Karen Carpenter's calm, often somber voice was the most distinctive element of their music, settling in perfectly amidst the precise, lush arrangements provided by her brother Richard. The duo's sound drew more from pre-rock pop than rock & roll, but that didn't prevent the Carpenters from appealing to a variety of audiences, particularly Top 40, easy listening, and adult contemporary. While their popularity declined during the latter half of the '70s, they remained one of the most distinctive and recognizable acts the decade produced.
The Carpenters formed in the late '60s in Downey, CA, after their family moved from their native New Haven, CT. Richard had played piano with a cocktail jazz trio in a handful of local Connecticut nightclubs. Once the family had moved to California, he began to study piano while he supported Karen in a trio that featured Wes Jacobs (tuba/bass). With Jacobs and Richard forming her backup band, Karen was signed to the local Californian record label Magic Lamp, who released two unsuccessful singles by the singer. The trio won a Battle of the Bands contest at the Hollywood Bowl in 1966, which led to a record contract with RCA. Signing under the name The Richard Carpenter Trio, the group cut four songs that were never released. Jacobs left the band at the beginning of 1968.
Following Jacobs' departure, the siblings formed Spectrum with Richard's college friend John Bettis. Spectrum fell apart by the end of the year, but the Carpenters continued performing as a duo. The pair recorded some demos at the house of Los Angeles session musician Joe Osborn; the tape was directed toward Herb Alpert, the head of A&M Records, who signed the duo to his record label in early 1969.
Offering, the Carpenters' first album, was released in November 1969. Neither Offering or the accompanying single, a cover of the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride," made a big impression. However, the Carpenters' fortunes changed with their second single, a version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "(They Long to Be) Close to You." Taken from the album Close to You, the single became the group's first number one, spending four weeks on the top of the U.S. charts. "Close to You" became an international hit, beginning a five-year period where the duo was one of the most popular recording acts in the world. During that period the Carpenters won two Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist of 1970, and had an impressive string of Top Ten hits, including "Rainy Days and Mondays," "Superstar," "Hurting Each Other," "Goodbye to Love," "Yesterday Once More," and "Top of the World."
After 1975's number-four hit "Only Yesterday," the group's popularity began to decline. For the latter half of the '70s, the duo were plagued by personal problems. Richard had become addicted to prescription drugs; in 1978, he entered a recovery clinic, kicking his habit. Karen, meanwhile, became afflicted with anorexia nervosa, a disease she suffered from for the rest of her life. On top of their health problems, the group's singles had stopped reaching the Top Ten and by 1978, they weren't even reaching the Top 40. Consequently, Karen decided to pursue a solo career, recording a solo album in 1979 with Phil Ramone. The record was not completed at that time (though it would be released in 1996), and she returned to the Carpenters later that year. The reunited duo released their last album of new material, Made in America, in 1981. The album marked a commercial comeback, as "Touch Me When We're Dancing" made it to number 16 on the charts. However, Karen's health continued to decline, forcing the duo out of the spotlight. On February 4, 1983, Karen was found unconscious at her parents' home in Downey; she died in the hospital shortly after due to cardiac arrest, which was later due to the strain on her heart caused by years of crash dieting caused by anorexia nervosa.
After Karen's death, Richard Carpenter concentrated on production work and assembling various compilations of the Carpenters' recorded work. In 1987, he released a solo album called Time, which featured guest appearances by Dusty Springfield and Dionne Warwick. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
from http://music.msn.com/artist/?artist=1607403&contenttype=artistsongs
Back in My Life Again
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I had your love and let it go
And I really let you down I know
I'm losin' your love
I guess it took a while for me to see
What it is you really mean to me
I've been as big a fool as I can be
[Chorus]
I want you back in my life again
I don't want to be your remember when
I want you back in my life again
Let's go back to the place where it all began
I've lived long enough with your memory
Now I know that I need you here with me
There was a time I thought I had it made
But I didn't see the price I had paid
And the price gets higher ev'ry day
And all I can say is
You're the only one who knows my heart
So let's take it right back to the start
And I won't have to play the part
Of losing your love
[Chorus]
You're the only one who knows my heart
So let's take it right back to the start
And I won't have to play the part
Of losing your love
I want you back in my life again
I don't want to be your remember when
I want you back in my life again
Let's go back to the place where it all began
I've lived long enough with your memory
Now I know that I want you, know that I need you
Back in my life
The lyrics to the Carpenters' song Back In My Life Again describe the regret and longing of someone who has realized the value of a past relationship after it has ended. The singer remembers when they had the love of their partner but let it go, and now they feel like they're losing their love. They admit that they were a fool for not appreciating their partner and take responsibility for their actions. The chorus of the song repeats the desire to have their partner back in their life and move past the memories to start anew.
The lyrics of this song are relatable to many people who have experienced a breakup or regrets in past relationships. It speaks to vulnerability, the mistakes we make, and the importance of valuing the people we love while we have them. The song resonates in its simplicity, a classic ballad with a straightforward message of love lost and the desire for its return.
Overall, the song Back In My Life Again by The Carpenters is a heartfelt plea to a former lover to come back and start anew. It addresses the guilt and remorse of not having valued a relationship while in it, and the longing for another chance to make things right.
Line by Line Meaning
You know it doesn't seem that long ago
It feels like it was just yesterday when we were together
That I had your love and let it go
I had your love once, but I foolishly let it slip away
And I really let you down I know
I am aware that I disappointed you greatly
I'm losin' your love
I am currently losing your affections
I guess it took a while for me to see
It took me a long time to realize
What it is you really mean to me
How much you truly mean to me
I've been as big a fool as I can be
I have acted very foolishly
For losing your love
Which is why I lost your love
I want you back in my life again
I long for you to return to my life
I don't want to be your remember when
I don't want to be just a memory from the past
Let's go back to the place where it all began
Let's return to where we first fell in love
I've lived long enough with your memory
I have thought about you for a long time
Now I know that I need you here with me
I have come to the realization that I need you by my side
There was a time I thought I had it made
I used to believe I had everything I wanted
But I didn't see the price I had paid
But I didn't realize the cost of losing your love
And the price gets higher ev'ry day
And the cost of losing you becomes more and more every day
And all I can say is
All I can do is express my regret and hope for another chance
You're the only one who knows my heart
Only you truly understand my feelings
So let's take it right back to the start
Let's go back to where it all began
And I won't have to play the part
And I won't have to pretend anymore
Of losing your love
Of losing your love ever again
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KERRY CHATER, CHRIS CHRISTIAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J Parker
on Happy
Wrong lyrics shown. Correct ones --- Happy by Carpenters
I've played the game of love before.
Too young to know
How hard the fall could be;
I never thought I'd try again.
Somehow you brought
The gambler out in me.
You can deal me in this time around.
Even though the odds are high,
We'll play them down.
You may be a chance I need to take,
And the hand I'm holdin' says it's no mistake.
Happy is the way I'm feelin',
And I know it comes from being with you.
All at once my life is changin',
And I know it's 'cause I'm fallin' in love with you.
Fallin' in love with you.
Fallin' in love.
Fallin' in love with you.
If this is luck then let it ride.
If it's the starts,
They're surely on my side.
I've never been so safisfied
By love before;
For all the times I've tried.
These beginnings could mean more
Than the brief affair I bargained for.
Little did I know, when we began,
That my time had come to win a hand.
Happy is the way I'm feelin',
And I know it comes from being with you.
All at once my life is changin',
And I know it's 'cause I'm fallin' in love with you.
Fallin' in love with you.
Fallin' in love.
Fallin' in love with you.
Please forgive me if I seem
To be walking through a waking dream.
Laughter never came so easily;
There's a freedom here that's new to me.
Happy is the way I'm feelin',
And I know it comes from being with you.
All at once my life is changin',
And I know it's 'cause I'm fallin' in love with you.
Fallin' in love with you.
Fallin' in love.
Fallin' in love with you.