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
Because We're In Love
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We just took life as it happened
Run through the days, don't look behind
Over wink of an eye and it's over
What a surprise to discover
We were people ourselves
What kind of people did we want to be?
I didn't sleep at all last night
Mom, I've come to you like yesterday
About today, mom, I'm afraid
Hon, come and sit by my side
Listen to me, words come so hard
But what my heart says I will give you
Because you are in love
Your eyes begin to open
As if you had awaken from a sleep
Because you are in love
You use imagination
And lose your concentration
When someone drops his name
You're back in his arms as always
Your day dreams work out that way
It's all just a trick you mind plays
The more love grows
The more it says the same
(Same little girl who's frightened)
But I love him so
(Same little girl who's sure)
That she loves him so
(Sees with a woman's vision)
(Knows what a woman knows)
Because we are in love
We reach for our tomorrows
And know we won't be lonely
In laughter and in sorrows
Where love abides
There is the place we'll keep our hope forever
You and I, because we are in love
Because we won't be lonely
In laughter and in sorrows
When love abides
There is the place we'll keep our home forever
You and I, because we are in love
The song "Because We Are in Love" by The Carpenters is a beautiful and emotional song about the power of love. The song opens with a nostalgic viewpoint looking back on childhood and how easy it was to just live in the moment without looking to the future. The lyrics talk about how life goes by so quickly and it can be a surprise to realize that we are now grown-ups with the responsibility of creating our own future. The song reflects on the difficult choice of deciding what kind of people they want to be and how it's hard to come up with an answer.
The second part of the song is a conversation between a daughter and her mother. The daughter is seeking guidance for her love life, feeling scared and unsure about her future with her partner. Her mother consoles her and tells her that everything will be okay because she is in love. The lyrics suggest that love has a transformative power, helping people open their eyes and use their imagination. It can make people lose concentration and daydream about their loved ones. At the same time, love can take away the fear of loneliness and provide a sense of hope for the future.
Overall, the song "Because We Are in Love" is a poignant reminder of the power of love in our lives. It acknowledges the fear and uncertainty that come with love but highlights the transformative power of love that can make us feel alive and hopeful in the midst of life's chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
Children, it was more fun to be children
Life was simpler and more enjoyable when we were younger and carefree
We just took life as it happened
We didn't worry about the future or stress about things outside of our control
Run through the days, don't look behind
We lived in the moment and didn't dwell on the past
Over wink of an eye and it's over
Time goes by faster than we realize
What a surprise to discover
It's surprising to realize that we're already adults
We were people ourselves
We became the adults we used to look up to as children
What kind of people did we want to be?
As adults, we have to decide who we want to be
No answer ever came to me
It can be difficult to figure out who we want to be
I didn't sleep at all last night
The artist is troubled and didn't sleep well
Mom, I've come to you like yesterday
The artist is seeking comfort and familiarity from their mother
About today, mom, I'm afraid
The singer is scared about what will happen today
Hon, come and sit by my side
The artist's partner is being comforting
Listen to me, words come so hard
It's difficult to express what we're feeling
But what my heart says I will give you
The singer will speak from the heart
Because you are in love
Love changes our perspective and behavior
Your eyes begin to open
We see the world in a new light when we're in love
As if you had awakened from a sleep
Love feels like waking up from a dream
You use imagination
We daydream and imagine our future with our loved one
And lose your concentration
We get distracted by thoughts of our loved one
When someone drops his name
Hearing our loved one's name can evoke strong emotions
You're back in his arms as always
We can vividly imagine being with our loved one
Your day dreams work out that way
We imagine our perfect future with our loved one
It's all just a trick you mind plays
Our imagination can be deceptive and unrealistic
The more love grows
As our love for our partner grows stronger
The more it says the same
Our love becomes more consistent and steadfast
(Same little girl who's frightened)
Despite growing up, we still feel scared and vulnerable
(Same little girl who's sure)
But we also feel confident in our love
(Sees with a woman's vision)
We see the world differently as an adult in love
(Knows what a woman knows)
We gain wisdom and knowledge through our experiences with love
We reach for our tomorrows
We look forward to our future together
And know we won't be lonely
We know we always have each other's support and companionship
In laughter and in sorrows
We'll face both good and bad times together
Where love abides
Where love is present and strong
There is the place we'll keep our hope forever
Love gives us hope for our future together
You and I, because we are in love
The key to our happiness and hope is our love for each other
Because we won't be lonely
Love provides companionship and support
When love abides
When we have a strong and enduring love
There is the place we'll keep our home forever
Our love provides a sense of belonging and security
You and I, because we are in love
Our love is the foundation of our future together
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mrb2563
Interesting lyrics, I heard them the way her story was told in Little Girl Blue -Over wink of an eye and it's over
What a surprise to discover
We were people ourselves
What kind of people did we want to be
NO ANSWER CAME TO ME
I didn't sleep at all last night
Mom, I've come to you like yesterday - (Why? She was torn)
About today
MOM, I'M AFRAID
Hon, come and sit by my side
Listen to me
WORDS COME SO HARD
BUT WHAT MY HEART SAYS I WILL GIVE YOU (Not me)
Jim Koenig
@Richard EA : I said nothing that could be construed as anything what you describe.
I stated a truth, as inconvenient as it may be. I adore Karen Carpenter and I miss her to this day.
You apparently see Karen as a complete victim, having no responsibility in her marriage and subsequent heartbreak. At 30 years old, Karen was her own woman. She could have stood up to her mother and called off the wedding. Is that so hard and insensitive to state?
Tom Burris used Karen and discarded her like a broken toy after a year. He’s the real “villain” in this story. Karen’s heartbreak over her failed marriage triggered a huge downside in her life.
While many blame Agnes Carpenter for Karen’s illness, do any of us truly know this to be the absolute truth? Could there have been other factors involved in causing Karen’s illness? I believe so.
Karen obviously loved her mother, as she was at the Carpenter home when she died.
I don’t know all the factors that caused Karen’s illness and neither do you or anyone else making comments here. I do know this - anorexia nervous is a complex mental disorder that difficult to treat. It is rarely caused by one factor. To vilify Agnes Carpenter for Karen’s illness is grossly unfair because none of us know all the reasons Karen acquired Anorexia.
Debbie Boone had anorexia at about the same time Karen did. Did she blame her parents, or was it a multifactorial illness?
Before you rush to the conclusion that I’m an insensitive jerk for giving my opinion, let me remind you that no one knows all the reasons for Karen’s illness. No one. I am as much a fan of Karen as you. I adore her.
Uss JimmyCarter
That's the voice that reached out of my AM radio and captivated my heart in 1970! I literally stopped what I was doing. I was shocked at how good she was! She still captivates me in 2020 like no other singer who I have ever heard! Best ever in my mind! Love this beautiful woman!!!
Rohail Khan
I feel really sad for her especially after listening to this song and reading her story.
I believe she was a gentle,kind soul at heart who fell victim to society's cruelness.
Whoever is reading this please do not be unjust to your fellow being.
And to family members , be more empathetic to those around you
Richard EA
Well put and Thank you!😊
chuck carlini
No voice, will ever compare to the great karen carpenter, and Richards arraignments! I listen to her on a daily basis! Rest in peace,, my sweet karen!
Justin W
This song is so touching, it made me cry. Karen's voice takes you to a place that is not of this world, it's a place FAR FAR away where beauty and love always survive. This song reminds me of a classic Disney movie, very much like Cinderella, it's so romantic and so much emotion. I don't think any singer nowadays could handle such a masterpiece as this song. Karen could sing anything and make you feel the purest of all emotion. :) We still miss you Karen ♥
Mike Dickison
@Dick Lindner I loved her in my teenager heart and still do. But that was then. Today there is a newer love just as strong and I find her as good a love today as Karen was then. Her name is Sissel, a Norwegian soprano. If it were in any way possible I love them both the same. Their voices give me hope. The rest are a distant 10th place.
Dick Lindner
You ar so right,I am 75 now and still lover her songs...
Marie Williams
She had the golden tone. So very sad she couldn't find her prince in real life.RIP angel..
Benichio C
She was an angel and hold on being.
Eliana
Karen herself was a Disney princess....