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
Saturday
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Began much the same as other days,
But ended up different in may ways,
Love is my world since Saturday.
Mornin' came,
But somehow it didn't seem the same.
The sadness of Friday had somehow changed
Saturday, ever lovin' Saturday.
I whistle to blue birds,
I try to tell them how you brought me sunshine.
My head's full of new words,
That sing to the sounds of the day after Friday.
Come and see
The flowers of love she gave to me;
The touches of laughter and harmony
To the happy sounds of Saturday,
Saturday, ever lovin' Saturday.
I whistle to blue birds,
I try to tell them how you brought me sunshine.
My head's full of new words,
That sing to the sounds of the day after Friday.
Day after Friday.
Come and see
The flowers of love she gave to me;
The touches of laughter and harmony
To the happy sounds of Saturday,
Saturday, ever lovin' Saturday.
The Carpenters' song, "Saturday," is a tribute to the day of the week, which represents a new beginning and a fresh start in the singer's life. The lyrics depict how starting the day with a positive outlook can lead to love, joy, and happiness. The song begins by suggesting that Saturday began like any other day, but something shifted, and everything turned out differently. The singer had a newfound appreciation for life, and love has taken over their world since that day.
Through the lyrics, it's apparent that the singer had gone through some difficulties and sadness, which is symbolized by Friday, but that all changed on Saturday. The day didn't seem the same, and the sadness was replaced by happiness, and love became the center of their world. The singer sings about how they whistle to bluebirds, telling them about how Saturday brought sunshine into their life. They are full of new words that sing to the sounds of a day after Friday.
The lyrics are poetic and full of imagery, describing how the flowers of love were given to the singer, and how the touches of laughter and harmony came with the happy sounds of the day. Overall, "Saturday" is a song about finding hope and new beginnings after going through tough times.
Line by Line Meaning
Saturday,
Today is Saturday,
Began much the same as other days,
The start of Saturday was just like the beginning of any other day.
But ended up different in may ways,
However, it turned out to be different and special in many ways.
Love is my world since Saturday.
Since Saturday, my world revolves around love.
Mornin' came,
The morning arrived,
But somehow it didn't seem the same.
But it felt different than usual.
The sadness of Friday had somehow changed
The sadness that I felt on Friday had transformed into something else.
To the happy sounds of Saturday,
To the cheerful and joyful sounds of Saturday.
Saturday, ever lovin' Saturday.
Saturday, my beloved day of the week.
I whistle to blue birds,
I whistle to the blue birds,
I try to tell them how you brought me sunshine.
I attempt to express how much joy and happiness you've brought me.
My head's full of new words,
My mind is full of new, positive thoughts.
That sing to the sounds of the day after Friday.
That match the sounds of this wonderful day that follows such a sorrowful one.
Come and see
Come and witness
The flowers of love she gave to me;
The acts of love and kindness she has done for me;
The touches of laughter and harmony
The moments of joy and peace that we share.
To the happy sounds of Saturday,
To the blissful and delightful sounds of Saturday.
Saturday, ever lovin' Saturday.
Saturday, my amazing and cherished day of the week.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL JON CARPENTER, NGAI MCGEE
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.