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
Superstar
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I fell in love with you before the second show
Your guitar, it sounds so sweet and clear
But you're not really here, it's just the radio
Don't you remember, you told me you loved me, baby?
You said you'd be coming back this way again, baby
Baby, baby, baby, baby, oh baby
Loneliness is such a sad affair
And I can hardly wait to be with you again
What to say to make you come again? (Baby)
Come back to me again (baby)
And play your sad guitar
Don't you remember, you told me you loved me, baby?
You said you'd be coming back this way again, baby
Baby, baby, baby, baby, oh baby
I love you, I really do
Don't you remember, you told me you loved me, baby?
You said you'd be coming back this way again, baby
Baby, baby, baby, baby, oh baby
I love you, I really do
The song "Superstar" by Carpenters tells the story of unrequited love for a musician, who is not physically present but only heard through the radio. The singer fell in love with this guitarist before even seeing the second show, showing the infatuation from the very start. The sound of their guitar is described as sweet and clear, indicating the admiration for their musical talent.
However, the musician is not truly there, and the singer is left alone with the radio, yearning for their presence. The repetition of "baby" emphasizes this longing for their love and attention. Loneliness is described as a "sad affair," creating a melancholic tone to the song. The singer desperately wants the musician to come back to them and play their "sad guitar," indicating a willingness to share in their emotions.
The song is ultimately about the pain of a love that cannot be fulfilled and the loneliness that accompanies it. The lyrics are simple, yet poignant, and Karen Carpenter's emotive voice highlights the depth of feeling within the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Long ago, and, oh, so far away
It has been a significant amount of time since the singer has seen the person they are addressing, and they are expressing the distance that now exists between them.
I fell in love with you before the second show
The singer is reminiscing about how they fell in love with the person they are addressing early in their relationship, before they really got to know each other.
Your guitar, it sounds so sweet and clear
The singer is complimenting the person they are addressing on their musical abilities.
But you're not really here, it's just the radio
The artist is acknowledging that they cannot actually be with the person they are addressing right now, and that they are only listening to their music through a recording on the radio.
Don't you remember, you told me you loved me, baby?
The artist is reminding the person they are addressing of a past conversation they had where the other person expressed their love for the artist.
You said you'd be coming back this way again, baby
The person being addressed promised to return to the singer's life at some point in the future.
Baby, baby, baby, baby, oh baby
The repetition of the word 'baby' emphasizes the singer's longing for the person they are addressing.
I love you, I really do
The artist is expressing their true feelings of love for the person they are addressing.
Loneliness is such a sad affair
The artist is acknowledging the sadness they feel due to being separated from the person they are addressing.
And I can hardly wait to be with you again
The artist is expressing their eagerness to be reunited with the person they are addressing.
What to say to make you come again? (Baby)
The singer is expressing their desire to say something that would persuade the person they are addressing to return to their life.
Come back to me again (baby)
The artist is pleading with the person they are addressing to come back into their life.
And play your sad guitar
The singer is referencing the person they are addressing's musical talent and expressing their desire to hear them play again.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Royalty Network, ONErpm, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Bonnie Lynn Bramlett, Delaney Bramlett, Leon Russell
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.