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
You're Enough
Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I never had another
Never hold another lover
Baby, you're enough
All the rest are second best
Compared to you
You're enough
After what we've known together
Baby, you're enough
I've already had my sweetest dreams come true
Can't you see
In these eyes that adore you
I've been waiting here for you
Baby, can't you see
Look at me
See love's greatest non-believer
Believing that she might be seeing love
In your eyes
Stars above
Made for wishin', made for dreamers
Won't you listen to this heart
And what it's dreamin' of
If they'll only shine their lucky starlight down on me
Make it bright enough for only you to see
That, baby, you're enough for me
The lyrics to Carpenters' song "You're Enough" express a deep sense of contentment in the love that the singer has found. The lyrics suggest that the singer doesn't need anyone else because the love they have is enough. The first verse makes it clear that the singer never needs to have another lover because the one they have is enough. The second verse expresses the same sentiment, but with the added element of having already experienced the sweetest dreams come true with the current partner.
The bridge of the song speaks directly to the partner, asking them to see the love in the singer's eyes and to understand that they have been waited for. The lyrics suggest that the singer is a non-believer in love, but that they have found something special with this partner. The final verse brings in imagery of stars and the idea of the singer's heart dreaming to be with this partner. The lyrics make a plea to the stars to shine their light on the singer and show the partner that they are enough.
Overall, the lyrics to "You're Enough" express a deep sense of love and contentment. The song suggests that the singer has found their perfect match and that they don't need anyone else in their life. The lyrics also convey a sense of vulnerability and the idea that the singer has been waiting a long time for this love to come into their life.
Line by Line Meaning
You're enough
You are everything I need and want.
If I never had another
If I never experience anything else.
Never hold another lover
Cannot love anyone else.
Baby, you're enough
You fulfill all my desires and I am content.
All the rest are second best
No one compares to you in my eyes.
Compared to you
You are the best and no one can match up.
If I never know another
If I never meet another person.
After what we've known together
After everything we have shared.
I've already had my sweetest dreams come true
Being with you has exceeded all my expectations.
Can't you see
Please realize that.
In these eyes that adore you
You mean everything to me.
I've been waiting here for you
I have been eagerly waiting to be with you.
Baby, can't you see
My love for you is pure and genuine.
Look at me
Please pay attention to me.
See love's greatest non-believer
Someone who previously did not believe in love.
Believing that she might be seeing love
I now believe that I have found true love.
In your eyes
I see love radiating from you.
Stars above
The universe.
Made for wishin', made for dreamers
Designed to inspire hope and aspirations.
Won't you listen to this heart
Please pay attention to how I feel.
And what it's dreamin' of
What my heart desires.
If they'll only shine their lucky starlight down on me
If fate is in my favor.
Make it bright enough for only you to see
I want you to notice how much you mean to me.
That, baby, you're enough for me
You are everything I could ask for and more.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., 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.