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)

You've Been Around Too Long
Carole King Lyrics

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Ooh, I hear you say attitudes and times have changed
And I know the feeling, it's long overdue
You say this is a time to right old wrongs
Tell me now, if it's true
You got the mind, you got the time
How long are you gonna wait to do what you want to do now

You've been around too long

Not to notice what's going on in town
You've got to understand
I'm taking my life in my own hands
And gaining ground, look around

Peace of mind
You got yours, I want mine
If you really want to do right by me
See what you want to see
But let me be what I want to be

'Cause you've been around too long
Not to realize what's going on inside

I'm just like you
I'm doing the best that I can do to make my stride

Overall Meaning

The song "You've Been Around Too Long" by Carole King speaks about the importance of finding one's own individuality and standing up for oneself. The opening lines of the song address the idea that people constantly claim that attitudes and times have changed, but this change is overdue, and it is time to right old wrongs. She asks whether this is true and suggests that action is required in order to make this change.

The second stanza highlights the importance of taking one's own life and dreams into their hands. This includes acknowledging that change is necessary and that it is essential to understand what is happening in the world. King speaks of gaining ground and looking around, setting up a prosperous future. When she speaks about wanting a peace of mind, she asserts that everyone should have the opportunity to pursue their own desires and needs.

In the final stanza, King affirms that everyone has to do their best to make their own strides in life. She says that just as people need to be free to make their own choices, they must also allow others to have the same freedom. The song reinforces the idea that everyone needs to be true to themselves, and that there is no harm in advocating for one's own life.

Line by Line Meaning

Ooh, I hear you say attitudes and times have changed
I understand that you feel there's been a shift in attitudes and society

And I know the feeling, it's long overdue
I can empathize with your perspective and agree that this change should have happened a long time ago

You say this is a time to right old wrongs
You believe that now is the time to correct past mistakes and injustices

Tell me now, if it's true
I want to know if this is really the case

You got the mind, you got the time
You have the intelligence and free time

How long are you gonna wait to do what you want to do now
You should take advantage of your current situation and pursue your goals as soon as possible

You've Been Around Too LongCarole King Lyrics

You've Been Around Too Long
Carole King Lyrics