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
Somebody's Been Lyin'
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somebody's been callin' me tellin' me he still loves me
But not the way I thought it would be
He's makin' fun of me and laughin' at my dreams
And I know that he keeps...
Sayin' not to worry
He's tellin' me to just hold on
But he's not here to learn on
It isn't easy letting go of what we had
And I guess I'm just scared
And I still believe him though
I'd be wiser to go on my own way
Somebody's been lyin'
And I know you're tellin' me only the things you want to
I guess I lie as much as you do
It seems so funny letting go of yesterday
Guess we're much too afraid and we're much too alone
Were we just too much in love
The Carpenters' Somebody's Been Lyin' is a poignant ballad that explores the difficult process of moving on from a relationship that has ended. Karen Carpenter's gentle voice conveys the mixed feelings of hurt, nostalgia, and confusion that arise when someone you once loved tells you they still care for you, but in a way that suggests they are only playing games or trying to manipulate you. The song expresses the singer's anger and frustration at being lied to, as well as her longing for the love and comfort that only the person who hurt her can provide.
The lyrics of the song tell a story of a woman who has received mixed signals from her former lover. He tells her not to worry and that he still loves her, but he also mocks her aspirations and dreams. The woman is torn between her desire to believe that he still cares for her and her recognition that he is not treating her with the respect and honesty she deserves. The chorus of the song repeats the words "Somebody's Been Lyin'" as if to suggest that both the singer and her ex-love are guilty of not being truthful with each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody's been lyin'
The singer has been deceived
Somebody's been callin' me tellin' me he still loves me
Someone has been dishonest by saying that they still love the singer
But not the way I thought it would be
The love is not as genuine or pure as the singer assumed
He's makin' fun of me and laughin' at my dreams
The deceiver is belittling the artist and their aspirations
And I know that he keeps...
The artist is aware that the deceiver has a hidden agenda
Sayin' not to worry
The deceiver is assuring the singer to not be anxious
He's tellin' me to just hold on
The deceiver is advising the singer to persevere through the situation
But he's not here to learn on
The deceiver is not a reliable source of support
And words won't warm my bed now he's gone
The artist is struggling without the deceiver's presence and words are not comforting
It isn't easy letting go of what we had
The artist finds it challenging to move past their intimate relationship
And I guess I'm just scared
The singer is apprehensive about going forward alone
And I still believe him though
The artist still trusts the deceiver's words despite feeling deceived
I'd be wiser to go on my own way
The singer realizes that it would be more prudent to move on independently
Somebody's been lyin'
The repeated line emphasizes that the singer has been lied to
And I know you're tellin' me only the things you want to
The singer is aware that the singer's romantic interest is not completely truthful
I guess I lie as much as you do
The artist admits to being dishonest to themselves and ignoring the truth
It seems so funny letting go of yesterday
The artist finds it ironic and humorous to move on from the past
Guess we're much too afraid and we're much too alone
Both parties are too scared and isolated to fully move on from the relationship
Were we just too much in love
The singer questions if their love was too much for them to let go of
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BURT BACHARACH, BURT F BACHARACH, CAROLE BAYER SAGER, BURT F. BACHARACH
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.