The song Carole King thought was her most resonant: “Speak for people”
The very first Carole King song I ever heard was ‘It’s Too Late’ from her seminal album Tapestry.
Knowing King’s music as I do now, I realise that in many ways, ‘It’s Too Late’ was the perfect song to be introduced with. It’s a truly effortless melody that showcases her natural ability as a songwriter. But soon after accompanying yourself with the lightly touched introduction, you hear King’s voice and realise that what exists is so much more than just a songwriter. Here is a singer, a performer and an artist.
Arguably, the two songs Tapestry that could have aptly competed with that legacy and been the rightful introductions to the world of Carole King would have been ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ and ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’. Perhaps the two most famous songs she has ever written, but not necessarily because of their existence on the album.
While Tapestry saw King regaining the sense of artistic confidence required to make these songs her own, they both had separate lives before that album. The former was gifted to her songwriting friend James Taylor, and the latter famously passed to Aretha Franklin, who took the chorus line into the stratosphere with her powerful vocals.
They were the very best examples of King’s work as the 1960s selfless songwriter she was. So by the time Tapestry came out, the echoes of their existence rang through the recordings. On ‘It’s Too Late’, however, fans were given an unfiltered look into a world led by King’s voice, but rather ironically not her mind. Given the greatness she has gifted to other musicians, it’s almost fitting that her calling card song, ‘It’s Too Late’, was written by someone else.
King explained, “The most requested song of mine is ‘It’s Too Late’. I think it’s because people are going through tumultuous times in their relationship.”
She continued, “And those lyrics are by Miss Toni Stern and her lyrics, you know, speak for people who are going through divorces. And I’ve had two, you know, a lot of people have a lot of different stories. Very common stories, like ‘oh your song, ‘It’s Too Late’, got me through my divorce.’”
King was likely able to harness Stern’s sentiment in the song, given that she shared a romance with the rumoured subject. Many people thought the song to be about James Taylor, a man to whom King had gifted a song, worked with extensively and shared a brief romance with in 1971.
Even when it was confirmed that Stern wrote the song, Taylor’s name was still on the tip of everybody’s tongue, given the fact that she had similarly had a relationship with the musician.
While Stern once said, “I won’t say who ‘It’s Too Late’ is about,” adding, “I don’t kiss and tell,” many are certain the song is about Taylor himself. So, given King’s nuanced understanding of the man, she could provide the sort of colour and emotion needed for the song, turning it into a hit of her own.
