I Feel the Earth Move

Album: Tapestry (1971)
Charted: 1
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A very sensual song, this piano-driven cut is the first track on Carole King's classic Tapestry album, which spent nearly six years on the chart, thanks in large part to women who bought the album en masse. While the song has a risqué feel (at least by 1971 standards), King never used sex appeal in her marketing, which earned her a great deal of respect with women who could relate to her songs and outlook.

    The earthquake metaphor can be seen as King's musical coming out, opening her album with confidence and setting the stage for a new sound. With a piano hook and very forthright lyrics, it certainly makes a statement.
  • There is some confusion over whether "I Feel the Earth Move" was a #1 hit. Given its upbeat nature, King's record label selected it as the A-side of Tapestry's first single. However, after a few weeks of continuous airplay many DJs began to give the slower, lamenting B-side "It's Too Late" a lot of spins. It came to the point where "It's Too Late" dominated and ended up topping the Hot 100 chart by May of 1971. Billboard has since declared the record a double A-side and it is generally listed as such in books and articles that both songs reached #1 on the chart.
  • This was used in the movie Terms of Endearment. It was also used in an episode of the TV show Eli Stone.
  • The pop singer Martika covered "I Feel the Earth Move" as the follow-up to her #1 hit "Toy Soldiers." Her dance/rock version reached #25 in the US and #7 in the UK. It also charted high in Australia, Japan and Spain and a number of other countries.
  • Eternal, an R&B girl group from the UK, sang this on the 1995 album Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King.
  • During the recording of Tapestry, King was working in A&M Studios, specifically in Studio B. Next door, in Studio C, Joni Mitchell was recording her Blue album and had a red Steinway piano in her studio. King noticed this Steinway had a tone she found especially appealing. When Mitchell finished and vacated the studio, King and her band had a three-hour window to use Studio C, and they recorded "I Feel The Earth Move" on that very Steinway piano.

Comments: 1

  • David D from Fort Worth, TxThere was a filmstrip from the 70s that used this song as the example for hyperbole ... can anyone help me find it?
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Jon Anderson of Yes

Jon Anderson of YesSongwriter Interviews

From the lake in "Roundabout" to Sister Bluebird in "Starship Trooper," Jon Anderson talks about how nature and spirituality play into his lyrics for Yes.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"They're Playing My Song

Chris and his wife Tina were the rhythm section for Talking Heads when they formed The Tom Tom Club. "Genius of Love" was their blockbuster, but David Byrne only mentioned it once.

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Psychedelic Furs lead singer Richard Butler talks about their first album since 1991 and explains what's really going on in "Pretty In Pink."