Born in Pasadena, California, Carnes pursued a songwriting career from an early age. She was a member of the New Christy Minstrels from 1966 to 1970. Kenny Rogers was also a member, and during this time Carnes met and married Dave Ellingson, with whom she would write most of her songs. For a short while in the early 1970s, she and Ellingson formed the folk duo Kim and Dave. Their track "Nobody Knows"" features on the Vanishing Point soundtrack, alongside another Carnes-Ellison track, "Sing Out for Jesus", performed by Big Mama Thornton.
Carnes began releasing solo music in the early 1970s. Her self-titled album in 1975 contained her first hit, You're a Part of Me" – later re-recorded as a duet with Gene Cotton. Carnes recorded her third album, Sailin', with producer Jerry Wexler. One track, "Love Comes From Unexpected Places", won best song at the 1977 American Song Festival and gained some additional notice after it was recorded by Barbra Streisand on her 1977 album, Superman.
In 1980, Carnes and Ellingson were invited to write a concept album for Kenny Rogers. Gideon follows the story of a fictional cowboy, with each track focusing on a moment in his life. Rogers asked Carnes to record "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" as a duet, and it became a major hit on the country and pop charts. Her cover version of the Smokey Robinson & The Miracles song "More Love" became her first solo hit single in 1980 when it reached the U.S. Top 10.
In 1981 she recorded the Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss song "Bette Davis Eyes". As the first single released from the album Mistaken Identity, it spent 9 weeks at number one on the US singles charts and became a worldwide hit. The single went on to become the #1 bestseller for the year and won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. It is second only to Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" (released later in 1981 and late enough to be the number one single of 1982), which spent 10 weeks at number one, as the biggest hit of the entire decade of the 1980s. In 1986, she recorded "Room Enough For Two," theme to CBS sitcom "My Sister Sam" starring Pam Dawber and the late Rebecca Schaeffer.
It is ironic that Carnes' best known and most popular song "Bette Davis Eyes" written in 1974 was originally rejected by Carnes. It was only after a new instrumental arrangement was done by Bill Cuomo that Carnes agreed to record it and it became a huge hit. Bette Davis admitted to being a fan of the song and approached Carnes and the songwriters to thank them. Davis wrote to Carnes after the song was released and stated that she was very pleased with the song as it made her seem very up to date with her grandson. She had Carnes sing the song live for her at a tribute held just before her death.
Carnes continued to record and released several albums into the 1990s. These releases failed to reach the level of success of "Bette Davis Eyes", but by this time she was a highly respected songwriter, and collaborated with such artists as Barbra Streisand. Carnes has written three number one country songs: “The Heart Won’t Lie”, a hit duet for Reba McEntire and Vince Gill, “Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer”, a huge hit duet she performed with Kenny Rogers, and “Make No Mistake She’s Mine”, a duet performed by Kenny Rogers and Ronnie Milsap. The latter song was originally "Make No Mistake, He's Mine," a No. 51 Pop hit in 1984 for Carnes and Streisand featured on Streisand's album Emotion. Also in 1984, Carnes sang on the No. 1 Adult Contemporary hit "What About Me?" with Rogers and James Ingram.
Co-writing with others, Carnes has had songs covered by such country stars as Deana Carter, Kevin Sharp, Sawyer Brown, Suzy Bogguss, Pam Tillis and Tanya Tucker. She wrote "You Don't Love Me Anymore," a hit song on Tim McGraw's album A Place In The Sun.
In 2004, she re-appeared with a self-released album Chasin' Wild Trains.
In August 2005, her 1981 single “Draw Of The Cards” hit #1 on the internet radio request site FreezeFrameRadio.com.
She currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee.
Discography
* Rest on Me (1972)
* Kim Carnes (1975)
* Sailin' (1976)
* St Vincent's Court (1979)
* Romance Dance (1980) US #57
* Mistaken Identity (1981) US #1
* Voyeur (1982) US #49
* Cafe Racers (1983) US #97
* Barking at Airplanes (1985) US #48
* Light House (1986) US #116
* View from the House (1988)
* Checking Out The Ghosts (1991)
* Gypsy Honeymoon: Best of Kim Carnes (1993)
* Chasin' Wild Trains' (2004)
When I'm Away From You
Kim Carnes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My thoughts won't move from the way I feel
It happens time and time again
And the circle never ends
When I'm away from you it hurts to say
My sense is gone so far away
I'm up all through the night
When I'm away from you I see grey big clouds
In the fog and rain all the lonely crowds
It seems to be so blue
Every night I'm missing you
When I'm away from you the sun don't shine
The moon don't come the words don't rhyme
When I'm away from you I can't let go
And you know oh you know
It's all the things you do that make life worth while
Like the way you talk and the way you smile
It's all the things you do that keep me hangin' on
And you know oh you know
When I'm away from the wime won't flow
The tides don't turn and the wind don't blow
I'm up all through the night
And I can't tell wrong from right
When I'm away from you the sun don't shine
The moon don't come the words don't rhyme
When I'm away from you I can't let go
And you know oh you know
When I'm away from you it hurts to say
My sense is gone so far away
It happens time and time again
And the circle never ends
When I'm away from you my boy
When I'm away from you my little boy
The lyrics of Kim Carnes's song When I'm Away From You depict the agony of being apart from someone beloved. The singer of the song becomes restless and uneasy whenever they are separated from their loved one. They cannot focus on anything else as their thoughts are occupied by their intense emotions towards this person. The singer feels lost and bewildered, unable to navigate through life without this person's guidance. They describe their surroundings as dismal and melancholic, with grey clouds in the sky, lonely crowds, and the absence of the sun and moon. The singer is haunted by feelings of uncertainty and ambiguity, unable to distinguish right from wrong in their state of separation.
However, the lyrics also convey a deep devotion and adoration for the person they are missing. The singer recognizes that it's the little things that make life worthwhile, like the way their loved one speaks or smiles. The mere thought of this person keeps the singer's hope alive, and they cling to the memories of their time together. The singer yearns for the moment when they can be reunited with the person they love, and they cannot let go of the hope that sustains them.
In summary, the lyrics of When I'm Away From You are a poignant depiction of the agony of separation and the enduring power of love. The singer's emotions are intense and overwhelming, and they cannot imagine life without their loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
When I'm away from you I can't stay still
When I am not with you, I am restless and constantly moving.
My thoughts won't move from the way I feel
My feelings for you consume my thoughts, leaving me unable to focus on anything else.
It happens time and time again
This feeling of restlessness and longing for you is not new, it happens frequently.
And the circle never ends
This constant cycle of being away from you and feeling this way is never broken.
When I'm away from you it hurts to say
It causes me pain to admit that I am not with you.
My sense is gone so far away
Without you, I feel lost and directionless.
I'm up all through the night
My mind is too busy thinking about you to sleep.
And I can't tell wrong from right
My judgement is clouded by my longing for you, and I struggle to make rational decisions.
When I'm away from you I see grey big clouds
Without you, the world seems bleak and cloudy.
In the fog and rain all the lonely crowds
The rain and fog only serve to amplify the loneliness I feel without you.
It seems to be so blue
Everything around me feels cold and colorless without you.
Every night I'm missing you
Nighttime only reminds me of how much I long to be with you.
When I'm away from you the sun don't shine
Without you, the world feels dark and gloomy.
The moon don't come the words don't rhyme
Even the beauty of the moon and poetry seem dull without you.
When I'm away from you I can't let go
I am unable to let go of my feelings for you, even when we are apart.
And you know oh you know
You understand how deeply I feel for you.
It's all the things you do that make life worth while
Your presence and actions bring joy and meaning to my life.
Like the way you talk and the way you smile
Your words and smile have a powerful impact on me and are among the reasons I love being with you.
It's all the things you do that keep me hangin' on
The things you do are what make me want to continue being with you.
When I'm away from the wind won't flow
The world around me feels stagnant and unchanging without you.
The tides don't turn and the wind don't blow
The natural rhythms of the world feel off-balance when you are not with me.
When I'm away from you my boy
Even when I am away from my child, I feel this same longing and restlessness to be with them.
When I'm away from you my little boy
The feeling of restlessness and longing for my child is especially strong when we are not together.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Francis Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Liam Brigg
Love this song so much!!!!!!
Beth Busby
So much meaning!! Thank you K. C.
Unofficial Kim Carnes Fan Club
"Mistaken Identity" album will be reissued on CD on next Oct. 30th. It will be avalaible on Amazon. The label is Culture Factory USA Inc. They will reissue "Voyeur" (1982) and "Café Racers" (1983).
Marcelo Bastos
Letra linda! Adoro!
oswaldo64
little to say...it feels so good to listen to ya Kim after almost 30 years... Oh God crazycalico you made me feel so fine tonight... thanks a lot kid from Lima Perú
Steven Davis
thanks for posting this. one of her best recordings.
probably my favorite.
thanks again
Debra Benard
I love this song so many memories
Carlos Schiffini
Kim carnes a maior Estrela da musica Internacional
Jassmine James
My son had just moved out and I needed to hear this
Jo Lukinchuk
I can relate to when my daughter moved out 4 years ago! Hugs!