.
Waitin' by turnstiles
Standing by the entrance gates, anticipating entry into somewhere exciting.
Thinking of things you thought you'd like to buy
Contemplating the purchases you had planned to make.
Living off dreams stored up in film cans
You're sustaining yourself on the memories and ideals captured on film.
Looking at screens just waiting your turn while
Staring at displays, patiently waiting for your opportunity.
You looked up and saw a rocket in the sky
Suddenly, you were reminded of something spectacular and inspiring happening beyond your everyday life.
When the day is done
At the end of the day, when all is said and done.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING, GERRY GOFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pizza Pie
Simply monumental. Carole had been a writer for a long time when she issued her first LP.
Earcandy73
I always thought Writer was a great album.