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
Carpenters / Como Medley
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for my favourite songs
When they played I'd sing along
It made me smile
Magic moments
When two hearts are caring
Magic moments
I'll never forget the moment we kissed
The night of the hayride
I wish you'd forget that you ever heard
Me sing of the sleigh ride
Sing, sing a song
Make it simple to last your whole life long
Don't worry that it's not good enough
For anyone else to hear
Just sing, sing a song
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Never let it fade away
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Save it for a rainy day
For love may come and tap you on the shoulder,
Some starless night
Just in case you feel you want to hold her
You'll have a pocketful of starlight
Why do birds
Suddenly appear
Every time you are near?
Just like me
They long to be
Close to you
On the day that you were born the angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold
And starlight in your eyes of blue
It's impossible
Tell the sun to leave the sky
It's just impossible
It's impossible
Ask a baby not to cry
It's just impossible
And tomorrow
Should you ask me for the world, somehow I'd get it
I would sell my very soul
And not regret it
For to live without your love
It's just impossible
Sharing horizons that are new to us
Watching the signs along the way
Talking it over just the two of us
Working together day to day, together
And when the evening comes we smile
So much of life ahead
We'll find a place where there's room to grow
Can't get we've just begun
Get only just begun
And, yes, I know how lonely life can be
The shadows follow me
And the night won't set me free
But I don't let the evening get me down
Now that you're around me
Don't let the stars get in your eyes
Don't let the moon break your heart
(Don't let the moon break your heart)
Love blooms at night
In the daylight it dies
Don't let the stars get in your eyes
Oh, keep your heart for me
For some day I'll return
And you know you're the only one I'll ever love
He'll ever love
I'll ever love
Every sha-la-la-la
Every wo-o-wo-o
Still shines
Every shing-a-ling-a-ling
That they're startin' to sing's
So fine
All my best memories
Come back clearly to me
Some can even make me cry
Just like before
It's yesterday once more
Till the end of time
No other love have I
Get only just begun
The Carpenters/Como Medley is a compilation of several songs that were made famous in the 1960s and 1970s. Some of the lyrics in this medley are from other songs, while some are original. However, they all fit together well, and the results are stirring. The medley begins with "Magic Moments," which speaks of how two people share a special memory. It goes on to mention the moments that the two people have shared and will never forget. The next verse is from "Sing," with Karen Carpenter singing that you should sing to make life simple and last long. You should not worry whether your voice is good enough.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was young I'd listen to the radio
In my youth, I used to tune into the radio
Waiting for my favourite songs
Anticipating the playback of songs that I love
When they played I'd sing along
I'm inclined to sing when my favorite tunes come on the radio
It made me smile
When I sing along, I feel happy
Magic moments
Priceless instances
When two hearts are caring
When both people's hearts are invested in one another
Memories we've been sharing
All of the pleasant memories we've experienced together
I'll never forget the moment we kissed
The kiss we shared is one I'll always remember
The night of the hayride
This kiss occurred during the hayride in the evening
I wish you’d forget that you ever heard
I regret you've even heard me sing of the sleigh ride
Me sing of the sleigh ride
Regrettably, you have listened to me sing of the sleigh ride
Sing, sing a song
Sing, sing any tune
Make it simple to last your whole life long
Compose it in such a way that you can sing it for the rest of your life
Don't worry that it's not good enough
Don't concern that it isn't of high quality
For anyone else to hear
So that nobody else can listen to it
Just sing, sing a song
Simply sing a tune, sing any tune
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Grab a falling star and keep it with you
Never let it fade away
Ensure it doesn't lose its shining brightness
Save it for a rainy day
Keep it for when it is needed
For love may come and tap you on the shoulder,
Love may arrive and surprise you
Some starless night
During a night without stars
Just in case you feel you want to hold her
In the event you feel like holding onto her
You’ll have a pocketful of starlight
Being equipped with starlight to hold onto
Why do birds
What causes birds to
Suddenly appear
Immediately materialize
Every time you are near?
When you're in close proximity?
Just like me
In the same way as I do
They long to be
They desire nothing more than to be
Close to you
Beside you or in your vicinity
On the day that you were born the angels got together
On the day of your birth, it's rumored that angels came together
And decided to create a dream come true
And decided on the creation of a cherished vision
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold
Thusly, they sprinkled moon dust on your golden hair
And starlight in your eyes of blue
Along with starlight in your crystal blue eyes
It's impossible
It's completely impractical
Tell the sun to leave the sky
Attempting to convince the sun to stop shining
Ask a baby not to cry
Expecting a baby to change behavior and not cry
And tomorrow
In the future
Should you ask me for the world, somehow I'd get it
If you were to request the world of me, I would get it no matter what
I would sell my very soul
I would sacrifice everything
And not regret it
Without even a hint of regret for what I'd done
For to live without your love
Living life without your love
It's just impossible
Is something I couldn't handle
Sharing horizons that are new to us
Experiencing new situations as a team
Watching the signs along the way
Observing the clues that present themselves
Talking it over just the two of us
Discussing it just between the two of us
Working together day to day, together
Collaborating every day as a single unit
And when the evening comes we smile
When the night arrives with us, we're happy about it
So much of life ahead
There's still a lot of time to enjoy life
We'll find a place where there's room to grow
We'll get to a place where there's space for us to develop
Can't get we've just begun
I can't believe it's only the start for us
Get only just begun
It's the beginning, the dawn of our journey
And, yes, I know how lonely life can be
Yes, I am aware of how miserable life can feel
The shadows follow me
I'm being trailed by shadows
And the night won’t set me free
The nightfall will not liberate me
But I don’t let the evening get me down
I refuse to let the night's darkness bother me
Now that you’re around me
Ever since you've been in my life
Don't let the stars get in your eyes
Don't let your dreams obscure reality
Don't let the moon break your heart
Don't let the moon fool you into heartache
(Don't let the moon break your heart)
This message is worth repeating
Love blooms at night
It's during the night when love prospers
In the daylight it dies
Violent sunshine extinguishes it
Oh, keep your heart for me
Hold onto your heart for me exclusively
For some day I'll return
I'll visit again someday
And you know you're the only one I'll ever love
And in your heart, you recognize you're the only one I'll ever cherish
He'll ever love
The only person to steal my heart
I'll ever love
The only person to steal my heart
Every sha-la-la-la
Every high-pitch sound
Every wo-o-wo-o
Every vocal chord made sound
Still shines
Radiates brilliance like it used to
Every shing-a-ling-a-ling
Every ring of the bell
That they're startin' to sing's
Hear the music, they're starting to play
So fine
It's divine or exquisite
All my best memories
All my most cherished memories
Come back clearly to me
They're clearly at the forefront of my mind
Some can even make me cry
Some of them are so sentimental, they can even bring me to tears
Just like before
In the same way they did when I first encountered them
It's yesterday once more
In my recollection, it's like it was yesterday, last time
Till the end of time
Until time stops
No other love have I
I have no love for anyone else
Get only just begun
The future is yet to come
Lyrics © Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright (VCPMC), Universal Music Publishing Group, Tratore, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Bettis, Richard Lynn Carpenter
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.