No matter your age, everyone remembers the very first album they played that truly made them fall in love with music. Whether it was a vinyl record, tape, CD or (for today’s youth) a download, you listened and felt understood as if your mind had just been read. For me, I listened to that unforgettable album when I was just 13-years-old; the year I received my first record player.
I remember lying on the floor for hours on end listening to records and unlike other girls my age who either listened to One Direction or Drake, I enjoyed kicking it old school. From the Bee Gee’s Saturday Night Fever and Carpenters’ Close To You, I listened to just about everything that I could put my hands on. But, none of those records even compared to the masterpiece that is Carole King’s Tapestry.
When I first listened to the record, I was in awe of the raw emotion portrayed in each song. I felt as if Carole herself was singing directly to me about pivotal life experiences that anyone could relate to. What I’ve always appreciated about this record is that there is something to play for any mood. Everything from heartbreak to pure joy and everything in between, Tapestry covers it all with a plethora of songs. As I’ve grown older, I’ve found myself still coming back to this album because of its timeless themes and authentic sound.
Some of you may be wondering, “Who is Carole King?” Before there was Adele, there was Carole King, one of the most iconic singer-songwriters in history who has worked among the likes of James Taylor, the Beatles, Aretha Franklin and more. Having written hundreds of songs for countless artists, she was an undeniable talent in the music industry for decades, but today, she often does not get the recognition she is due. For example, we all know the iconic ballad “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin. But, did you know that Carole King wrote this hit? Songwriters like Carole often aren’t seen in the public eye, but everything changed once she released her second album Tapestry. Taking the world by storm, this record once held the record for most consecutive weeks at number one album by a female artist. Now 50-years-old, Tapestry remains one of the best singer-songwriter albums of all time that still speaks to so many people.
Still don’t recognize the name? You have most likely heard at least one of her songs on television whether it was “Where You Lead,” the theme song of the hit television series Gilmore Girls, or “You’ve Got a Friend,” briefly sung by Shrek, played by Mike Myers, in the movie Shrek Forever After.
Beginning Tapestry on a confident and upbeat note, Carole starts with “I Feel the Earth Move,” which is a metaphor and testament to her coming out in the spotlight and also highlights the excitement and attraction between her and her lover. She then transitions to a more serious light with her song “So Far Away,” which is my personal favorite. This song captures her pure emotion as she is missing someone she loves deeply. This feeling is all too familiar to the world as we fight a pandemic that prevents individuals from seeing their loved ones. Next, she showcases the heartache of recognizing her relationship is over in “It’s Too Late.” Similar to her previous song “So Far Away,” she then digs deeper into that feeling of longing for someone in “Home Again.” Next, Carole preaches the importance of loving both yourself and the rest of the world in “Beautiful.”
Unlike her other songs on the record, Carole creates “Way over Yonder,” a more complex and spiritual work about finding inner peace. In “You’ve Got a Friend,” she serenades us with the theme of unconditional friendship that just about everyone can pertain to their own best friend. “Where You Lead,” most famously used as the theme song of Gilmore Girls, is a strong and passionate love that makes you never want to leave their side. Although it is normally thought of as more of a love song for lovers, this ballad is used to describe Rory and Lorelai’s mother-and-daughter relationship as well. She then goes on to “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” another simple yet emotional love song that recognizes the doubts that so many of us have about whether love will last. Taking a more lighthearted turn, Carole tells a riveting Old West story of an outlaw in “Smackwater Jack.” She then goes back to her slow tempo in “Tapestry,” a symbolic and metaphorical work in which she compares her life to a tapestry. Last but certainly not least, she ends this record with her own rendition of her song “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” a song made famous by Aretha Franklin.
Today, many have forgotten the infamous Carole King and her record Tapestry. But, I am here to tell you to give it a listen if you have yet to experience this classic album. As my grandmother said when she handed me the record, “Carole King is the queen of storytelling.” In each of these songs or in other words, stories, lie a different and simple theme or lesson that everyone can apply to their own lives.
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