About the Song
There are some songs that don’t rush to reassure you or pretend everything’s alright. Instead, they sit with you—softly, honestly—and acknowledge that healing takes time. That’s the beauty of “It’s Going to Take Some Time” by the Carpenters, released in 1972 on their album A Song for You. With its graceful arrangement and Karen Carpenter’s gently aching voice, this track is a tender exploration of heartache, patience, and quiet endurance.
Originally written by Carole King and Toni Stern, the song was first recorded by King for her Music album in 1971. But when the Carpenters took it on a year later, they imbued it with a new kind of emotional depth—an intimate blend of melancholy and hope, wrapped in Richard Carpenter’s trademark production and Karen’s voice, which always seemed to understand the deeper meaning behind every word.
From the opening line—“It’s going to take some time this time…”—Karen’s delivery is full of resignation, not despair. It’s the kind of line spoken by someone who’s been through enough to know that you can’t force healing, can’t rush grief, and can’t pretend that moving on is simple. Her voice, warm and clear, doesn’t ask for sympathy. It offers comfort—not through promises, but through presence.
Richard Carpenter’s arrangement surrounds her with soft orchestration, subtle piano, and gently layered harmonies. There’s no urgency, no dramatic swell—just a musical atmosphere of acceptance, perfectly in tune with the song’s message. It’s this restraint that makes the song so powerful. It doesn’t try to solve the listener’s sadness—it simply walks alongside it.
Though not among their most commercially explosive singles, “It’s Going to Take Some Time” remains a beloved favorite among fans, precisely because of its emotional honesty. It’s a song for anyone who’s ever experienced the slow, quiet work of putting life back together—one day at a time.
With this track, the Carpenters remind us that sometimes, the greatest strength lies in acknowledging our fragility. And in Karen’s voice, we’re reminded that even the most broken hearts can find solace in songs that understand without trying to fix. A little patience, a little kindness—and time.