Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are in a serious situation, but I need a break from the gloom, doom and bullying by way of hoarding. Music has always been my refuge and watching those beautiful Italians singing to each other from their balconies reaffirmed my belief that music is the answer. So until the old normal returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day.  And if this helps anyone else, even better.

In 1971 Carole King’s second solo album spent nearly four months-15 weeks to be exact-in the number one spot.  It produced several hit singles including “I Feel The Earth Move” and “So Far Away”.  The following year it won four Grammy Awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for “It’s Too Late”.  But anyone who recognized her name realized she was not an overnight success.  Her career began as a songwriter in the late 1950’s with her then husband Gerry Goffin.  By 1960 they wrote their first number one hit, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” for The Shirelles and that put them on the map.

Since then, King has written or co-written 118 songs that appeared on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart including “Up On The Roof” by The Drifters, “Pleasant Valley Sunday” by The Monkees, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin, “You’ve Got A Friend” by James Taylor and “Where You Lead” (the theme to “The Gilmore Girls”) to name a fraction of them.  She is ingrained in the fabric of American music and is one of the most prolific artists of the 20th century.  But for me the title song of her 1971 blockbuster album is the crowning moment of her profound work, thanks to her beautiful metaphors to describe her life as she saw it then.  I am in awe of Carol King’s musical talents and unbelievably grateful she has shared them with us for over 60 years.

“My life has been a tapestry of rich and royal hue
An everlasting vision of the ever-changing view
A wondrous woven magic in bits of blue and gold
A tapestry to feel and see, impossible to hold“.

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Carole King:  “Tapestry” (1971, written by Carole King).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.