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.
One More Time
The Carpenters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I'll just close my eyes
And everything's alright
And though I'm really far away
And no one need really
Know that I've been gone
One more time for the good times
That far out weigh the bad
One more time for the good times
When love was all we had
I'm going way down south to Baton Rouge
Well, I'll just close the door
And turn out all the lights
And all the images dance by
Of folks and friends who lie
Back home where things are slow
And easy going
One more time for the good times
That far out weigh the bad
One more time for the good times
When love was all
When love was all
When love was all we had
One more time
The Carpenters' song One More Time is a ballad about nostalgia and longing for the good old days. The lyrics "I'm going way down south to Louisiana / Well, I'll just close my eyes / And everything's alright" suggest that the singer wants to escape from their current life, with its troubles and worries, and go back to a simpler time. Louisiana is used as a symbol for this simpler time, perhaps because of its reputation as a place of leisure and music.
The lyrics also paint a picture of the singer shutting themselves off from the world, closing the door and turning out the lights. It's as if they want to be alone with their memories and thoughts, and to immerse themselves completely in the past. The lines "And all the images dance by / Of folks and friends who lie / Back home where things are slow / And easy going" evoke a sense of warmth and familiarity, and suggest that the singer is looking for comfort and solace in their memories of home.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "One more time for the good times", emphasizing the importance of these happy memories to the singer. They want to relive the moments when "love was all we had", and to hold on to the feeling of happiness that those memories bring. Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the nature of memory and the power of nostalgia to transport us to a different time and place.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm going way down south to Louisiana, tonight
I am escaping my current reality by physically leaving to Louisiana.
Well, I'll just close my eyes
I will use my imagination to transport myself to another place and time.
And everything's alright
In my mind's eye, everything is perfect and worry-free.
And though I'm really far away
Even though I am not physically present in Louisiana, my mind believes I am.
I'll make my get away
By escaping through my imagination, I am able to temporarily leave my current reality behind.
And no one need really
No one needs to know that I am not physically present in Louisiana.
Know that I've been gone
Because I have not physically left, no one will know that I am gone in my mind.
One more time for the good times
I want to relive happy memories from the past.
That far out weigh the bad
The good memories outweigh the bad memories.
When love was all we had
In the past, love was the most important thing in our lives.
I'm going way down south to Baton Rouge
My imagination has now taken me to a specific place in Louisiana - Baton Rouge.
Well, I'll just close the door
By closing the door, I can create a private space for me to escape into my imagination.
And turn out all the lights
By removing outside distractions, I can focus on my imagination without any interruptions.
And all the images dance by
All of my happy memories are coming to life in my imagination - almost like a dance.
Of folks and friends who lie
In my mind's eye, I see all the people who were important to me in the past.
Back home where things are slow
The happy memories take me back to a place where life was simple and easy-going.
And easy going
Life was carefree and enjoyable during this time.
Lyrics © Royalty Network Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: LEWIS ANDERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Evelyn6825
I'm going way down south to Louisiana, tonight
Well, I'll just close my eyes
And everything's alright
And though I'm really far away
I'll make my get away
And no one need really
Know that I've been gone
One more time for the good times
That far out weigh the bad
One more time for the good times
When love was all we had
I'm going way down south to Baton Rouge
Well, I'll just close the door
And turn out all the lights
And all the images dance by
Of folks and friends who lie
Back home where things are slow
And easy going
One more time for the good times
That far out weigh the bad
One more time for the good times
When love was all
When love was all
When love was all we had
One more time
maleficentdiva
No singer nowadays compares to Karen, and probably nobody ever will, she was so special and rare! :) Her music is so well crafted and is so timeless which is the sign of a great singer. No matter how old somebody is or what time period it is, people can ALWAYS relate to Karen Carpenter, she has that magic that people will always love. :) She will always be my favorite singer.
Richard EA
AMEN 💙
paula fachal
Yes of course is my favourite singer female i love voice of the heart your songs emocional 🙂
Mark Jolley
Why why why this was not released as a single!! Pure class!! Just listening gives me goosebumps!!
BWV199
I really really agree with you.
Rita6868 Sora
Me Too!
Greg McKinney
I've been listening to this undiscovered gem since its release date on the album. I've never heard anything else quite like it. Richard's piano, the orchestration and of course Karen's vocal are timeless, pristine and so damned heartfelt. If only I could hear her one more time.
Clouded Thoughts
@Greg McKinney. Right on. I just discovered this Masterpiece!! I LOVE THIS SONG💞
Charles T Dennis
I know exactly how you feel. It almost brings tears to my eyes.
Rat Ghost
It's not just the absolute perfection in the way she voices and phrases her verses, but the tonal quality and the unique vocal nuances that give Karen's voice the kind of originality that will never be duplicated. She left us way too soon.