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
Solitaire
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who lost his love through his indifference
A heart that cared, that went unchecked
Until it died in his silence
And solitaire's the only game in town
And every road that takes him, takes him down
And by himself, it's easy to pretend
And keeping to himself he plays the game
Without her love it always ends the same
While life goes on around him everywhere
He's playing solitaire
A little hope, goes up in smoke
Just how it goes, goes without saying
There was a man, a lonely man
Who would command the hand he's playing
And solitare's the only game in town
And every road that takes him, takes him down
And by himself it's easy to pretend
He'll never love again
And keeping to himself he plays the game
Without her love it always ends the same
While life goes on around him everywhere
He's playing solitaire
And solitare's the only game in town
And every road that takes him, takes him down
While life goes on around him everywhere
He's playing solitaire
The lyrics of "Solitaire" tell the story of a man who has lost the love of his life because he was indifferent to her. He realizes too late that he had a heart that cared, but he never expressed it, and now it's too late. The man is now lonely, and the only game he plays is solitaire. He pretends that he will never love again, and he keeps to himself, playing the game, while life goes on around him.
The heartbreak and isolation of this man are conveyed through the use of the card game, solitaire. It's a game that one plays alone, just like how the man is alone. He has lost everything, and the only game he has left is solitaire. The lyricist uses this game as a metaphor for the man's life, highlighting his loneliness and emptiness. The phrase, "every road that takes him, takes him down" emphasizes the fact that the man is going through a lot of difficult emotions, and he feels like he's going down a dark path.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a man, a lonely man
This man was isolated and without companionship
Who lost his love through his indifference
He neglected his love and lost it as a result
A heart that cared, that went unchecked
This man's heart was full of love, but he didn't act on it
Until it died in his silence
As a result of his inaction, his love died out
And solitaire's the only game in town
This man resorts to playing solitaire, as he has no one else to play with
And every road that takes him, takes him down
Life is not going well for him, and every path he takes leads him to a disappointing outcome
And by himself, it's easy to pretend
Without anyone to challenge him, he can pretend that he's okay
He'll never love again
He's given up on love, and doesn't believe he'll ever feel it again
And keeping to himself he plays the game
He plays solitaire alone, without any other company
Without her love it always ends the same
His games always end the same because he's missing the love he used to have
While life goes on around him everywhere
The world outside of him continues to move forward
He's playing solitaire
He's still playing solitaire, despite everything going on around him
A little hope, goes up in smoke
Any hope he has quickly disappears
Just how it goes, goes without saying
This cycle of hope and disappointment is all too familiar to him
Who would command the hand he's playing
He determines his own fate by the moves he makes in his game
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Neil Sedaka, Phil Cody
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.