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
Little Altar Boy
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Little altar boy, for I have gone astray
What must I do to be holy like you?
Little altar boy, oh, let me hear you pray
Little altar boy, I wonder could you ask our lord
Ask him, altar boy, to take my sins away
What must I do to be holy like you?
Lift up your voice and sing a prayer above
Help me rejoice and fill that prayer with love
Now I know my life has been all wrong
Lift up your voice and help a sinner be strong
Little altar boy, I wonder could you pray for me?
Could you tell our lord, I'm gonna change my way today?
What must I do to be holy like you?
Little altar boy, oh, let me hear you pray
Little altar boy please let me hear you pray
The song "Little Altar Boy" by the Carpenters is about a lost soul seeking guidance from an innocent little boy. The lyrics show a person asking the titular "little altar boy" to pray for them as they have gone astray from their path in life. The person asks the boy how they can become holy like him, emphasizing their desire to turn their life around.
The repetition of the phrase "little altar boy" throughout the song serves to highlight the boy's purity and the singer's desire to emulate him. The singer recognizes their own sins and shortcomings, and looks to the boy for aid in seeking redemption. Throughout the song, there is a sense of desperation and urgency, as the singer understands the gravity of their actions and the importance of turning their life around.
Overall, "Little Altar Boy" can be interpreted as a plea for forgiveness and guidance, with the singer turning to a child as a symbol of innocence and purity in hopes of finding a way to become a better person.
Line by Line Meaning
Little altar boy, I wonder could you pray for me?
As someone who has lost their way, I implore you to pray for me, little altar boy.
Little altar boy, for I have gone astray
I confess that I have lost my way, little altar boy.
What must I do to be holy like you?
Please advise me on how I can find the same holiness that you possess.
Little altar boy, oh, let me hear you pray
I implore you to pray on my behalf, little altar boy, so I can hear the power of your faith.
I wonder could you ask our lord
I beseech you, little altar boy, to ask the Lord on my behalf.
Ask him, altar boy, to take my sins away
As I repent for my sins, ask the Lord to take them away from me, altar boy.
Lift up your voice and sing a prayer above
Raise your voice in prayer, little altar boy, and send it up to the heavens.
Help me rejoice and fill that prayer with love
Let your prayer fill me with joy and love, little altar boy.
Now I know my life has been all wrong
I now understand that my life has been misguided, little altar boy.
Lift up your voice and help a sinner be strong
Lift up your voice in prayer, little altar boy, and help give me the strength to overcome my sins.
Could you tell our lord, I'm gonna change my way today?
Please tell the Lord that I vow to change my ways starting today, little altar boy.
Little altar boy please let me hear you pray
Pray for me once more, little altar boy, so I can feel the power of your faith once more.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Howlett Smith
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.