Songs, art, poems - Tributes to Carpenters

Another Son

Well-Known Member
We’ve seen some great art produced by fans of The Carpenters over the years. The time and care that the artists put in to their creations is the highest tribute to Karen and Richard. Recently, design has been supported by the latest technologies, and we’ve seen some great stuff. We’ve heard tribute vocalists and unique interpretations of Carpenters songs. Really, anything related could be posted here, including poems, artistic musings, scribblings, etc.

I thought I might start with a song that I wrote and recorded, (on my little portable 4-track), way back.
 
Maybe this will become my 50th Anniversary tribute.... I wrote and recorded this song on my little multi-track recorder about thirty years ago. In recent years, I've thought of putting the recording on Youtube, but I'm probably never going to get around to doing that, so I decided to just share the lyrics with other fans. Just as long as nobody else claims them as their own .... :)

"Voice of Gold".

When I'm down,
And I'm feeling lost and lonely,
Just talking to myself and feeling old -
When I'm playing solitaire,
And there's no-one there to care,
Things turn out wrong,
So I sing the old songs.

Voice of gold -
It's just as magic as in days of old.
She sings a love song like a lullaby.
She lifts you up or she can make you cry.
Voice of gold -
It soothes you when you've got no-one to hold,
And when you hear, "We've Only Just Begun",
Makes you feel warmer than the morning sun.
(Shooby-doo-lang-lang, just listen).

When the music on the radio don't move me,
And it's songs of long ago I long to hear,
Those old mem'ries come alive
When I take down my forty-fives
And put them on,
And my cares are gone.

Voice of gold -
It's just as magic as in days of old.
She sings a love song like a lullaby.
She lifts you up or she can make you cry.
Voice of gold -
It soothes you when you've got no-one to hold,
And when you hear her singing, "Close to You",
Makes you believe that you enjoy feeling blue.
(Shooby-doo-lang-lang, just listen).

And I wish you could love me like before.
And I wish it was yesterday once more.

Voice of gold -
It's just as magic as in days of old.
She sings a love song like a lullaby.
She lifts you up or she can make you cry.
Voice of gold -
It soothes you when you've got no-one to hold,
And when you hear her singing, "Close to You",
Makes you believe that you enjoy feeling blue.
Voice of gold -
It's just as magic as in days of old,
And when you hear, "We've Only Just Begun",
Makes you feel warmer than the morning sun.
(Shooby-doo-lang-lang, just listen.....)

Copyright 1989 By Brian A., Australia.

(I couldn't remember a couple of sections, so had to patch them up with make-shift lyrics).
 
Since I love to knit I went and checked if the was any Carpenter themed knits in Ravelry many moons ago. Turned out there was this one, called "Karen Carpenter's Peggy Sue" aka a yellow cardigan made to honour Karen. In the notes section the knitter tells how her dad got her listening Carpenters, how she feels connected to Karen because she can hit those low notes too (and how she was made of fun in her choir because of that talent)... There's also pictures of Karen on her project page.
 
I wrote a song to Karen a while ago but haven't had the nerve to record it. It was painful enough to write. Every once in a while I'll sit at the piano and run through it until it hurts again and I'll stop. I've not managed to get through the whole thing a single time yet. I've been debating whether or not to share the words here, but since Brian was so bold to share what he had written (which I really enjoyed reading) I'll share mine.

It's called Wasting Away.

When you’re looking for love, the world can be so unforgiving
When you’re so full of life, you still can be tired of living
Say what you want, there’s just no way to shine
Without leaving those things that you value behind
And once in a while, you see that the world is just crazy

Once upon a time, the world was a lot easier to get by in
A world where we live, but still it’s a world we must die in
To have all your dreams, you must still pay the price
To have all you want, you must still sacrifice
And when it’s all over, you find that you have no more left to give
And you’re wasting away

Deep down inside you’re still just a child
But your star shines as bright as the sun
At the end of the day, you realize your sorrow has just begun
And you’re wasting away

How do you find a happiness that you can try on
Wrapped up inside like an old coat that you can rely on
One day it’s here and the next day it’s gone
And all you can do is just sing the next song
Take all the pain, turn it into an offering so beautiful
While you’re wasting away

Deep in your heart you’re on your way home
But you’ve still got a million more miles to go
And you wake up one night, in another strange city you just don’t know
And you’re wasting away

Out of spare moments to borrow and time is now fleeting
As you reach the last stop it’s a wonder your heart is still beating
It’s time to say goodbye now, no need to ask why
When you go out you’ll punch a hole right through the sky
A star here on earth, and now you’re a star up in heaven

40 years on, all that’s left is a ghost
You’re a hero to some, but don’t mean much to most
Good and the bad, mixed up in the memories of the bargain bin
And they’re wasting away
 
I wrote a song to Karen a while ago but haven't had the nerve to record it. It was painful enough to write. Every once in a while I'll sit at the piano and run through it until it hurts again and I'll stop. I've not managed to get through the whole thing a single time yet. I've been debating whether or not to share the words here, but since Brian was so bold to share what he had written (which I really enjoyed reading) I'll share mine.

It's called Wasting Away.

When you’re looking for love, the world can be so unforgiving
When you’re so full of life, you still can be tired of living
Say what you want, there’s just no way to shine
Without leaving those things that you value behind
And once in a while, you see that the world is just crazy

Once upon a time, the world was a lot easier to get by in
A world where we live, but still it’s a world we must die in
To have all your dreams, you must still pay the price
To have all you want, you must still sacrifice
And when it’s all over, you find that you have no more left to give
And you’re wasting away

Deep down inside you’re still just a child
But your star shines as bright as the sun
At the end of the day, you realize your sorrow has just begun
And you’re wasting away

How do you find a happiness that you can try on
Wrapped up inside like an old coat that you can rely on
One day it’s here and the next day it’s gone
And all you can do is just sing the next song
Take all the pain, turn it into an offering so beautiful
While you’re wasting away

Deep in your heart you’re on your way home
But you’ve still got a million more miles to go
And you wake up one night, in another strange city you just don’t know
And you’re wasting away

Out of spare moments to borrow and time is now fleeting
As you reach the last stop it’s a wonder your heart is still beating
It’s time to say goodbye now, no need to ask why
When you go out you’ll punch a hole right through the sky
A star here on earth, and now you’re a star up in heaven

40 years on, all that’s left is a ghost
You’re a hero to some, but don’t mean much to most
Good and the bad, mixed up in the memories of the bargain bin
And they’re wasting away

Leadsister, that’s great! I like the juxtaposition you have expressed of adding to the richness of others’ lives while she was wasting away.
 
Thanks for sharing your very moving lyrics, Brian and leadmister! :bowdown2:
I'm pretty sure that I posted my poem on the forum a long time ago, but for those who haven't read it...

Since I Heard Her Voice


It seems like only yesterday
That the radio started to play
The songs that I have grown to love so well.
Her voice was soft and clear
It was as if she were near
But now she's gone, she's bid this world goodbye
Now sometimes when I hear those songs I cry.

She is with the angels now
Singing praise to God, and how
He must dearly love her sweet voice that He made.
Although I miss her more each day
As I continue on my way
I take comfort in the peace she's found
No more to her earthly struggles bound.

She sang many songs that have touched my life
Somehow her singing always eased my pain
Since I heard her voice all those years ago
My life has never been the same
And my love for her I must proclaim.

On records she lives on
Almost like she'd never gone
She has given me a gift I can't repay.
No matter how far I may roam
Her voice will be heard in my home
From my life she will never part
Karen will live forever in my heart.

In loving memory of Karen Anne Carpenter (1950 - 1983)

©1997 by Murray S., Canada
 
I'm pretty sure that I posted my poem on the forum a long time ago, but for those who haven't read it...

Since I Heard Her Voice


It seems like only yesterday
That the radio started to play
The songs that I have grown to love so well.
Her voice was soft and clear
It was as if she were near
But now she's gone, she's bid this world goodbye
Now sometimes when I hear those songs I cry.

She is with the angels now
Singing praise to God, and how
He must dearly love her sweet voice that He made.
Although I miss her more each day
As I continue on my way
I take comfort in the peace she's found
No more to her earthly struggles bound.

She sang many songs that have touched my life
Somehow her singing always eased my pain
Since I heard her voice all those years ago
My life has never been the same
And my love for her I must proclaim.

On records she lives on
Almost like she'd never gone
She has given me a gift I can't repay.
No matter how far I may roam
Her voice will be heard in my home
From my life she will never part
Karen will live forever in my heart.

In loving memory of Karen Anne Carpenter (1950 - 1983)

©1997 by Murray S., Canada

It’s obvious people all over the world feel what you feel, Murray. Thanks for giving us the chance to read this.
 
Since I love to knit I went and checked if the was any Carpenter themed knits in Ravelry many moons ago. Turned out there was this one, called "Karen Carpenter's Peggy Sue" aka a yellow cardigan made to honour Karen. In the notes section the knitter tells how her dad got her listening Carpenters, how she feels connected to Karen because she can hit those low notes too (and how she was made of fun in her choir because of that talent)... There's also pictures of Karen on her project page.
That's lovely. I saw something similar myself on a blog post a while ago. A guy in Rhode Island knitted a pillow with the chorus to I Need To Be In Love on it and placed it with a drum set in a Guitar Center. The sad thing is that whoever found it probably just threw it away. I would have taken it home with me and kept it.
Carpenter2.jpg
 
Leadsister, that’s great! I like the juxtaposition you have expressed of adding to the richness of others’ lives while she was wasting away.
Thanks, Brian. The first line came to me on Feb. 4, 2015 while reading the eulogy from a copy of the fan club newsletters. It took me almost 2 years to finish, painfully dragging it out of myself one line at a time. Now I'm in the middle of trying to get the orchestration together, and that process is equally as slow. Songs usually come to me very quickly, but in cases like this when they mean so much, it's a long, slow process because I don't want to do anything wrong or fall short, if that makes any sense.
 
Since I love to knit I went and checked if the was any Carpenter themed knits in Ravelry many moons ago. Turned out there was this one, called "Karen Carpenter's Peggy Sue" aka a yellow cardigan made to honour Karen. In the notes section the knitter tells how her dad got her listening Carpenters, how she feels connected to Karen because she can hit those low notes too (and how she was made of fun in her choir because of that talent)... There's also pictures of Karen on her project page.
It’s amazing how different people are inspired by Carpenters to create in their own particular medium....
Well, not that amazing, really. You can see why it would be that way.

The creator of the cardigan chose the right colour. Karen definitely wore a lot of yellow.
 
Now I'm in the middle of trying to get the orchestration together, and that process is equally as slow. Songs usually come to me very quickly, but in cases like this when they mean so much, it's a long, slow process because I don't want to do anything wrong or fall short, if that makes any sense.
It would be good to hear the recording when it’s done, Leadmister!
 
That's lovely. I saw something similar myself on a blog post a while ago. A guy in Rhode Island knitted a pillow with the chorus to I Need To Be In Love on it and placed it with a drum set in a Guitar Center. The sad thing is that whoever found it probably just threw it away. I would have taken it home with me and kept it.
Carpenter2.jpg

I love that! I think I’d have been tempted to do the same. I don’t suppose you remember what blog it was, do you?
 
I think it's JUST still Christmas in some parts of the world, so....

This thread is about art inspired by Carpenters.

When 'Christmas Portrait' had been released for only a month or two, I started to record tapes of self-penned songs. I was in my early teens, so these songs weren't all that evolved or complex.

At the end of that year, when 'Portrait' was a year old, I had been listening to that album a lot and decided to include my own Christmas song on the tape I was currently recording. It was about my perspective of Christmas, in regard to the songs that I was hearing on the Carpenters' record.

Here's 'Australian Christmas'. Remember that these are the words of a 14-year-old, so don't expect too much!


'Australian Christmas'.

When Christmas is near,
There are so many songs we hear,
About the cold and gleaming snow of Christmas day,
But we have never known
A Christmas by the fire,
Or a Christmas spent sliding on ice-cream-topped hills
In a sleigh.

To us, Christmas is escaping the heat
By spending the afternoon asleep,
And never was a wish spent on hoping for snow,
For we all love the Australian Christmas.

Just smell the eucalyptus leaves
As they hang from the ceiling
And see the freshly cut Christmas tree
Reaching high.
We don't mind the heat.
We don't feel left out without a sleigh,
And we're so lucky to live in a country
Where we eat so well on Christmas day.

To us, Christmas is escaping the heat
By spending the afternoon asleep,
And never will a wish be spent on hoping for snow,
For we will always love the Australian Christmas.
Christmas. Aah - aah!

I made Christmas sound exciting, didn't I? - "...spending the afternoon asleep..." - but, then again, I grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere and we had no air conditioning, in a galvanised iron house!

I should mention that I wouldn't follow the tradition of going out into the bush and cutting down a pine for a Christmas tree today!

And I meant to say, the 'Aah - aah' at the end of the song was very Carpenter-esaque, with multi-tracked vocals.

By the way, it's 100 degrees Fahrenheit as I write this.


I hope that things swing around to the positive for everybody all over the world in the near future. All the best to everyone.
 
Here are the complete lyrics to "For All We Know":

  • Love, look at the two of us
    Strangers in many ways
    We've got a lifetime to share
    So much to say and as we go from day to day
    I'll feel you close to me
    But time alone will tell
    Let's take a lifetime to say
    I knew you well
    For only time will tell us so
    And love may grow for all we know

    Love, look at the two of us
    Strangers in many ways
    Let's take a lifetime to say
    I knew you well
    For only time will tell us so
    And love may grow for all we know
  • I love this beautiful song and wouldn't change a thing about it, but..
  • The lyrics speak of the present looking into a possible future...what if the shortened repeat spoke of the future looking back into a past well-lived, like:
  • Love looked at the two of us
  • Friends now in many ways.
  • We took a lifetime to say
  • I knew you well,
  • For only time did tell us so
  • And love did grow for we now know.

  • One could even add a bridge before this, such as:

  • We shared so much thru long, loving years
  • So much laughter with just a few tears
  • So much laughter with just a few tears..and...[to verse repeat].

  • Just sayin'
 
Chris, Mike and Richard have obviously been super-creative over the last 18 months or so but just wondering if any members have created any Carpenters-inspired works recently..... or any art or creative output of any kind, at all - not necessarily Carpenters-inspired. ‘Lead Mister’, how is your composition going? ‘Faithful Fan’ made me think of this through a comment posted on the ‘Richard Carpenter Discusses New Book’ thread.
 
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