Oh My God! I Totally Love This Song!


SUPERSTAR BY THE CARPENTERS


Rainy days and Mondays get you down? This song is the perfect antidote to that. What is interesting is that Karen Carpenter was more than just a singer, she was a very capable drummer. A song sung from a fan’s perspective is given an interesting twist considering it is she who is in the spotlight. If I ever get around to writing the script to the ensemble rom-com that lives in my head, it’ll be called, “Don’t You Remember You Told Me You Loved Me Baby?”


Karen Carpenter has one of those voices. As soon as you hear it, you know it’s her. Her singing is clear as a sunny day and there is always a hint of sadness on the edges. I find The Carpenters music mostly has a strange darkness even when they lyrics are bright and upbeat. Perhaps, knowing how Karen lived and died informs the listening experience. When their stuff was all over early-70’s AM radio, it was probably a different story. Their wall of sound and layered backing vocals now sound the opposite of how they did then. In the early 90’s, Sonic Youth covered this song, so if this version has too much fromage for you, seek out the cover. It is haunting and less art-drenched than you’d think.


I fell in love with you before the second show:





Baby, baby, baby, baby, oh baby, I love you. I really do: