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
Mr. Guder
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say! Mr. Guder
May I have a moment with you
Because there is something I've got to say
And please don't let it scare you away
Mr. Guder
Say! Mr. Guder
You're everything a robot lives for
Walk in at nine and roll out the door at five
You reflect the company image
You maintain their rules to live by
Shine your shoes let's keep a neat haircut
Now that you're wearing a coat and tie
Mr. Guder
Say! Mr. Guder
Some day soon may realize
You spend your life just playing a game
Where no ones wins but everyone stays the same
You reflect the company image
You maintain their rules to live by
Shine your shoes let's keep a neat haircut
Now that you're wearing a coat and tie
Mr. Guder
Say! Mr. Guder
Some day soon may realize
You spend your life just playing a game
Where no ones wins but everyone stays the same
The sa-a-a-me
Please!
Play your game!
Stay the same!
The song Mr. Guder by the Carpenters is not only musically delightful, but also has an insightful message that is relevant even today. Mr. Guder is someone who is caught up in the game of life - a game that is more like a rat race than an actual game. The song is addressed to Mr. Guder, who is portrayed as a robot who lives a life that is dictated by the company's image and its rules. He follows the same routine day in and day out, coming to work at 9 am and leaving at 5 pm. He is immaculately dressed, with a neat and tidy haircut and polished shoes, the very embodiment of a corporate worker.
But the song's narrator has a message for Mr. Guder - that he is spending his life playing a game where nobody wins, but everyone remains the same. It is a critical message to anyone who is caught up in the rat race, doing one thing after another, without any real sense of purpose or meaning. The song encourages Mr. Guder to play his game, to stay the same, but also to realize that there is more to life than just following the rules and being the perfect corporate image.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the emptiness of corporate life and the dangers of living in a world that is driven solely by materialistic pursuits. It is a song that provides a glimmer of hope to those who are lost or struggling to find meaning in their lives, reminding them that there is more to life than just playing the game.
Line by Line Meaning
Mr. Guder
Addressing Mr. Guder
Say! Mr. Guder
Asking Mr. Guder to listen
May I have a moment with you
Requesting for a brief conversation
Because there is something I've got to say
Explaining the reason for the conversation
And please don't let it scare you away
Asking Mr. Guder not to be frightened
I have seen you go through a day
Observing his daily routine
You're everything a robot lives for
Suggesting his life has become mechanical
Walk in at nine and roll out the door at five
Emphasizing the monotony of his job
You reflect the company image
Implying his life is controlled by his employer
You maintain their rules to live by
Suggesting his life is governed by their regulations
Shine your shoes let's keep a neat haircut
Elaborating how his employer controls his physical appearance
Now that you're wearing a coat and tie
Highlighting how his employer has transformed him into their image
Some day soon may realize
Intimating how one day he might understand
You spend your life just playing a game
Implying his life lacks purpose
Where no ones wins but everyone stays the same
Suggesting how no one moves forward in this game
Please!
An appeal to his senses
Play your game!
Encouraging Mr. Guder to keep playing his game
Stay the same!
Encouraging Mr. Guder to maintain status quo
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.