- - The Carpenters Song That Sparks Instant Nostalgia for Generations of Fans

Lucille BarillaDecember 13, 2025 at 10:29 PM

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Tony Russell/Redferns

The Carpenters' music has become a source of joy for generations of listeners, but there is one song in particular that sparks instant nostalgia.

"Yesterday Once More" was written by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis in 1973. The song evokes a feeling of remembrance for a simpler time in life and music. The song's lyrics describe listening to the radio, remembering how certain songs made one feel, and how hearing them again brings back those emotions, sometimes with a touch of sadness for a time that's passed.

In a 2014 interview with The Tennessean, Bettis shared the story of how his partnership with Karen and Richard Carpenter came to be, his memories of writing the song, and why it still resonates with listeners today.

Bettis said he met the brother and sister duo when they were students at Cal State, Long Beach, California. "[Richard] asked me at one point, he said, 'Look, I've got a sister who sings great and plays drums.'"

"Let's put a group together, the three of us. We'll get some other people from the music department here and make a band."

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He revealed that Richard and Karen were on the road a lot after having "six No. 1 records or something in a row." He added that "Richard had no time to find any material, so he was going to do one side of an album as oldies. But he knew he couldn't get away with that without an original song to hang it all together.'

"He called me and said, 'We've really got to have an anthem.' This is when Grease was getting the Tony (Award) and when the film American Graffiti had just been out, so it made some commercial sense."

Bettis said that he and Richard created the music and words, and by the time Karen came in and sang it, "it was one of those moments you live for. The record just kind of bloomed in front of me."

Richard echoed Bettis' commentary in an interview with Songwriter Universe in 2019. "We had done an oldies medley on our Now & Then album, and I felt it needed a song to bookend it, to set the whole medley up. So I came up with 'Yesterday Once More.'"

"I wrote the lyrics, 'When I was young I’d listen to the radio, waiting for my favorite song,' and the hook. That’s my lyric and melody. But there were certain words in the verses that didn’t come to me, so I got together with John, and he finished the lyric."

"Yesterday Once More" is one of the Carpenters' biggest hits. Billboard ranked the song at No. 2 in July 1973. The song would remain on the charts for 14 weeks.

Karen Carpenter died in February 1983. Richard Carpenter continues to keep the Carpenters' legacy alive by curating their music, releasing posthumous collections, and occasionally performing.

This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”