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
Maybe It's You
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe it's me
Maybe it's just the constant rhythm of the sea
Maybe it's just that I've never been
The kind who can pass a lucky penny by
Maybe it's wise
Maybe it's not
Isn't it nice to talk about the special way
That you smile whenever I'm around
Rising on the shore
The ocean came
Walks along the waves of velveteen
His only thought
Was love for me
Couldn't we stay?
Or must we go
Couldn't we stay?
And watch the splashing rock we throw
Only a fool would want to leave this paradise
That I find whenever you're around
Only a fool
Isn't it nice to talk about the special way
That you smile whenever I'm around
Rising on the shore
The ocean's King
Walks along the waves of velveteen
His only thought
Was love for me
Couldn't we stay?
Or must you go
Couldn't we stay?
And watch the splashing rocks we throw
Only a fool would want to leave the paradise
That I find whenever you're around
Only a fool
Only a fool
The lyrics of "Maybe It's You" by Carpenters talks about the uncertain nature of love and human relationships. The opening lines "Maybe it's you, maybe it's me, maybe it's just the constant rhythm of the sea" suggest that the reason for the connection could be anything, and that the truth in the relationship lies in the unknown. The singer then wonders if it's just her who can't let go of a lucky penny if she finds one, highlighting her inability to let go of things.
The lines "Maybe it's wise, maybe it's not, maybe it's you who brought the caring I'd forgot" in the second stanza suggests that the relationship has brought back the love and care that the singer had forgotten. The singer then talks about the special way in which the other person smiles when they're around and how it's nice to talk about that feeling.
The final stanza brings a sense of longing to the song, where the singer asks the other person if they could stay and watch the splashing rocks with her. She feels that only a fool would want to leave the paradise of the other person's presence. The song ends with the line "Only a fool," suggesting that the singer acknowledges that their relationship may not be perfect, but their love is worth holding onto.
Overall, "Maybe It's You" is a beautiful rendition of the complex emotions of love, relationships, and the uncertain nature of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe it's you
I'm not sure what's causing these feelings, it could be you
Maybe it's me
It could be that I'm the one causing these feelings
Maybe it's just the constant rhythm of the sea
It's possible that the ocean's soothing sound is affecting my emotions
Maybe it's just that I've never been/The kind who can pass a lucky penny by
It's possible that I'm superstitious or believe in luck, and that's why I'm feeling this way
Maybe it's wise/Maybe it's not
I'm unsure if it's wise to pursue these feelings
Maybe it's you who brought the caring I'd forgot
It's possible that you are the one who made me remember how to care
Isn't it nice to talk about the special way/That you smile whenever I'm around
I really enjoy talking about how your smile makes me feel special
Rising on the shore/The ocean came/Walks along the waves of velveteen/His only thought/Was love for me
I saw the ocean and all I could think about was how much I love you
Couldn't we stay?/Or must we go/Couldn't we stay?/And watch the splashing rock we throw/Only a fool would want to leave this paradise/That I find whenever you're around
Can't we just stay here and enjoy each other's company? It would be foolish to leave this beautiful place where we feel so happy
Only a fool
Anyone who would want to leave this place and this feeling would be a fool
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN BETTIS, RICHARD LYNN CARPENTER
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.