🎸 My Personal Top 20 [The Carpenters Edition] – Introducing No. 11 “This Masquerade”!

■For more details about [The Carpenters]…
➡🌈 The Siblings Who Changed the World with Gentleness — The Miracle of the Carpenters 💛

🎸[The Carpenters Edition] No. 11 is “This Masquerade”.

No. 11 is “This Masquerade”. A song from 1973. It’s been over 50 years now.
The thumbnail of the video introduction below is so nostalgic. I listened to this album a lot.

As a 15-year-old at the time, I had just stood near the entrance to the bottomless swamp of Western music.
Naturally, back then, even when it came to Western music, I was mainly listening to easy-listening pop, so this “Masquerade” felt a little out of place to me.

It was what we would call Adult Contemporary today, or perhaps a soft rock ballad or smooth ballad, which means it sounded like a new music genre to me.

It’s not a song I would introduce with an expression like “I love it…!”, but it is definitely one of the songs that broadened my musical horizons.

Summary

The protagonists of this song were once able to converse naturally, but now they cannot take off their "masks" with each other. Even when they try to re-evaluate their relationship, they cannot exchange words honestly, and misunderstandings just pile up. There are moments when they consider leaving, but upon seeing the other's expression, they hesitate and maintain the ambiguous state. This song quietly depicts two people with constantly wavering feelings, lost in a loop with no exit.

🎥First, as always, please watch the official YouTube video.

🎬 Official Video Credits (Official Audio)
"This Masquerade" — Carpenters
Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group
Provided by A&M Records / Universal Music Group
🎼Two-line Commentary
An adult contemporary piece included in the 1973 album "Now & Then", quietly depicting the stagnation of a relationship. It is a masterpiece where Karen Carpenter's restrained vocals plainly highlight the misunderstandings between the two.

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Basic Information of the Song

A “masquerade” means a “masked ball”.
Among The Carpenters’ works, there are not many songs that confront the “weight of silence” so head-on.
When placed in their catalog characterized by glamorous arrangements, this song is even more heterogeneous, exuding a presence like a spotlight quietly floating on a darkened stage.
Unlike their representative songs based on brightness and kindness, it plainly depicts the quiet atmosphere of two people whose relationship is not progressing well, leaving a sensation that slowly spreads deep in your chest.

Release / Featured Album

“This Masquerade” is a track included in the 1973 album “Now & Then”.
The original is a song released by singer-songwriter Leon Russell in 1972, and The Carpenters picked it up with a different arrangement the following year.

“Now & Then” is an album characterized by its structure, placing original songs on Side A and an oldies medley on Side B, serving as a record that showcases their broad musicality at the time. Among them, “This Masquerade” is positioned as the final track of Side A, playing a “closing” role that temporarily settles the atmosphere of the album.

Compared to other cheerful tunes, this song strongly conveys a sense of shadow, symbolizing the “darkness lurking behind the softness” that The Carpenters possessed at the time. While maintaining a clear resonance, Karen’s vocals do not express emotions excessively, bringing the entire song together in a way that preserves a faint gradient. This control greatly enhances the value of this song.

Chart and Historical Background

Since The Carpenters’ version of “This Masquerade” was not released as a single, there are no specific chart records left. However, the evaluation of the song itself is high, and in 1976, George Benson covered this song, with his version becoming a massive hit. The fact that Benson’s version won a Grammy Award further raised the fame and acclaim of this song.

In America during the early 1970s, songs dealing with the instability of romance and emotional conflict were increasing, and “introspective works” that were not just simple love songs were gathering listeners’ empathy. This work was exactly part of that trend, presenting a new aspect of The Carpenters’ worldview.

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Theme and Worldview of the Song

Protagonists’ Background

The protagonists of this song are in a situation where the more words they exchange, the wider the distance between them grows.
It’s not that they want to blame each other; the desire to understand the other person certainly exists. However, they cannot quite grasp where to place their emotions, and the communication that once came naturally has become awkward.
As this contradictory state of “wanting to talk but being unable to” continues, the two gradually become exhausted, and their relationship stagnates without being able to move to the next stage.

Karen’s vocals depict this complex situation with a quiet gaze, without overemphasizing it.
Her singing, which is somewhat objective, doesn’t force emotions, and seems to merely explain the situation itself, creating a structure that paradoxically leaves a deep impression on the listener’s heart.

Introduction to the Story

In the early part of the song, the “unspoken anxiety” drifting between the protagonists is depicted.
Even when they try to talk, they cannot find the necessary words. Despite having the desire to understand and be understood, the more they talk, the less their feelings align. Because of this, the very act of attempting a conversation gradually turns into fear.

The Carpenters do not stage this awkwardness and conflict with superficial dramatics, but intentionally portray it plainly. Because there is no excessive emotional expression, listeners can sense the “atmosphere of misunderstanding” that is closer to reality, quietly empathizing with the protagonists in the story.

Core Parts and Interpretation of the Lyrics

Symbolic Phrases

In this song, short phrases repeatedly appear, and each time, the protagonists’ “inability to move” is emphasized.
Among them, the most symbolic is,

“lost in this masquerade” (Lost while wearing masks)

this single line.

This phrase is not just a metaphor for “wearing a mask,” but symbolizes the very state in which the two continue their relationship without showing their true feelings.
“Lost” does not only mean “losing one’s way,” but also includes the nuance of “not even being able to see the direction of the exit,” indicating the seriousness of the stagnation the protagonists are facing.

Also, following the flow of the lyrics, we can understand that both of them still retain the feeling of “really wanting to cherish the relationship,” but the paradox is drawn where trying to put those feelings into words only highlights the distance between them. This structure gives birth to the poignancy of this song.

Protagonists’ Psychological Changes

As the song progresses, the protagonists’ consciousness changes from
“wanting to somehow understand each other”
to
“why do we keep continuing this state?”

There are certainly moments when they consider leaving. However, the moment they see the other’s expression, hesitation arises, and ultimately they cannot change the status quo. It is not a desire to blame the other, but a slow oozing of frustration toward oneself for being unable to sort out one’s feelings.

The protagonists have not completely given up. Rather, the will to “search for a clue to a solution” remains. But without that will materializing, they end up back where they started. This wavering gives a unique tension to the whole song.

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Charm of the Sound / Singing

Characteristics of the Arrangement

The Carpenters’ version of “This Masquerade” is characterized by a simple structure that eliminates excessive decoration.
The piano serves as the main axis, and restrained strings slowly color the background. Because no single part comes too far forward and everything resonates in a way that quietly melts together, it feels as if the protagonists’ “unspoken relationship” is being expressed exactly through the acoustics.

Richard Carpenter’s arrangement retains the bluesy atmosphere of the original song while pulling it together in a smoother, more transparent direction.
What is particularly striking is that the “pause” in phrases is kept to a minimum, intentionally maintaining a linear and calm flow. This brings out an “exitless silence” rather than emotional wavering, snuggling perfectly into the worldview of the song.

Karen Carpenter’s Singing

Karen’s singing voice in this song differs from the impression heard in past glamorous hit songs, possessing a quietness like a plain narration.
She never shows off her vocal volume, never shouts, and plainly places words within a slight waver—this very “restraint” is the biggest factor that gives depth to this song.

Rather than excessively emphasizing specific emotions, Karen sings as if carefully tracing only the outline of the situation. Therefore, the listener doesn’t receive the protagonists’ feelings directly from her voice itself, but naturally understands them from the overall atmosphere of the song. This “expression maintaining distance” matches perfectly with the composition of “two people still wearing masks,” which is the theme of the song.

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Reasons for Being No. 11 in the Best 20 (Summary)

Differentiation from Other Songs

While many of The Carpenters’ songs are based on warmth and softness, this song is a rare existence that deals with “quiet conflict.”
When placed between glamorous pop tunes, its weight is further emphasized, playing a role in bringing depth to the entire album.

Also, it is unique in that it is not a song directly depicting the clashes or breakups of lovers, but deals with the highly delicate theme of “a relationship that continues without being able to exchange words.” The focus of the song is not an explosion of emotion, but quiet stagnation, and this approach stands out remarkably even within The Carpenters’ discography.

The moderation of the arrangement, Karen’s restrained singing, and the way the story is drawn—
All of these form a structure that observes the situation from a step back, and this three-dimensional feel is exactly what makes this song special.

A Word to Make the Reader Want to Listen Again

“This Masquerade” is a song where the “quietly sinking emotions” that you couldn’t notice upon the first listen emerge in new forms every time you listen to it again.
Even though it’s not glamorous, for some reason, it never leaves your heart—to confirm that reason, please try lending an ear to it once again.
The slight waver in Karen Carpenter’s voice is sure to softly remain somewhere in your memory.

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