The Carpenters were a vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of siblings Ka… Read Full Bio ↴The Carpenters were a vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and press materials is simply Carpenters without the definite article. During a period in the 1970s when louder and wilder rock was in great demand, Richard and Karen produced a distinctively soft musical style that made them one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

The Carpenters' melodic pop charted a record-breaking score of hit recordings on the American Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts, becoming leading sellers in the soft rock, easy listening and adult contemporary genres. The Carpenters had three #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and fifteen #1 hits on the Adult Contemporary Chart (see The Carpenters discography). In addition, they had twelve top 10 singles (including their #1 hits). To date, The Carpenters' album and single sales total more than 100 million units.

During their fourteen-year career, The Carpenters recorded eleven albums, five of which contained top 10 singles (Close to You, Carpenters, A Song for You, Now & Then and Horizon), thirty-one singles, five television specials, and one short-lived television series. They toured in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands and Belgium. Their recording career ended with Karen's death on February 4, 1983. Karen passed away after cardiac arrest due to complications of anorexia nervosa. Extensive news coverage of the circumstances surrounding her death increased public awareness of the consequences of eating disorders.

Their first recordings were not successful, and the recording studio that was recording them, dropped them. That's when their 'savior' came in. Herb Alpert of A&M records heard a couple of their songs and said that he felt that they had good potential. Thanks to him, and his ability to see/hear quality when it appears, we had the GREAT performers of The Carpenters.

Do You Hear What I Hear?
The Carpenters Lyrics

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Said the night wind to the little lamb
"Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite"
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy

"Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea"
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
"Do you hear what I hear?
In your palace warm, mighty king
Do you hear what I hear?
A child, a child shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold"
Said the king to the people everywhere
"Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people, everywhere
Listen to what I say!
The child, the child sleeping in the night

He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light"

Overall Meaning

The Carpenters’ song “Do You Hear What I Hear?” is a classic Christmas carol released in 1978. The song is a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas, as it narrates the journey of a message of hope and peace that was spread from the night wind to a little lamb, to the shepherd boy, to the mighty king, and eventually to the people everywhere. The lyrics have a strong religious undertone, as they reference the birth of Jesus Christ and allude to the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament.

The song begins with the night wind asking the little lamb if it sees what it sees - a star with a tail as big as a kite, dancing in the sky. The lamb then asks the shepherd boy if he hears what it hears - a song in the sky with a voice as big as the sea. The shepherd boy, in turn, asks the mighty king if he hears what he hears - a child shivering in the cold, whom they should bring silver and gold. The king then appeals to the people everywhere to listen to his call for peace and to acknowledge the child in the night, who will bring them goodness and light.

“Do You Hear What I Hear?” is a poetic and powerful reminder of the universal message of hope and peace that transcends religion and borders, and inspires people to spread love and kindness to one another, especially during the holiday season.

Line by Line Meaning

Said the night wind to the little lamb
The wind whispered to the young lamb in the nighttime

"Do you see what I see?"
"Do you observe what I observe?"

Way up in the sky, little lamb
High above in the sky, little lamb

"Do you see what I see?"
"Do you observe what I observe?"

A star, a star, dancing in the night
A star, a star, gently moving across the night sky

With a tail as big as a kite
With a long tail flowing behind it

"Do you hear what I hear?"
"Do you listen to what I listen to?"

Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy
Resounding through the air, young shepherd

"Do you hear what I hear?"
"Do you listen to what I listen to?"

A song, a song high above the trees
A melody, a melody above the treetops

With a voice as big as the sea
With a majestic voice like the vast ocean