Greatest Love Songs Ever: #19 “Close to You”

By Tom Quiner, Board President, Pulse Life Advocates

Burt Bacharach was one of the most amazing songwriters of the 1960s. He was cut from a different mold than the other songwriting giants of the decade. He wasn’t a rock star. And he didn’t sport whiskers and long hair or wear tie-dyed T-shirts. Rather, he sported a tuxedo. He didn’t have a hair out of place. And his songs were hip and musically sophisticated. 

His songs are so good that four of them made my list of the 52 Greatest Love Songs Ever, and they are all in my top twenty! Bacharach was at his best when teamed with the great lyricist, Hal David, who I think is under appreciated. 

One more thing about this duo’s songs: They wrote for orchestras and bands with plenty of brass. In other words, unlike the Beatles, Neil Diamond, The Turtles, Paul McCartney and other artists on this list, the guitar (electric or acoustic) wasn’t the lead instrument.

As the culture changed and youth fell in love with the rock band, the Bacharach/David team prevailed through their sheer songwriting prowess. Which leads us to #19 on my list: “Close to You.”

The Carpenters made “Close To You” a hit

The Carpenters made it a massive hit, riding on the flawless vocals of Karen Carpenter and Richard Carpenter’s catchy arrangement. Bacharach usually did the arranging for his songs, but jumped at the chance for the Carpenters to record it, even if it meant relinquishing control of the arrangement.

The song was originally released in 1963 with a recording by Richard Chamberlain that was a dud. It took the Carpenters to fully realize the potential of the song.

Burt prevailed upon Richard Carpenter to keep the 5 note piano run, that became a signature feature of the song. Good call.

Hal David infuses a sweet romanticism in the very memorable first verse:

“Why do birds suddenly appear,

Every time you are near?

Just like me, they long to be

Close to you.”

In fact, most of his hit songs open with lyrics that instantly rivet the listener. Even more, they stick with you for a life time.

Take this quiz

Let’s see if you know the answers to the Hal David song lyric test below:

1. “Raindrops keep falling on my head,

And just like the guy whose feet are [fill in the blank.]

2. “The moment I wake up,

before I put on my make up,

I say [fill in the blank].”

3. “What the world needs now

Is love sweet love,

It’s the only thing [fill in the blank.]

4. “Do you know the way to a)Los Angeles? b)Sausalito? … or … c) San Jose?

5. “What’s it all about, a) Alexandria? b) Poindexter? … or … c) Alfie?]

6. “What’s new, a) elephant? b) orangutan? … or … c) Pussycat?

[The answer to questions 4, 5, and 6 is c.]

Karen Carpenter’s interpretation of “Close to You” captured the imagination of the world, making it the Carpenter’s first number one hit song, topping the Billboard Hot One Hundred chart for a solid month in 1970.

What a team: Burt Bacharach. Hal David. Karen Carpenter. Richard Carpenter. Their collaboration produced a masterpiece for the ages.

Why we’re publishing this series

In case you’ve forgotten, there is a purpose behind this series. Pulse Life Advocates believes that love is the antidote to abortion. Unions based on love produce more love. But unions based upon self-centeredness and sheer lust … don’t. Abortion is rare in the former, but sadly common in the latter. Love songs draw us closer to authentic love and simply make our lives a little more wonderful.

Here’s what you can do to help: take three minutes and 34 seconds to listen to “Close To You” from beginning to end. This little respite from you busy schedule will soften you heart and make you feel closer to someone you love. A nice way to change the world.

Wait ’til you hear next week’s classic Country love song, #18 on my list. Whew, it’s a doozy! See you then.

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