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
Hide Away
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Far from the shadows of my mind
Sunlight and laughter, love ever after
Oh, how I long to find a place to hide away
I hear you whisper and I must obey
Blindly I follow where you lead
Knowing tomorrow, brings only sorrow
Bright coloured pinwheels go round in my head
I run through the mist of the wine
But night and the music remind me instead
The world once was mine (once was mine)
I'll save my pennies for a rainy day (save them for a rainy day)
But where can I buy another you?
Dreams are for sleeping, love is for weeping
Oh, how I long to find a place to hide away
But night and the music remind me instead
The world once was mine (world once was mine)
I'll save my pennies for a rainy day (save them for a rainy day)
But where can I buy another you?
Dreams are for sleeping, love is for weeping
Oh, how I long to find a place to hide away
The song "Hide Away" by the Carpenters is about wanting to escape from the negative thoughts and feelings that haunt the mind. The singer yearns for a place where they can be happy and free from the sadness that is consuming them. The repetition of the phrase "place to hide away" reinforces this desire for a physical and mental escape.
The lyrics invoke vivid imagery of colorful pinwheels spinning in the mind, creating a sense of chaos and disorientation. The singer tries to escape through drinking and partying, but is ultimately reminded of the emptiness of these distractions. They acknowledge that dreams and love can bring pain, but still long for them as a source of hope and salvation.
The song is a powerful expression of the human need for escapism and the struggle to find peace in the midst of turmoil. The gentle melody and Karen Carpenter's emotive vocals add to the song's poignant beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got to find a place to hideaway
I need to find a spot to escape from my thoughts and emotions.
Far from the shadows of my mind
Where I can escape from the darkness and negativity I feel inside.
Sunlight and laughter, love ever after
I long for a life filled with happiness, love, and never-ending joy.
Oh, how I long to find a place to hide away
I desperately wish to find a secluded spot where I can conceal myself from everything that troubles me.
I hear you whisper and I must obey
I am compelled to listen and follow your voice, no matter how it might lead me.
Blindly I follow where you lead
I am following without questioning, and without truly understanding where I am going.
Knowing tomorrow, brings only sorrow
I know that what lays ahead is not going to be easy, and in fact may only bring more pain.
Where can I go to find a place to hide away?
I am still searching for a place that will provide me a temporary reprieve from everything that is troubling me.
Bright colored pinwheels go round in my head
My thoughts are spinning and swirling like a child's toy pinwheel.
I run through the mist of the wine
I try to escape my sorrows by losing myself in alcohol.
But night and the music remind me instead
I am constantly reminded of what I am trying to escape from, particularly by the music playing around me.
The world once was mine (once was mine)
I used to have a sense of ownership over my life.
I'll save my pennies for a rainy day (save them for a rainy day)
I am trying to save my resources for when I really need them, thinking ahead to potential difficult days or situations.
But where can I buy another you?
I realize there is no substitute for you, and no way to replace you in my life.
Dreams are for sleeping, love is for weeping
I have lost my sense of hope and joy, and feel like my dreams will never come true.
Oh, how I long to find a place to hide away
I still yearn for a sanctuary where I can escape from everything and everyone that is troubling me.
Writer(s): Randy Sparks
Contributed by Alyssa L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Araceli Gaeta Martinez
I've got to find a place to hideaway
Far from the shadows of my mind
Sunlight and laughter, love ever after
For how I long to find a place to hideaway
I hear you whisper and I must obey,
Blindly follow where you'll be
Knowing tomorrow brings only sorrow
Where can I go to find a place to hideaway
Bright colored pinwheels go round in my head
I run through the mist of the wine
The night and the music remind me instead
The world once was mine
I'll save my pennies for a rainy day
But where can I buy another you?
Dreams are for sleeping
Love is for weeping
Oh, how I long to find a place to hideaway
Bru Schmidt
Love how her singing "floats" over the orchestration like a rare, fine instrument. Experts have said her vocals are stradivarius in quality & without peer. She also pulls us into her songs sweetly & without effort. Absolutely Brilliant!
Joe Hill
that's just a great way of putting it-
it does seemingly just 'float' over the orch ... she is my absolute favorite ... saw them live at the Arie Crown at McCormick Place in 1974 -it's interesting how the members of each generation can discover how absolutely fantastic she (they) was (were)Djalma Santos
😭😭😭
byron harkey
The 3rd and last concert we attended in November 1978 for The Carpenters was held at The Long Beach Terrace Theater where Karen sang Merry Christmas Darling....was so excited to see her sing Merry Christmas Darling that night!!!
Ma. Luisa Ighut
Without exerting effort, Karen sings magically. Her voice is very enchanting. It's like being caught in a very pleasant place that you didn't know exist.
Sharon Math
Love your comment
Richard White
No one that ever lived in my opinion could touch the voice of Karen Carpenter. She felt every word she sang and she not only touched your heart but your soul. Richard and Karen were both absolutely brilliant in what they did and Karen's voice cannot be explained in words. ONe of the greatest singers that ever lived. Karen!!!!!
Bru Schmidt
Well spoken, I couldn't have said it any better 😎
John Graham
Not one of the greatest,THE GREATEST.
Uss JimmyCarter
good grief! how can anyone be this good? the first time I heard her was "Close to You", I heard one note and stopped dead in my tracks. I had never heard a voice with such depth, beauty and the captivating emotion that she shared! there will never be another Karen Carpenter. GOAT! RIP Dear!