One of her most widely known singles is "Passionate Kisses" (written by fellow singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams), a song with a rock flavor musically and lyrics listing simple desires such as "a comfortable bed", "food to fill me up", and "time to think". Another big hit was "Down at the Twist and Shout", which she performed in January 1997 at Super Bowl XXXI in New Orleans.
A number of Mary Chapin Carpenter's songs speak to women, urging them on through hard times or troubled relationships. In "He Thinks He'll Keep Her", co-composed by Carpenter and Don Schlitz, the singer makes the case for strength and self-respect. Another common theme in her music is that of taking life at your own pace, rather than rampant goal-driven materialism, such as "The Long Way Home" from her 2001 album Time*Sex*Love, which pokes fun at a man who "retire(s) at thirty to his big-ass house next to the putting green." The album has a relatively different feel musically, incorporating elaborate orchestra melodies, but with her characteristic lyrical depth.
Her album Between Here and Gone, was released in 2004.
Carpenter's 2007 album, The Calling, on Rounder Records' rock/pop imprint Zoë, features commentary about contemporary politics, a reaction to the impact of Hurricane Katrina on a track entitled "Houston," and an incendiary track entitled "On with the Song", dedicated to the Dixie Chicks, and addressing the visceral reaction to the trio. In less than three months after its release, The Calling sold more than 100,000 copies in the US.
Carpenter has won five Grammy Awards and is the only artist to have won four consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, which she received from 1992 to 1995. On October 7, 2012, Carpenter was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Carpenter is a fifth cousin of the late singer and humanitarian Harry Chapin, along with his brothers Tom Chapin and Steve Chapin.
Outside Looking In
Mary Chapin Carpenter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No more twists or crooked turns leaving room for doubt
Where I used to take the time for quiet and reflection
Now I only hear the noise of what I am without
I see them walking hand in hand and my eyes just want to linger
On those golden wedding bands wrapped around their fingers
By the time I turn away I feel it once again
Baby, all the tears between us couldn't fill the spaces
And all the words we grasped at they just fell away
I kept waiting on forgiveness to fix the broken places
But nothing even like it ever came my way
And tonight I drove around and the street came up before me
I took a turn and then I found this old house coming toward me
I heard the sound a heart must make when a memory's caving in
Oh, baby, what a hungry place, outside looking in
It's the hardest kind of need that never knows a reason
Are we such a lonely breed or just born in a lonely season?
Baby, it's all in the eyes; it's where the reckoning begins
It's where we linger like a sigh; it's where we long to be pulled in
It's where we learn to say goodbye without saying anything
Just standing on the borderlines, outside looking in
In Mary Chapin Carpenter's song, "Outside Looking In," the singer reflects on feeling disconnected from the world around her. She sees signs pointing her in one direction, with little room for interpretation or exploration. The singer used to take time for quiet reflection, but now she can only hear what she is missing. She sees happy couples with their wedding bands and feels a sense of longing, like she is on the outside looking in.
The singer is honest about the difficulties in her own life, as well. She recognizes that tears and words could not bridge the divide between her and someone else. She had hoped for forgiveness but found that it never came. As she drives around, she sees an old house and feels a memory "caving in." She is in a "hungry place," eager to be part of something she feels disconnected from.
The song grapples with feelings of loneliness and isolation, even in a world where everyone seems to be connected to someone or something. The singer recognizes that these feelings might be irrational, but they are still real. She yearns to be part of a world that she can see but can't touch, hoping to be pulled in and find her place. The song's bittersweet lyrics capture the complexities of human emotions and the ways in which we seek connection and belonging.
Line by Line Meaning
Everywhere I see the signs pointing one direction
I see the world as a place with clear and obvious paths, without any ambiguity or room for hesitation.
No more twists or crooked turns leaving room for doubt
Gone are the days when the journey of life was unpredictable and complicated. Now, I long for a time when there was room for interpretation and contemplation.
Where I used to take the time for quiet and reflection
I reminisce on a time when I used to make time to be alone and meditate on my thoughts.
Now I only hear the noise of what I am without
Instead of finding peace in solitude, I am now consumed by the emptiness I feel from lacking something or someone.
I see them walking hand in hand and my eyes just want to linger
When I see other couples who are happy and in love, my gaze becomes fixated on them.
On those golden wedding bands wrapped around their fingers
I am particularly drawn to the wedding rings as symbols of the commitment and contentment I crave.
By the time I turn away I feel it once again
As soon as I remove my gaze, I am consumed by an overwhelming feeling of loneliness and longing.
I'm back in this familiar place, outside looking in
I am constantly reminded of my outsider status - a place outside the happiness and emotional satisfaction of coupledom.
Baby, all the tears between us couldn't fill the spaces
Despite sharing tears and trying to repair what is broken, there is still a great distance between us.
And all the words we grasped at they just fell away
Our words of reassurance and promises have proven inadequate to repair our fractured relationship.
I kept waiting on forgiveness to fix the broken places
I placed hope in forgiving someone to make up for the pain they caused, but it did not make things better.
But nothing even like it ever came my way
My hopes have been consistently unfulfilled.
And tonight I drove around and the street came up before me
I was driving and stumbled across a road that I recognized from my past.
I took a turn and then I found this old house coming toward me
I made a turn and then saw an old house approaching.
I heard the sound a heart must make when a memory's caving in
As I approached the old house, I heard a sound that resembled the noise a heart makes when being crushed by memories.
Oh, baby, what a hungry place, outside looking in
This situation is one where I long for something that seems just out of reach.
It's the hardest kind of need that never knows a reason
I am struggling with wanting something badly even though there is no apparent reason to have such a desire.
Are we such a lonely breed or just born in a lonely season?
Is this a trait that is innate to us or is it just an external circumstance that currently characterizes our lives?
Baby, it's all in the eyes; it's where the reckoning begins
The eyes are where we can see the truth, and that is where we must start facing the facts.
It's where we linger like a sigh; it's where we long to be pulled in
The eyes are where we may look longingly and try to find a place for ourselves, where we feel included and wanted.
It's where we learn to say goodbye without saying anything
Through someone’s gaze, we might learn that they are going to leave even if they say nothing at all.
Just standing on the borderlines, outside looking in
I remain on the fringes, watching from a distance and still longing for inclusion.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music
Written by: MARY CARPENTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind