Somethin’ inside has died, and I can’t hide/
And I just can’t fake it, oh, no, no.
Carole King has had one of the most bizarre careers. She basically released one great album, Tapestry and not much else after. It could be argued that it is the best album of all-time by any artist. There is not a single bad song on it. It is definitely top ten. “It’s Too Late” was the best song from that album.
Before this, she wrote hits for other people. Several are on this list, or are recognizable to any music fan, such as I’m Into Something Good, One Fine Day, Up On the Roof, Natural Woman, and of course, Will You Love Me Tomorrow by The Shirelles. She would record some of these songs herself on Tapestry.
In “It’s Too Late” Carole King talks about the ending of a relationship in an unsentimental way. Something inside her has died and she can’t fake it anymore. It is too late to save the relationship. She asks her lover if he doesn’t feel it too.
Her voice sounds very real. “It’s Too Late” doesn’t feel like a performance so much as her trying to work through her feelings in song. That said, there is still a lot going on in the recording. You have a sax and keyboard solo in addition to her piano playing. Live performances of her singing this with just a piano sound great too.
It’s Too Late Lyrics
Stayed in bed all mornin’ just to pass the time
There’s somethin’ wrong here, there can be no denyin’
One of us is changin’, or maybe we’ve just stopped tryin’
And it’s too late, baby now, it’s too late
Though we really did try to make it
Somethin’ inside has died, and I can’t hide
And I just can’t fake it, oh, no, no
It used to be so easy, livin’ here with you
You were light and breezy, an’ I knew just what to do
Now you look so unhappy, and I feel like a fool
And it’s too late, baby now, it’s too late
Though we really did try to make it
Somethin’ inside has died, and I can’t hide
And I just can’t fake it, oh, no, no
There’ll be good times again for me and you
But we just can’t stay together, don’t you feel it, too?
Still I’m glad for what we had and how I once loved you
But it’s too late, baby now, it’s too late
Though we really did try to make it (we can’t make it)
Somethin’ inside has died, and I can’t hide
And I just can’t fake it, oh, no, no, no, no, no
It’s too late, baby, it’s too late now, darling
It’s too late.
written by Carole King & Toni Stern