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
Hurting Each Other
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ever had a love as sweet as my love
For nowhere in the world
Could there be a boy as true as you love
All my love
I give gladly to you
All your love
You give gladly to me
Oh why should it be that
We go on hurting each other
We go on hurting each other
Making each other cry
Hurting each other
Without ever knowing why
Closer than the leaves
On a weepin' willow, baby, we are
Closer dear are we
Than the simple letters A and B are
All my life
I could love only you
All your life
You could love only me
Tell me why then
Oh why should it be that
We go on hurting each other
We go on hurting each other
Making each other cry
Hurting each other
Without ever knowing why
Can't we stop hurting each other
Gotta stop hurting each other
Making each other cry
Breaking each other's heart
Tearing each other apart
Can't we stop hurting each other
Gotta stop hurting each other
Making each other cry
Breaking each other's heart
Tearing each other apart
In these lyrics to the song "Hurting Each Other," the Carpenters convey a message of sadness and frustration about the repeated pain they inflict upon each other in their relationship. The song speaks of a mutual love that is unparalleled and absolute ("No one in the world / Ever had a love as sweet as my love") yet they continue to end up hurting each other. Despite their deep love, they are still not able to fully understand each other's emotions ("Without ever knowing why").
The lyrics make it clear that the couple is aware of the damage they're causing but they're struggling to break the pattern of hurting each other. The lyrics compare their relationship to the closeness found in nature, with the image of two leaves on a weeping willow tree being given as a metaphor for their closeness. However, they still can’t overcome their differences.
The repeated refrain to "stop hurting each other" speaks to the desire for harmony in their relationship, but they struggle to find the necessary changes to stop the cycle of pain. Despite their love being absolute and true, they seem to be stuck in an unhealthy pattern that is causing them both pain.
Line by Line Meaning
No one in the world
Nobody in the entire world
Ever had a love as sweet as my love
Has ever experienced such a sweet love like mine
For nowhere in the world
Because there's no place in the world
Could there be a boy as true as you love
That could have a boy as honest and genuine as the one you love
All my love
I love you completely
I give gladly to you
And I give it to you willingly
All your love
You love me entirely
You give gladly to me
And you do it voluntarily
Tell me why then
But please explain to me
Oh why should it be that
Why is it like this?
We go on hurting each other
We continue to cause pain to one another
Making each other cry
And making each other weep
Hurting each other
Causing pain to each other
Without ever knowing why
Without ever understanding the reason behind it
Closer than the leaves
We are closer than the leaves
On a weepin' willow, baby, we are
Closer than the leaves of a weeping willow, baby, we are
Closer dear are we
We are dearer than anything else to each other
Than the simple letters A and B are
Even more than the simplicity of the letters A and B
All my life
I have loved you my entire life
I could love only you
And I'm able to love only you
All your life
You have loved me your entire life
You could love only me
And you're able to love only me
Can't we stop hurting each other
Isn't it possible for us to stop hurting each other?
Gotta stop hurting each other
We must stop hurting each other
Breaking each other's heart
We are shattering one another's hearts
Tearing each other apart
And tearing each other apart
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY GELD, PETER UDELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@deborahclarke3389
No one will ever replace this beautiful singer
@CarlsbadCADee
Concur 100%
@andrewzaltman6934
Damn right❤
@robertpiarulli6230
Ever
@AnnE-ed1fh
Agreed
@ninamartinez5171
Nope ❤
@drdickvagesq
Karen Carpenters voice was the best friend a song ever had.
@larryeidelman3322
Before there was "Auto-tune" and "Pro-Tools", there were just Pro's. Rest In Peace Karen, your buttery voice was perfect.
@dannyblack3814
When I listen to Karen , it always brings tears to my eyes . She has such a Beautiful voice. She will never be forgotten.
@Kim-iv4ty
Same here