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)
Tears Falling Down On Me
Carole King Lyrics
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Laughing and drinking with them, thinking she's one of them
And that makes everything alright
She vaguely remembers going out in the parking lot
With the stone mason's son
Who had his way with her, then walked away when he was done
Sometimes she thinks about leaving--she tells herself, someday
You know, her daddy said she'd never amount to much
Oh, tears falling down on me
Oh, tears falling down on me
No, that ain't the way it's supposed to be
Oh, tears falling down on me
Oh, tears falling down on me
I've cried so many tears over man's unkindness to man
People say that's the way it is, but we gotta do what we can
Why does it have to be that way, I just don't understand
Rain falling from my eyes, rain falling from the sky
And I don't know why
A pack of jokers get their jollies beating up on a black king
There's outrage in the city for a while
But do you think it'll really change anything
Get rid of the gates, free the people
And let the games commence
We gotta take our power back
And use it in ways that make sense
Oh, tears falling down on me
Oh, tears falling down on me
If I could, I would change the course of history
Oh, tears falling down on me
Oh, tears falling down on me
Oh, tears falling down on me
Oh, rain washing over me
Oh, tears falling down on me
Oh, pain washing over me
Rain, wash it away, rain, wash it away
Wash the pain away, rain, wash it away
Oh, tears falling down on me
Oh, tears falling down on me
The lyrics of Carole King's song "Tears Falling Down On Me" deal with various societal issues and the emotional toll they take on individuals. The first verse tells the story of Vera, a woman who joins in with the boys' boisterous behavior but ends up being taken advantage of by one of them. This experience triggers thoughts of leaving, but her insecurity and past messages from her father prevent her from doing so. The chorus, "tears falling down on me," expresses the sadness and pain that Vera is feeling as a result of her experiences.
The second verse broadens the focus to society as a whole. King addresses the unkindness of humans to one another and questions why it has to be that way. She talks about the need to take back power and use it in ways that make sense. The line "rain falling from my eyes, rain falling from the sky" is a metaphor for the tears being shed by individuals in response to societal injustice. The final chorus repeats the phrase "tears falling down on me" and adds "rain washing over me" and "pain washing over me" to emphasize the emotional weight of these issues.
King's powerful lyrics tap into universal experiences of pain, injustice, and the desire for change. By using vivid details and metaphors, she brings these abstract concepts to life and makes them relatable to listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Vera comes home on Sunday morning after hanging with the boys all night
Vera returns home after spending the entire night out with male friends
Laughing and drinking with them, thinking she's one of them
Vera was enjoying the company of the men, thinking she is one of them
And that makes everything alright
Vera feels that belonging with the boys makes everything better
She vaguely remembers going out in the parking lot
Vera recalls faintly going outside to the parking lot
With the stone mason's son
She was with the stone mason's son in the parking lot
Who had his way with her, then walked away when he was done
The stone mason's son used Vera and abandoned her afterwards
Sometimes she thinks about leaving--she tells herself, someday
Vera thinks about leaving her current situation and tells herself she will someday
You know, her daddy said she'd never amount to much
Vera's father previously told her she would not amount to anything
Of anything anyway
Vera's father put down anything she wanted to pursue or achieve
Oh, tears falling down on me
The singer is crying and tears are falling onto her
No, that ain't the way it's supposed to be
The singer knows that this is not how life should be
I've cried so many tears over man's unkindness to man
The singer has cried numerous times over how cruel people can be to each other
People say that's the way it is, but we gotta do what we can
People say it's normal, but we should still strive to make a difference
Why does it have to be that way, I just don't understand
The singer doesn't comprehend why people have to be so vicious
Rain falling from my eyes, rain falling from the sky
The singer is weeping, and it is raining outside
And I don't know why
The singer doesn't know why she's crying and why things are the way they are
A pack of jokers get their jollies beating up on a black king
A group of people are taking pleasure in attacking a powerful black leader
There's outrage in the city for a while
People in the city express anger for some time
But do you think it'll really change anything
The singer questions if this outrage will actually bring any change
Get rid of the gates, free the people
The singer suggests getting rid of barriers and freeing people
And let the games commence
The singer thinks that people should now start working towards progress
We gotta take our power back
The singer suggests taking power back from those who use it wrongfully
And use it in ways that make sense
The singer encourages using the regained power to make positive and logical changes
If I could, I would change the course of history
The singer wishes she could alter the past events
Oh, rain washing over me
Rain is washing over the singer, perhaps providing a cleansing effect
Oh, pain washing over me
The singer is experiencing pain that is being washed away by the rain
Rain, wash it away, rain, wash it away
The singer repeatedly asks the rain to wash away the pain and troubles
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globalboy65
Carole's voice bring us right to heaven.Excellent the arrangement, too.
alfredo reinaldo Alberto
Amazing voice. Thank you Carole for such a lot years of great music. And thank you Angoli Diversi for upload it!!
ann mangum
Absolutely beautiful ,,,,you have always been my favorite !!!!
Kevin Phyland
why she is still a genius...beautiful protest music...