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
They Long To Be Close To You
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time you are near?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
Why do stars fall down from the sky
Every time you walk by?
Just like me, they long to be
On the day that you were born the angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue
That is why all the girls in town
Follow you all around
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
On the day that you were born the angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue
That is why all the girls in town
Follow you all around
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
Wa, close to you
Wa, close to you
Ha, close to you
La, close to you
The lyrics to Carpenters’ song, “They Long To Be Close To You” speaks to the feelings of infatuation and admiration that we often have for people we are drawn to. The opening lines “Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near?” paint the picture of the singer being in awe of the person they are addressing. The use of nature as a metaphor is evident throughout the song, with references to stars falling from the sky and the angels sprinkling moon dust in their hair. The singer is captivated by their beauty and speaks of how everyone around them feels the same way - “that is why all the girls in town follow you all around.”
The chorus “Just like me, they long to be close to you” emphasizes the feeling of wanting to be near the subject of the song. It portrays the idea that not just the singer, but everyone around them, whether it’s the birds, the stars, or the girls in town, longs to be near them. The song seems to suggest that the person being addressed is almost ethereal in their beauty, and the singer is in awe of them. The use of repetition in the chorus “close to you” adds to the feeling of longing and desire for physical proximity to the subject.
Overall, the song speaks to the idea of longing and admiration for someone that we find captivating, drawing on elements of nature and magic to add to the dreamlike quality of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Why do birds suddenly appear
Why do birds always show up without explanation every time you come near?
Every time you are near?
Every time you approach or are in the vicinity?
Just like me, they long to be
Similar to myself, the birds also yearn to be close to you
Close to you
In close proximity to you
Why do stars fall down from the sky
Why do stars descend from the sky whenever you are passing by?
Every time you walk by?
Every time you walk past or move in close proximity?
On the day that you were born the angels got together
At your birth, celestial beings united in festivity
And decided to create a dream come true
Their goal was to birth a vision of perfection
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue
They enhanced your appearance with glittering elements of the cosmos
That is why all the girls in town follow you all around
The reason why females within our vicinity avidly pursue you
Just like me, they long to be
As for myself, I too aspire to be just as close to you
Wa, close to you Wa, close to you Ha, close to you La, close to you
Repetition of the phrase 'close to you' in various tones and forms, indicating relentless longing for proximity to the subject
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@airen999
Why do birds suddenly appear
Every time you are near?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
Why do stars fall down from the sky
Every time you walk by?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
On the day that you were born the angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold
And starlight in your eyes of blue
That is why all the girls in town
Follow you all around
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
On the day that you were born the angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold
And starlight in your eyes of blue
That is why all the girls in town
Follow you all around
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
Wa, close to you
Wa, close to you
Ha, close to you
La, close to you
@vita5686
Lyric
Why do birds suddenly appear
Every time you are near?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
Why do stars fall down from the sky
Every time you walk by?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
On the day that you were born the angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue
That is why all the girls in town
Follow you all around
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
On the day that you were born the angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue
That is why all the girls in town
Follow you all around
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
Wa, close to you
Wa, close to you
Ha, close to you
La, close to you
@newnanna
I send this song to my son every year on his birthday, he is 49 today
@joeboy7790
Beautiful. Hope he had a great day 😊
@lynnronan8274
I use to sing to my son when I rocked him to sleep as a baby.
@3A7A
How are you alive?
I think god is by your side all the time. 🙏🙏🙏
@angelomauricio8110
How cute 😍 :') I
@gjdj2550
why am i crying...ㅜㅜ
@gaillongnecker5465
I sang my son to sleep every night with this song. He is now 26. At Christmas, I will be singing my first grandson to sleep with it
@xoxotoast6995
Awwww
@JanathanTran
That's wonderful, Gail. I hope he loves it!
@hectorroman7087
Wow I thought I was only one....everytime this song comes up or I look for it....i think of my 1st born