The goal of Something Worth Mentioning is to create a personal understanding of things that make me happy. This is designed as a catchall where I hope to spread positivity while also presenting something personal about myself. Even then, I was initially concerned that it may be difficult for some weeks to create something substantial to share. That was especially true for this week, where we’re on the heels of a January 6, 2021 terrorist attack at The White House. How do I not just give in to negativity and talk about how the world is burning down? Oddly enough, it’s because of this that I’ve spent most of the past week looking for “happy” things to remind me what is great about this nation.
As a mental health goal, I have decided to step away from social media on Saturdays if just to focus my mind on something else. Over two weekends, I’ve found it to be the most helpful thing I’ve done this year. No matter how stressed I remain, always on the verge of invasive thoughts, having that time to myself has allowed me to meditate on other things, be productive with housework or other writing projects that I have planned for the year. Because of this free time, I also found myself turning to YouTube to run through a band I haven’t listened to in a bit: The Carpenters.
One thing I learned in covering pop music last year was how out of touch I was with modern trends. Sure I liked contemporary artists, but I never hit a familiar wavelength. It’s why I’ve been embracing just going with what I want to listen to. A week ago it was Lesley Gore. This week I chose The Carpenters, remembering how their music was soothing. To be transparent, I don’t have a strong instinctual appreciation of soft rock, though The Carpenters have always felt comforting. I definitely chock it up to Karen Carpenter’s amazing vocals, or how Richard Carpenter knows how to write a bridge. Whereas you can see some of the soft rock bands, especially out of the folk genre, as being dull and needlessly optimistic, I’ve found something that’s stuck with me.
I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but there was something about this time that shined through in unexpected ways. Having been through a pandemic and the thought of loneliness being a constant battle, I could suddenly latch onto what Karen was singing about. Underneath the cheeriness, I began to notice what was beautiful about the lyrics. I think of “Only Yesterday,” which is among my favorites and the chorus especially:
Only yesterday when I was sad and I was lonelyYou showed me the way to leave the past and all its tears behind meTomorrow maybe even brighter than todaySince I threw my sadness awayOnly yesterday
That is the thing that stands out especially. Whereas I think most music centers on one emotion, I think that The Carpenters exist in the grey area in-between. Sure they may sound joyous and the outro is preceded by an aggressive ramp-up of a guitar, but there is a thematic resonance in how the song builds, changing like an orchestral experience. Every verse has this quiet introspection before the bridge features these harmonies, like lights through a window, that suggests something beautiful is on its way. Again, Richard has some impeccable orchestrations. I think of the saxophone on “Rainy Days and Mondays” sometimes. It’s simple but sweet.
Of course, Karen had one of those voices that is just so soothing. You believe every lyric came from someplace personal. I haven’t done extensive research, but I am sure there is something factual about lines like “In my own time nobody knew/The pain I was going through” since she had struggled with anorexia. She sounds like someone who knows what it means to battle demons and the value of not just giving into the darkness. I understand the difficulty and The Carpenters realize the catharsis of music to access something greater inside all of us, to make us stronger in times of weakness. These were self-love songs.
Even their songs that are more transparently optimistic like “We’ve Only Just Begun” have this subtext of escaping despair. It’s always trying to pull through and be a good person. There is an acknowledgment that nobody is entirely happy in their lives and that we’re all trying to find some balance. I admire that honesty and I think it makes their work more subversive. You find something more honest than wallowing in pity or celebrating relationships with this frivolous naivety that is fun but ultimately means nothing except base emotions.
The Carpenters are complex and I think are worth checking out, especially for those who have been struggling with their mental health lately. Considering that I’ve been going through waves lately (thankfully the one since Wednesday has been brief), there is something amazing about these songs. They mellow you out, but they also serve as this meditation, this self-acceptance that we’re all trying to be better. Karen never lied through song. What she sang was genuine. When those harmonies with Richard kick in, it’s a form of pure bliss that is inexplicable. It’s one of those magical achievements that you just have to experience for yourself.
I probably need to listen to their catalog with more consistency, appreciating their obscure hits because I’m sure there’s something more substantial to say about them. Even then, “Gold” is a phenomenal starting point. It gives you a perfect survey of why this band matters. In a time where rock music was more aggressive and forthright, I appreciate The Carpenters for finding ways to pull from deep emotions and make quality music that wasn’t bombastic. It also wasn’t empty-headed optimism either, which only makes things much more fulfilling in their authenticity.
As someone who is obsessed with chronicling the culture of my hometown, Long Beach, CA, it would be foolish to not end this by exploring another reason that I greatly admire The Carpenters. Even if they’re from Downey, CA, they have had an incredible impact on Long Beach’s performing arts community. Not only did they do many of their early gigs around town, but I’m about to become an alumnus of their school.
Next week, I will finally be starting my time at Cal State University Long Beach. It has been my dream school since high school, but I’ve been struggling to have the grades/charisma to actually attend. I think a big reason that I love it is because of their eclectic culture, such as their striking blue pyramid that houses sporting events and, just a brisk walk away, The Carpenter Center. On average, I spend a half-dozen nights there annually seeing live shows, staring up at banners for upcoming events. It’s a nice little theater and, not to brag, was one of the few I got to visit in 2020 prior to the pandemic with Ragtime The Musical.
Yes, this was a performing arts venue funded by Richard and in some small way pays tribute to The Carpenters’ legacy at CSULB. They formed a lot of their music education there, performing orchestral for shows like Guys & Dolls and meeting key members that would make up their backing band. While it now encompasses everything about the performing arts that’s great, there’s a display in the lobby that highlights The Carpenters’ career, including pictures and various plaques to symbolize their achievements (they did sell over 100 million records after all). I encourage anyone who visits The Carpenter Center post-pandemic to stop and peruse the display. Hopefully, it will make you appreciate this band a whole lot more.
Of course, there are many other exemplary alumni from CSULB that are worth mentioning, but I don’t want to take away from how The Carpenters have given me, even inadvertently, a lot of comfort in my life. On the surface, their music is sublime and has actually become something that I’m fonder of as years carry on. There was also a clear love of the arts that they wanted to give back to the community. It’s one of the small ways that I feel pride in this city, which somehow has grown to have a rich history that stands on its own, especially compared to the showier Los Angeles and Hollywood.
I hope that I get plenty out of my time at CSULB and that it will lead to better opportunities. I’ve already spent years loving their campus and admiring what they have given this city. There’s a lot of talented people out there, and I’m glad to be part of that rich history. I know that I have a steep climb to even be halfway as relevant as them, but there is already some validation in going there, in feeling like I’m smart enough to study here and hopefully better my life. If nothing else, I hope to get some discount tickets when The Carpenter Center opens back up (or at least free parking) because that would be the real cherry on top of everything.
Until then, please do your mental health a favor and listen to The Carpenters. I don’t know what your personal tastes are or if you have a better understanding of soft rock than I do, but I promise you that it’s much more interesting and rewarding than you’ll initially think. It’ll calm your nerves in these chaotic times, where it feels like the world is falling apart. This isn’t much that deludes but enhances the idea of optimism in our own lives. Karen took the light with the darkness and created an understanding of the self that few others could. I thank her and Richard personally for sharing their gifts with us. It still works all of these decades later.
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