Gerry Goffin: A Natural Lyricist (BK Roads: Gerry Goffin Tribute)

July 6, 2014 by

gerry goffinWhen you sing along with the radio to Will You Love Me Tomorrow,Pleasant Valley Sunday, Some Kind of Wonderful, Take Good Care of My Baby, Up on the Roof, The Locomotion, One Fine Day, Chainsor(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, you’re singing the words of Brooklyn native Gerry Goffin, who died June 19 at the age of 75. These are just a handful of the 50-plus Top 40 hits the Brooklyn Tech graduate and wife Carole King, the greatest songwriting team Brooklyn has ever produced, wrote together.

After their marriage dissolved, King launched a very successful solo career, overshadowing her ex who, plagued by depression, scuffled. While Ms. King deserves every accolade thrown her way, Goffin’s contribution as lyricist, particularly his knack for writing from a female perspective, is too often overlooked.

Goffin did find some success in the 1970s and ‘80s with other composers, co-writing such hits as Saving All My Love for You,Tonight I Celebrate My Love and Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To). On the second of his only two solo albums, 1994’s Back Room Blood, he even teamed on two songs with none other than Bob Dylan. Ultimately Goffin and King were inducted together into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Months before his passing, he was able to add Broadway lyricist to his resume: All of the above mentioned Goffin-King classics are featured in the hit show Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

King called her former husband and partner “a dynamic force, whose words and creative influence will resonate for generations to come.” We at Brooklyn Roads would just like to add that Gerry Goffin’s words, his contributions to the American songbook, are indeed some kind of wonderful.