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
Those Good Old Dreams
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All alone I created fantasies
As I grew people called it self-deceiving
But my heart helped me hold the memories
As I walk through the world I find around me
Something new, yet familiar's in the air
I feel it ev'rywhere
On a Christmas night
I'm lookin' at you now
Finding answers to my prayers
It's a new day for those good old dreams
One by one it seems they're comin' true
Here's the morning that my heart had seen
Here's the morning that just had to come through
Same old stage but what a change of scene
No more dark horizons, only blue
It's a new day for those good old dreams
All my life I dreamed of lovin' you
You're a spark of a long forgotten fire
You're a touch of a slowly growing wind
You're a taste of the ever-changing seasons
Telling me there are some things that don't end
We have left all the darkness far behind us
All those hopes that we held along the way
Have made it to this day
Like an old love song
Gone for much too long
You hear it once again
And it carries you away
It's a new day for those good old dreams
One by one it seems they're comin' true
Here's the morning that my heart had seen
Here's the morning that just had to come through
Same old stage but what a change of scene
No more dark horizons, only blue
It's a new day for those good old dreams
All my life I dreamed of you (I dreamed about you)
It's a new day for those good old dreams
And it's all because of you
The song "Those Good Old Dreams" by Carpenters has the recurring theme of dreams and hope. In the first verse, the singer talks about how she was known for make-believing as a child and how her heart helped her hold onto those memories even as she grew older. This creates a sense of nostalgia and the longing for the good old days. Then, in the chorus, she talks about how those dreams are finally coming true, and it's all because of her true love, represented by the metaphorical "spark of a long forgotten fire, touch of a slowly growing wind, and taste of the ever-changing seasons." This love changes everything for her and brings her out of the darkness into a new day.
The second verse continues with the theme of leaving the darkness behind and moving towards a brighter future. The singer talks about how all the hopes that they had along the way had led them to this day. And, just like an old love song, her love carries her away into this new day. The song ends with the repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the hope and positivity that the new day brings.
Overall, "Those Good Old Dreams" is a song about hope, nostalgia, and the power of love to bring us out of the darkness into a new day. The use of metaphorical language and the repetition of the chorus help reinforce the message of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
As a child, I was known for make-believing
When I was young, I used to create fantasies and play make-believe.
All alone I created fantasies
I imagined stories and scenarios in my head, even without anyone else around for me to share them with.
As I grew people called it self-deceiving
As I got older, some people dismissed my imagination as unrealistic and a form of self-delusion.
But my heart helped me hold the memories
But I knew in my heart that these fantasies were important to me and I held onto them as precious memories.
As I walk through the world I find around me
As I journey through life and experience the world, I notice new things around me.
Something new, yet familiar's in the air
Even though these things are new to me, there is a sense of familiarity and comfort in them.
I feel it ev'rywhere
I perceive this feeling in everything around me.
Like a child's eyes
Similar to the wonder and innocence in a child's eyes.
On a Christmas night
At the special time of Christmas night, when dreams and hope abound.
I'm lookin' at you now
Right now, I am looking at you.
Finding answers to my prayers
I feel like my prayers are being answered in being able to experience this new sense of familiarity and wonder.
It's a new day for those good old dreams
This is a fresh start for the dreams I had when I was younger, but they are still as good and important as ever.
One by one it seems they're comin' true
One by one, these dreams are starting to come true.
Here's the morning that my heart had seen
This is the morning that I had always envisioned and hoped for, deep in my heart.
Here's the morning that just had to come through
This day was inevitable and had to happen, as it was always meant to be.
Same old stage but what a change of scene
Even though we are in the same place as before, everything around us has changed and looks different now.
No more dark horizons, only blue
We have left behind the difficulties and darkness of the past, and now only see brightness and hope for the future.
All my life I dreamed of lovin' you
All my life, I have dreamed of loving someone like you.
You're a spark of a long forgotten fire
You ignite a passion and energy that had been long forgotten and needs to be reignited.
You're a touch of a slowly growing wind
Your presence is like a gentle breeze that is steadily growing stronger over time.
You're a taste of the ever-changing seasons
You represent the flavors and experiences of every season, always changing and never staying the same.
Telling me there are some things that don't end
You remind me that there are some things in life that never truly come to an end.
We have left all the darkness far behind us
We have managed to overcome and leave behind all the negative and difficult parts of our past.
All those hopes that we held along the way
All the hopes and dreams we had while going through life's journey.
Have made it to this day
We have made it to this point in our lives because of those hopes and dreams.
Like an old love song
Just like a classic love song that we've known for years and still love to hear.
Gone for much too long
That had been absent and not heard for far too long.
You hear it once again
But now, we can hear it once again.
And it carries you away
It takes us on a journey of emotions and memories that are both beautiful and powerful.
And it's all because of you
All of these amazing things are happening because of you and your presence in my life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Unison Rights S.L., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN BETTIS, RICHARD CARPENTER
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.