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
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite"
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea"
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
"Do you hear what I hear?
In your palace warm, mighty king
Do you hear what I hear?
A child, a child shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold"
Said the king to the people everywhere
"Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people, everywhere
Listen to what I say!
The child, the child sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light"
The song "Do You Hear What I Hear?" by the Carpenters is a beautiful Christmas classic that tells the story of the birth of Jesus as witnessed by different characters. The lyrics start with the night wind asking the little lamb if it can see the star in the sky, which has a tail as big as a kite. The lamb then asks the shepherd boy if he can hear the song ringing through the sky, which has a voice as big as the sea. The shepherd boy then asks the mighty king if he can hear the child who is shivering in the cold, asking him to bring silver and gold.
The king then sends a message to the people to pray for peace and listen to what he has to say. The child who is sleeping in the night is said to bring goodness and light to the world.
The song is a beautiful portrayal of the Christmas story, with each character having a unique perspective on the birth of Jesus. The lyrics are powerful and encouraging, urging the people to pray for peace and embrace the goodness that the child brings. The simple melody and Karen Carpenter's emotive voice add to the emotional impact of the song, making it a beloved classic for many generations to come.
Line by Line Meaning
Said the night wind to the little lamb
The wind spoke to the little lamb
"Do you see what I see?
Can you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb
Up in the sky, far away from us
Do you see what I see?
Can you see what I see too?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
There's a star shining in the dark night sky
With a tail as big as a kite
And its tail is a long streak of light
With a tail as big as a kite"
Which looks as big as a kite
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
The lamb said to the shepherd boy
"Do you hear what I hear?
Can you hear the sound I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy
Echoing all around us, shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
Do you hear the same thing too?
A song, a song high above the trees
There's a beautiful song being sung up high
With a voice as big as the sea
And the voice singing it is as powerful as the ocean
With a voice as big as the sea"
It's like the singer has the whole sea in their voice
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
The shepherd boy spoke to the king
"Do you hear what I hear?
Can you also hear what I hear?
In your palace warm, mighty king
Here in your comfortable palace, mighty king
Do you hear what I hear?
Do you hear the same beautiful sound too?
A child, a child shivers in the cold
There's a child who is cold and shivering
Let us bring him silver and gold
We should give him expensive gifts to keep him warm and to help him
Let us bring him silver and gold"
Our gifts will bring him comfort and help in hard times
Said the king to the people everywhere
The king spoke to all the people around him
"Listen to what I say!
I have something important to tell you all
Pray for peace, people, everywhere
Let us all pray for peace, wherever we may be
Listen to what I say!
Please pay attention to what I'm saying now
The child, the child sleeping in the night
The child we talked about earlier, sleeping in the dark
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us hope and happiness
He will bring us goodness and light"
He will help us see the best in all things
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Noel Regney, Gloria Shayne
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.