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
Fun Fun Fun
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And she cruised through the hamburger stand now
Seems she forgot all about the library
Like she told her old man now
And with the radio blasting
Goes cruising just as fast as she can now
And she'll have fun fun fun
(Fun fun fun 'til her daddy takes the T-bird away)
Well the girls can't stand her
'Cause she walks looks and drives like an ace now
(You walk like an ace now you walk like an ace)
She makes the Indy 500 look like a Roman chariot race now
(You look like an ace now you look like an ace)
A lotta guys try to catch her
But she leads them on a wild goose chase now
(You drive like an ace now you drive like an ace)
And she'll have fun fun fun
'Til her daddy takes the T-bird away
(Fun fun fun 'til her daddy takes the T-bird away)
Well you knew all along
That your dad was gettin' wise to you now
(You shouldn't have lied now you shouldn't have lied)
And since he took your set of keys
You've been thinking that your fun is all through now
(You shouldn't have lied now you shouldn't have lied)
But you can come along with me
'Cause we gotta a lot of things to do now
(You shouldn't have lied now you shouldn't have lied)
And we'll have fun fun fun now that daddy took the T-bird away
(Fun fun fun now that daddy took the T-bird away)
And we'll have fun fun fun now that daddy took the T-bird away
(Fun fun fun now that daddy took the T-bird away)
(Wo wo wo wo woo woo woo)
(Fun fun now that daddy took the T-bird away)
(Fun fun now that daddy took the T-bird away)
(Fun fun now that daddy took the T-bird away)
(Fun fun now that daddy took the T-bird away)
(Fun fun now that daddy took the T-bird away)
(Fun fun now that daddy took the T-bird away)
The Carpenters’ classic hit “Fun Fun Fun” tells the story of a teenage girl who is having the time of her life cruising around in her daddy’s car. She carelessly forgets about her responsibilities, including going to the library as she promised her father. The song describes her joyride with the radio on full blast and the girl pushing the T-bird to its limits as she speeds along with the wind blowing through her hair.
Despite the envy of other girls who can’t stand her because she looks and drives like a pro, a lot of guys try to catch her but she enjoys leading them on a wild goose chase. Eventually, the girl’s father finds out about her reckless driving habits and takes the T-bird away from her. However, the singer of the song is optimistic and believes that she’ll still be able to have fun fun fun as she encourages someone to come along with her for many adventures.
On the surface, the song appears to be a simple and straightforward story about a girl who prioritizes having fun over everything else, including her commitments. But there is a deeper meaning to the song. It symbolizes youth, rebellion, and freedom, all of which are integral to the teenage experience. It was a call to throw caution to the wind and enjoy life to the fullest, an attitude that has stood the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Well she got her daddy's car
She has access to her father's car
And she cruised through the hamburger stand now
She drove through the hamburger stand while cruising
Seems she forgot all about the library
She appears to have forgotten about the library
Like she told her old man now
Just like she told her father
And with the radio blasting
She has the radio turned up loud
Goes cruising just as fast as she can now
She is driving as fast as she can while cruising
And she'll have fun fun fun
She will have a lot of fun
'Til her daddy takes the T-bird away
Until her father takes away the T-bird car
Well the girls can't stand her
Other girls don't like her
'Cause she walks looks and drives like an ace now
Because she seems confident and skilled in her walking, looks, and driving
She makes the Indy 500 look like a Roman chariot race now
She drives so fast that even the Indy 500 race seems slow compared to her driving
A lotta guys try to catch her
Many guys try to get her attention
But she leads them on a wild goose chase now
She makes them chase her, but it's a futile attempt
Well you knew all along
You were aware the whole time
That your dad was gettin' wise to you now
Your father was becoming more aware of your actions
And since he took your set of keys
Since he took your car keys
You've been thinking that your fun is all through now
You thought your fun was over
But you can come along with me
You can join me now
'Cause we gotta a lot of things to do now
Because we have a lot of things to do together
And we'll have fun fun fun now that daddy took the T-bird away
We will have a lot of fun now that your father took the T-bird car away
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Michael Love, Brian Wilson
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.