Carly Simon - That's The Way I Always Heard...

[stevie nice]

...It Should Be

from 1971.

Wow, this is a fantastic torch songy type thingy that made #10. I can't believe I've played this for almost an hour now after importing her 2disc anthology which I bought just to fill up some holes in my 1970s playlist.

There was some issue with this song, altho I was too young to remember what. But she questions a marriage proposal in the song, seeing what had happened with her friends, and then near the end of the song says something like -' u say we'll soar like birds thru the clouds, but soon you'll cage me on ur shelf, i'll never learn to be me first, by myself '- then says, 'well k, it's time we moved in together 2 start a family' blah blah blah. but she doesn't sound hopeful of its prospects.

great understated arrangement and fantastic melody.

any comments?

[Deleted]

It's one of my favorite Carly Simon songs.. definitely in the Top 3.

[NORTHCOAST]

This is a great song.  Wonderful lyrics and it creates such a mood for me.  I like the way she sort of foreshadows the outcome of her marriage with what has become of her parents' relationship in the first few lines.  I also love the whole verse about her "friends from college".  Great lyrics!  I agree that she doesn't sound really hopeful of the prospects of her relationship.  I wonder if it is James Taylor she's talking about?  They were such a power couple in music for a while.  I heard Carly just performed in NYC for the first time in like 10 years.  She was always notoriously stage shy, but I read that she was funny and talkative but a bit shaky vocally.



Carly Simon
That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be
Written by - Carly Simon & Jacob Brackman
From - Clouds In My Coffee

My father sits at night with no lights on
His cigarette glows in the dark
The living room is still
I walk by, no remark
I tiptoe past the master bedroom where
My mother reads her magazines
I hear her call sweet dreams
But I forgot how to dream

But you say it's time we moved in together
And raised a family of our own, you and me
Well, that's the way I've always heard it should be
You want to marry me, we'll marry

My friends from college they're all married now
They have their houses and their lawns
They have their silent noons
Tearful nights, angry dawns
Their children hate them for the things they're not
They hate themselves for what they are
And yet they drink, they laugh
Close the wound, hide the scar

But you say it's time we moved in together
And raised a family of our own, you and me
Well, that's the way I've always heard it should be
You want to marry me, we'll marry

You say we can keep our love alive
Babe...all I know is what I see
The couples cling and claw
And drown in love's debris
You say we'll soar like two birds through the clouds
But soon you'll cage me on your shelf
I'll never learn to be just me first
By myself

Well okay, it's time we moved in together
And raised a family of our own, you and me
Well, that's the way I've always heard it should be
You want to marry me, we'll marry
We'll marry

[velcro]

Great song... I have this on her Greatest Hits cd. I also own No Secrets... all of it's songs are great.

[reception]

It's an okay song.

[kellydicted]

reception said:

It's an okay song.

She has better tracks but this is such a great song. My parents have her greatest hits but I never bothered playing it for myself. I should do that.

[Pet Shop Boy]

This song is flat-out beautiful, genuinely moving.

[areyoureadytojump]

The most depressing song EVER!

A fan-made video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdFjWZBRl6U

[Deleted]

Good song!