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)
There's a Space Between Us
Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've been there for me
But now I feel a boundary has been drawn
I can see from all you do
That you still care for me
I know the feeling hasn't gone
But there's a space between
Unless you step across and meet me halfway
We've been friends for much too long
And the feeling's much too strong to let it go astray
Reach out and make the space between us go away
I know a little bit of space between two friends
Can sometimes do them good
But once in a while we need to touch
The way that people should
Love can tie you down, I know
'Cause you know I've been there
But I've been working on a way to love
And still be free to care
You love your lady
And I know just what you're thinking
Was a time I used to be just where you are
But I've since found my freedom
And I've finally let it sink in
The distance really isn't very far
There's a space between us
A place that I can't go
Unless you step across and meet me halfway
We've been friends for much too long
And the feeling's much too strong to let it go astray
Reach out and make the space between us go away
Reach out, I know that you can hear me
Reach out, I need to feel you near me
Carole King’s song “There’s a Space Between Us” is a poignant exploration of the complex emotions that can arise with changing friendships, particularly when one side of the friendship undergoes a significant personal transformation. The lyrics speak of the singer’s friend who has always been there for her, but a boundary has been drawn between them that she can’t cross. She can see that her friend still cares for her, but the feeling between them has changed, and there is a space between them that she can’t access without her friend meeting her halfway.
The song’s message is that even the strongest of friendships can experience shifts and changes, but if both parties are willing to work towards bridging the gap, the friendship can persevere. The singer acknowledges that a little bit of space can sometimes be necessary in friendships, but ultimately, people need to “touch the way that people should”. She acknowledges that love can tie you down, but she has been working on a way to love and still be free to care.
The final plea of the song is for the friend to reach out and make the space between them go away. The singer knows that her friend can hear her and that she needs to feel him near her. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the possibility of reconciliation between two people who care deeply for each other but have found themselves on opposite sides of a divide.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time I've needed you
Throughout our friendship, you've always been there for me whenever I needed you.
You've been there for me
You've proven to me that no matter what I go through, you will always be there for me.
But now I feel a boundary has been drawn
Recently, I've noticed there seems to be a distance between us and I feel like there's a boundary that's separating us.
I can see from all you do
However, from everything you've done so far, it's evident that you still care for me despite the distance between us.
That you still care for me
I can sense that the love and care you have for me still exists.
I know the feeling hasn't gone
I'm aware that over time, our connection hasn't waned despite the distance.
But there's a space between
Nevertheless, there's an unsettling distance between us that's preventing us from truly connecting.
A place that I can't go
I long to draw nearer to you but the chasm between us is too wide for me to cross alone.
Unless you step across and meet me halfway
For us to close this distance, we'll both need to put in the effort to meet each other halfway.
We've been friends for much too long
We've grown too much in this friendship to let it wither away because of this distance.
And the feeling's much too strong to let it go astray
Our connection is too special and the love we share is too strong to let this distance break us apart.
Reach out and make the space between us go away
I implore you to reach out to me and work with me to break down the wall between us so we can nurture this friendship.
I know a little bit of space between two friends
Although some distance can be good for friends, it's not healthy for us to remain in this space for too long.
Can sometimes do them good
That being said, spending a little bit of time apart might actually help us grow in our friendship.
But once in a while we need to touch
Despite that, we still need to connect and feel each other's presence.
The way that people should
This is how friends are supposed to be - supportive, caring, and loving towards each other.
Love can tie you down, I know
While romantic love can restrict you, I'm aware that even platonic love for a friend can make you feel bound to them in a way.
'Cause you know I've been there
I too have experienced this feeling of being tied down by love for someone but have found a way to balance love and freedom.
But I've been working on a way to love
I've been putting in the effort to balance my love for you with my need for freedom.
And still be free to care
I've found a way to love you without feeling confined by that love, so I can still care for you while maintaining my independence.
You love your lady
I know you're committed to your romantic partner, and I'm not trying to interfere with that.
And I know just what you're thinking
I can sense that you're wondering how we can maintain our friendship without it negatively affecting your relationship.
Was a time I used to be just where you are
I too have been in your position before, and I understand how difficult it can be to balance love for a partner and platonic love for a friend.
But I've since found my freedom
However, I've managed to find a way to balance those emotions and not feel trapped.
And I've finally let it sink in
I've come to the realization that it's possible to be free and still love you at the same time.
The distance really isn't very far
In the grand scheme of things, the distance between us isn't that great, and there's not much stopping us from bridging that gap.
Reach out, I know that you can hear me
I'm calling out to you, and I know that you can hear me and understand what I'm trying to say.
Reach out, I need to feel you near me
I need you to respond and let me feel like you're close even though we may physically be far apart.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind