Songfacts®:

• The first single from Norah Jones album Day Breaks, this gentle piano song finds her singing about leaving past memories of a relationship behind and moving on. It's not clear if she's looking to start fresh with this person or move on from the relationship, but the video portrays the first scenario, with an older couple interrupting their routine to dance in the kitchen.
• In a video interview, Jones said: "'Carry On' sort of happened really quick. I feel like you're lucky when a song comes quickly. I think I wrote that in my kitchen on my kitchen piano, sort of early in the morning one day after a late night of who knows what?
  
  'Carry On' sort of harkens back to my first record a little bit. It's sort of got that country-bluesy vibe - it's really mellow. I think it's a catchy melody."
• The video was directed by Claire Marie Vogel, who also did Metallica's video for "Confusion." Said Jones, "The idea for the video came from the way I wrote the song, which was I have a tiny little piano in my kitchen, which gets played way more than my nice music room piano and a lot more songs get written on it. I just like the idea of a couple having an intimate moment, dancing in the kitchen. I know I've had that moment."