Carole King - Pleasant Valley Sunday (from Welcome To My Living Room)

"Pleasant Valley Sunday" by Carole King
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Lyrics:
Another Pleasant Valley Sunday
Here in status symbol land
Mothers complain about how hard life is
And the kids just don't understand
#CaroleKing #PleasantValleySunday #WelcomeToMyLivingRoom

[@steveweiss2081]

I love that she incorporated some of the Monkees version into her performance. They did a hell of a job with this song and deserve some recognition for what they did with it.

[@NoswalEvad]

Yup. Because that guitar line was crafted by Nesmith and Chip Douglas mimicking I Want to Tell You.

[@beatlesboy95]

They nicked the guitar line off the Beatles

[@Frank-Discussion]

@@beatlesboy95 it’s similar but different

[@sg-yq8pm]

@@beatlesboy95 And the Beatles nicked their variation of that very common note pattern off somebody else.

[@glenchapman3899]

@@Frank-Discussion she also plays it quicker than she did on the demo. Which I 100% agree with

[@tylagraysinga]

Carole King is the ULTIMATE song writer! I've been a fan since I was born! Tapestry is one of the BEST albums ever written/recorded PERIOD!!

[@62pnpn]

Gerry Goffin, her husband, wrote the lyrics.

[@ny21live]

Tapestry is Top 20 All Time.

[@bwana-ma-coo-bah425]

@@62pnpn and yet gets no credit.

[@LAStreetPreacher]

Except for her song "I feel the earth move under my feet." I think that orgasmic oration should have never gone public. Private yes. Public no!

[@bwana-ma-coo-bah425]

@@LAStreetPreacher lol! good one.

[@marksamuelsen2750]

I’m a 69yo disabled veteran and I’ve always loved this woman. I was home on leave and she was playing in Central Park and I went to see and listen and it was amazing. She is amazing and all Americans love her.

[@bobbarcus8310]

People don’t realize how many great songs she wrote in the almost 60 year career I would’ve loved to of been up in the brill building with her in the early 60s watch them all work

[@rosemariekury9186]

I was lucky enough to grow up in the fifties when both she and Neil Sedaka were writing songs for a lot of the pop artists. Never knew till recently though that she wrote this Monkees hit!

[@bwana-ma-coo-bah425]

she co wrote.

[@decay21450]

Carole King is the well deserved recipient of the 2013 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

[@Woody615]

Another one of the King/Goffin Monkees songs that I really love is "Sometime in the Morning."

[@IVant2BAlone]

I love that one, too.

[@garethjones6566]

I am 55 and my son is 21 and Carole king is one the few artists we both agree on.

[@carlcooper7720]

Didn't know she wrote this song until a couple of days ago... love both versions, and respect her even more as one of our greatest singer /song writers

[@MellowWind]

Actually her first husband wrote the lyrics. She wrote the music, AFAIK.

[@richardwallace6313]

co-wrote with Gerry Goffin

[@sethspeigel8462]

I found out a few years ago when I stumbled upon the actual demokzbin.info/www/bejne/fKXcooOwmtiia6M

[@acmacane8277]

I’d love to see her and Micky sing this awesome song together!

[@jacksimons6474]

Me too. Dolenz and King !

[@TheShadow351]

@@jacksimons6474 Please someone make it happen!

[@acb7074]

Love her voice,so unique,thank you Miss King and band.

[@daninnj8580]

I LOVE this song - despite the fact I live on a cul-de-sac backing up to Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange.

[@62pnpn]

Gerry Goffin, her husband, wrote the lyrics.

[@moogyboy6]

You know, I worked for a while at the West Orange Whole Foods Market store, and I was knocked out when I learned that this song was about a neighborhood literally right around the corner. I'd always assumed that Pleasant Valley was someplace in Southern California, a suburb or subdivision near Los Angeles, I mean to my ears nothing about the lyrics implies Northeastern New Jersey. Personally, I would have loved to have "Mr. Goffin and Mrs. King" as neighbors, they would easily have been the most interesting people on the block, judging from the song's cast of characters. (They sound like nice enough people, sure, but c'mon...)

[@daninnj8580]

@@62pnpn Together they wrote a TON of some of the greatest music of the era.

[@niggle6425]

Is Pleasant Valley an actual suburb in a US city?

[@danielmoore7342]

@@niggle6425 Actually Pleasant Valley refers to Pleasant Valley Way (we call PVW here) in West Orange, where King & Goffen lived. In winter I can see their old rental through the trees from my yard.

[@jbfonfrias9133]

Absolutely phenomenal. All these decades loving this song, & now is when I listen to its composer - the beautiful & legendary Carole King do her version. Breathtaking !!

[@goudagirl6095]

Thanks for blessing the world with this song, Carole! As a Monkees fanatic back in the day, it meant a lot to this little 7 year old!

[@GroovyShelly]

I love her energy in this performance. Goffin-King wrote so many terrific songs. Carole is a treasure.

[@stevekille447]

This is fantastic, a power pop classic, I loved it when I was 10 and I still love it 50 years later!

[@winterblue8887]

The mega~talented Carole King!!!!!

[@kevanbrown7620]

Carole King is a genuine legend

[@andrewwilliams9599]

It's wonderful to see Carole King enjoying the audience reaction. I know she's very shy.

[@Earcandy73]

All about Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange, New Jersey where she was living at the time.

[@HobsonLawrence]

West Orange represent

[@daninnj8580]

And it actually is much nicer here than you'd think. Besides, the exhaust from the traffic jams on PVW chokes out the BBQ smell now.

[@DateTwoRelate]

1452 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ 07052 3 bd/3 baths 1900 sq ft w land - sold in 2020 for $280K. Not exactly The Ritz!

[@JohnMichael-vy6hp]

I just looked it up. There are 36 towns named Pleasant Vally in the united states. I always thought this song was about the one in California

[@daninnj8580]

@@DateTwoRelate Looks over Golda Och Academy (formerly one of the chain of Solomon Schechter day schools) behind it. Built in 1911 and not similar to any other house in the area. None of the homes in the area are. She used the name but the song is far more evocative of all the developments built in the 50's and 60's for the Baby Boomers raising kids, which is why most people (even in these comments) think it was California. The area is more accurately portrayed in the works of Philip Roth, especially in the book and subsequent movie "Goodbye, Columbus". This area is "up the hill" from Newark and built by men to appeal to owners of businesses and factories in the city below who didn't want to live there. San Francisco and Seattle developed the same way, but (so far) haven't been abandoned to poverty like Newark was. Yet from what I'm reading lately . . . . .

[@Jaminbenb1]

This song is my childhood to the letter! I never knew Carole King wrote it until recently, but that makes sense since I love her music, and the Monkee's were my first favorite "band"!

[@WldHny1]

This song is so clever and well-written. I love the inventive chord changes. The social commentary is excellent.

[@WillScarlet16]

I am especially enjoying this because it is a Sunday, and it is Carole's birthday.

[@joycejohnston2863]

Hi all i can say is BRAVO she and her band mates all sang it great and played their instruments great her version is good and so is the monkees wee!!!!!! 🤗🙃🙂🎶✌️

[@timsanderson5572]

I like that she had the guitarist here play the beginning riff done the way the Monkees version was done. Her original version did not have the riff and I think it makes this song a little better to have it.

[@dammitol25mg19]

Agreed, and it's got to be a great tune with great playing/singing before I can listen to patched-in acoustic guitar without grimacing. This is such a tune. I think the original demo had a gorgeous live-mic'd 12 string.

[@62pnpn]

Gerry Goffin, her husband, wrote the lyrics.

[@BlanketMan]

Definitely a classic opening guitar riff! Wouldn’t be PVS without it. Producer Chip Douglas came up with the riff (based on the Beatles’ “I Want to Tell You”) and showed Mike Nesmith how to play it. Mike played it on the original recording.

[@josephbuczek9949]

Never knew she wrote this ! lol This was a awesome tune love the lyrics as well

[@donniemoder1466]

Lyrics by Gerry Goffin.

[@vettefool]

@@donniemoder1466 yep, no one seems to remember he wrote the words. Carole is great but without her husband would we have ever heard of her.

[@puldspulds5798]

@@vettefoolexactly what is the fascination about always “don’t forget goffin” because she never did,,,,and it’s pretty lame comment that we never would have heard from her,,,,I mean seriously goffin was freakin brilliant and he knew and has talked about her musical genius and said she was probably the best melody composer of the latter part of the 20 th century.

[@doctorxyss]

It's NOT too late, baby...😁👍 This song is one of my all time favorite! Love you, Carole!❤️since 70's. God bless you!🙌

[@gaveller]

I LOVE Carole King!

[@ginnyshea5851]

I love the song but I loved my Pleasant Valley Sundays even more! Charcoal, lawns, roses, woods, Degnan Park and all. Best childhood ever!

[@robertcalva8664]

My all time favorite Monkees tune!

[@roops2939]

We become grateful to these artists when we go thru a dark period in our lives for they make our lives worth living after listening to them. Thank you, Carole, Elvis, B J, Campbell, sinatra, Gaye, Cook... Life doesn't seem that bad after all.

[@MrPrincepop]

I just love her arrangement and chord progression on this classic. She is amazine.

[@timmy707707]

She pretty much "borrowed" the Monkees' arrangement for this performance. The guitar lick, the wordless verse, the end...all from the Monkees. But Caroles demo is a fine thing and I don't blame her a bit for using the more familiar version. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKXcooOwmtiia6M

[@geraldboettcher8011]

Great song Carol!.... Such a talented girl... But Micky does a damn good job.

[@62pnpn]

Gerry Goffin, her husband, wrote the lyrics.

[@marcushag8641]

Gee Pat Norton, how many times you going to tell us??

[@jahintx]

Oh, Carole, I know this is a bit of a lament, but I just can't help but feel so very happy every time I hear this wonderful song. Thank you!

[@edwardweiser2339]

I do like the songs she wrote , sung by herself best , more raw & not over produced. One of the greatest of all time 🙃🙂

[@azedertymas]

this is a song for ever

[@annelotus7507]

Carole is just wonderful!

[@jefferyetheridge5287]

Great song Carole and of the late Gerry Goffin depicting the so called serene American dream and society during the 60's. Nice blend of Carole's keyboard and vocal with some of Michael Nesmith's guitar riffs borrowing a bit from the Beatles' guitar riff of Paperback Writer.

[@mal334455]

One of the best songs from the 60s and great memories of my very first girlfiend at school💕

[@gwynenglishnielsen8596]

What amazes me about Carole's songs is that they all sound completely different. No wonder she made the big bucks as a songwriter for other acts.

A National Treasure!

[@raymondgill9796]

A treasure to her nation and the rest of the world

[@62pnpn]

Gerry Goffin, her husband, wrote the lyrics.

[@bgcs6275]

Pure joy - she’s a breathe of fresh air & a national treasure! 💙🌸

[@brendadrumm9451]

Did she sing it might as well rain till September x

[@richardtoland2624]

Brilliant!

[@Anna-xc9we]

West Orange New Jersey where she lived when she wrote this song .. status symbol land ❤

[@brianarbenz1329]

And Pleasant Valley Road in W. Orange supplied the title.

[@Anna-xc9we]

@@brianarbenz1329 pleasent valley way west Orange

[@timothyparsons8327]

Still my favourite Monkees song from 1967

[@bobsquires4521]

Ya - the first time this came on AM Radio in '67 - Mickey's Voice of the Monkees (He sang nine out of ten of the hits!) - I was eleven years old and I couldn't control my excitement. Great songwriting combined with the Wrecking Crew monsters at the helm and ALL the voices of the Monkees contributing - to this day it brings new meaning to profoundly fantastic 60's rock. It's just plain ole GREAT!

[@kjh789az]

Great song and performance. This song also one of the best covers by The Monkeys. Thanks.

[@donniemoder1466]

Monkees was not a cover, it was the original, right?

[@websitesthatneedanem]

Thank you, Carole, for such a wonderful song. 😊

[@intruder1300]

Wow! She could write a great song

[@NM-ic3uo]

Very TALENTED!!!👌👌👌👌👌👌👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@gary-songwriter]

Fantasic performer. Suberb songwriter. Please don't forget her long-time songwriting partner, Gerry Goffin, who penned the lyrics to these fantastic songs.

[@gj8683]

One of my early experiences of song as social commentary that I actually got. Helped a lot to be "in situ" (a suburban setting, though far from NJ); there were plenty of points of reference around. (It took a lot longer to get what the blues were about.) It's a brilliant song.

[@62pnpn]

Gerry Goffin, her husband, wrote the lyrics.

[@Inxmonsters]

I love this song ,remenbering my child experience .

[@montemichelbleu]

wonderful. what a treasure she is.

[@MellowWind]

Such a well crafted song. The audience makes me wonder if they ever listened to the lyrics.

[@vaughnmills1608]

Man, this is great. She is brilliant.

[@oliverdaddow2834]

I came to this via a Wedding Present cover, respect to a fantastic song writer.

[@edwinthompson159]

what a great stage! And of course what a legendary musician.

[@brookeperk93]

thank you carole for trashing status symbol land with this gem (of many gems) you wrote. my life became more meaningful from the first time i got the priceless definition of this song. you are the greatest.

[@daleanderson440]

Thank you for the video. She has always been amazing to me.

[@vwtch]

That intro - before the beat AND after the beat. Very effective.

[@karmicselling4252]

Thanks Carole and Gerry for writing such a beautiful song. Thank You for letting The Monkees release it. Funny this Australian always thought Pleasant Valley was somewhere in California. Oh well both California and New York are a long way away from Melbourne. Love from The Land Down Under.

[@MikeB-sk5ks]

Beautiful

[@sandrajones6586]

Wonderful !!!! 😍😍😍👏👏👏👏

[@johnbaxter9446]

Loved this by the Monkees... Even better with the Songwriter Herself!!!!!!! Brava!!!!!!!!

[@chriscampbell5544]

It's Carole King...'nuff said

[@62pnpn]

Gerry Goffin, her husband, wrote the lyrics.

[@misterpibb108]

GODDESS!!!

[@stephennixon9609]

What a great songwriter. She and Prince were genius songwriters.

[@janschroder1559]

I love this.

[@StuartWoodwardJP]

This is a real treasure.

[@drummerkid71]

Me: "Hey Carole!! Play Pleasant Valley Sunday!!" Carole: "like this?" KNOCKS IT OUT OF THE PARK FOR A HOMERUN Me: "Yes, just...like....that."

[@CatraDhtem]

Adorable watching Rudy doing the "ah-ah-ahhhh-ah" part of the bridge off mic.

[@waynej2608]

Awesome! I'd have loved to have been at this show. Carole is such a talent. And she's so freaking cute! 😎👍

[@elainecooper8882]

She was brought up in Brooklyn and moving to the "burbs" seemed so compromising. She loved city life.

[@mschmitz57]

Kudos to Carole for writing it, but she's performing the Monkee's version. Chip Douglas, the Monkee's producer (and Turtles bass player) came up with the catchy guitar riff, and the rest is history.

[@barkboingfloom]

I thought Nesmith came up with the riff.

[@mschmitz57]

According to several internet sources (Wiki, songfacts) Nes played the intro on the recording (double tracked) but Douglas came up with the riff which was based on The Beatles "I Want to Tell You. Chip also plays bass on the recording, Peter played keyboards.

[@alecpradeux3680]

sometimes you music nerds take the fun out of it, just skinny dip ya dope,

[@quantanglement]

And all this time I thought it was robbie or mike that came up with that riff. Shows how much I know.

[@Msaprilconquest]

who's robbie?

[@colinmead8996]

NAILED IT 👌🏻💯

[@markjohnson9485]

I love it!!!! Bravo! 👏👏👏👏

[@robertshetlandmusic3681]

Enjoyed that, great song

[@almodovar251]

Although I prefer the Monkee’s version, this one by Carol King is also a gem!

[@evermar1]

Listen to the original studio demo from her, it might change your opinion.

[@Anna-xc9we]

Yay West Orange NJ

[@steveruggeri9034]

Pure beauty and talent!!

[@LesPaul3399]

a thing of beauty

[@MDOurMD]

The angst of suburbia put so beautifully. That's the power of pop music and Carole King is a master of the pop song.

[@bbo1779]

Very nice!!!

[@alunjprice]

So much talent.

[@lisaciconte7409]

Carole King wrote this great song for The Monkees! Amazing woman.

[@stephenindc9102]

You might ask: Why is she singing this song? Well, she and Gerry wrote it.

[@10Fokker]

what a legend still looks great

[@r.p.mcmurphy6623]

Thank you, Captain Obvious!

[@Dee-gk6zg]

it's a great song for sure. The Monkees gave it life.

[@ihavefallenandicantreachmy2113]

and it is as relevant, now, as it was, then and then some, hence, Human Depopulation Virus(es.)

[@megan2176]

Goosebumps, awesome! :)

[@exclamationpointman3852]

VERY WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!

[@larrybethune3909]

Gotta love the Brill babies!

[@dondeloli7252]

Well I was not aware of that, awsome

[@victorjanusz7154]

Such a great tune!!

[@damovanb]

Carole King, genius woman!

[@yafittsouri8054]

Wow you’ve made my morning

[@davidspatola6286]

Fyi, pleasant valley way is a street in west orange new jersey where she used to live. Apparently her husband hated it.

[@62pnpn]

Gerry Goffin, her husband, wrote the lyrics.

[@kevingoins9858]

Correct re: Gerry hating living there. They moved to NJ as their daughters were growing and needed a bigger house. Goffin grew to resent the smugness of the suburbs.

[@timflatus]

Love you so much! Gorgeous version

[@hf1556]

I live Nerima Ward,Tokyo,Japan.Every Sunday morning I visit my church.It is pleasant Tokyo Sunday.

[@mrcody333cam]

Master class songwriting 101 👍

[@yvonnepfeif8383]

Nothing better.

[@richardb6260]

I noticed this is the Monkees' version. Her original demo has a different arrangement, a slightly different melody, and slightly different lyrics for the bridge (Mickey Dolenz changed the second line to "And make it hard for me to see" and moved "I need a change of scenery" to the end replacing the original line "I don't ever want to see".

[@harrymann5523]

@Carole King My favorite song that you wrote or co-wrote

[@therockbottom5256]

2019 and this song still resonates

[@oskarvikstrom229]

Amazing! Love it