I remember when this song came out. Karen Carpenter’s voice was so different from everyone else’s. Warm, and silky smooth, she sounded almost like a singer from the Big Band days. I had a terrible time trying to sing along as she went far lower than I could, but I loved her sound anyway.
The song “We’ve Only Just Begun,” began life as a commercial jingle for a banking firm in California. Written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols, the company had hoped to attract a younger clientele. It worked, but not the way the bank intended. The young people who ended up coming in didn’t have the money that the bank had hoped for. (Duh.) They pulled the ad.
Fortunately, Richard Carpenter had heard the song and thought that it had potential. He recognized Paul Williams’ voice and contacted him. Not long after, Richard and his sister, Karen, were in the recording studio working on “We’ve Only Just Begun.”
While the song was a wedding standard for far too long, it is at heart a song about beginnings. And I think that it works for the new year. There was a long period of time where I couldn’t stand to hear it. It was so clichéd and overplayed. But, now is a good time to pull it out again.
Often, when my students are working on a song that I know she recorded, I recommend that they listen to her. And she usually grabs them, and they become fans. Sadly, she died in 1983 at the young age of 33. Her heart gave out as a result of anorexia nervosa. Her death brought the condition into the public consciousness.
Here are the lyrics:
We've only just begun to live
White lace and promises
A kiss for luck and we're on our way
(We've only begun)
Before the risin' sun, we fly
So many roads to choose
We'll start out walkin' and learn to run
(And yes, we've just begun)
Sharing horizons that are new to us
Watching the signs along the way
Talkin' it over, just the two of us
Workin' together day to day
Together
And when the evening comes, we smile
So much of life ahead
We'll find a place where there's room to grow
(And yes, we've just begun)
Sharing horizons that are new to us
Watching the signs along the way
Talkin' it over, just the two of us
Workin' together day to day
Together
Together
And when the evening comes, we smile
So much of life ahead
We'll find a place where there's room to grow
And yes, we've just begun
Yup. It works for weddings, but it also works for the new year—We’ve Only Just Begun.
I’ll be posting some versions of this song and other Carpenter hits every day on my Minnich Music Facebook page, so visit there to hear them! If you have any stories about “We’ve Only Just Begun,” or The Carpenters and one of their songs, let me know in the comments section. I’d love to hear from you!
I’ll be posting roughly once a week with a new song. So, if there’s a song that you’d like some background on, or questions about what it means, let me know.
Happy New Year!
The song “We’ve Only Just Begun,” began life as a commercial jingle for a banking firm in California. Written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols, the company had hoped to attract a younger clientele. It worked, but not the way the bank intended. The young people who ended up coming in didn’t have the money that the bank had hoped for. (Duh.) They pulled the ad.
Fortunately, Richard Carpenter had heard the song and thought that it had potential. He recognized Paul Williams’ voice and contacted him. Not long after, Richard and his sister, Karen, were in the recording studio working on “We’ve Only Just Begun.”
While the song was a wedding standard for far too long, it is at heart a song about beginnings. And I think that it works for the new year. There was a long period of time where I couldn’t stand to hear it. It was so clichéd and overplayed. But, now is a good time to pull it out again.
Often, when my students are working on a song that I know she recorded, I recommend that they listen to her. And she usually grabs them, and they become fans. Sadly, she died in 1983 at the young age of 33. Her heart gave out as a result of anorexia nervosa. Her death brought the condition into the public consciousness.
Here are the lyrics:
We've only just begun to live
White lace and promises
A kiss for luck and we're on our way
(We've only begun)
Before the risin' sun, we fly
So many roads to choose
We'll start out walkin' and learn to run
(And yes, we've just begun)
Sharing horizons that are new to us
Watching the signs along the way
Talkin' it over, just the two of us
Workin' together day to day
Together
And when the evening comes, we smile
So much of life ahead
We'll find a place where there's room to grow
(And yes, we've just begun)
Sharing horizons that are new to us
Watching the signs along the way
Talkin' it over, just the two of us
Workin' together day to day
Together
Together
And when the evening comes, we smile
So much of life ahead
We'll find a place where there's room to grow
And yes, we've just begun
Yup. It works for weddings, but it also works for the new year—We’ve Only Just Begun.
I’ll be posting some versions of this song and other Carpenter hits every day on my Minnich Music Facebook page, so visit there to hear them! If you have any stories about “We’ve Only Just Begun,” or The Carpenters and one of their songs, let me know in the comments section. I’d love to hear from you!
I’ll be posting roughly once a week with a new song. So, if there’s a song that you’d like some background on, or questions about what it means, let me know.
Happy New Year!
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