It's Too Late (Carole King song)
"It's Too Late" is a song from Carole King's 1971 album "Tapestry". Toni Stern wrote the lyrics and King wrote the music. It was released as a single in April 1971 and reached number 1 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. Sales were later gold-certified by the RIAA. "Billboard" ranked "It's Too Late" and its fellow A-side, "I Feel the Earth Move", as the No. 3 record for 1971. Music and lyrics. The lyrics describe the blameless end of a loving relationship. Music critic Dave  Marsh saw implicit feminism because the woman left the man. Marsh also remarked on the maturity of the theme. Music critic Robert Christgau wrote that "if there's a truer song about breaking up than 'It's Too Late,' the world (or at least AM radio) isn't ready for it." Marsh described the melody as Tin Pan Alley and the arrangement as a cross between light jazz and "L.A. studio craftsmanship." "Rolling Stone" remarked that King's "warm, earnest singing" on the song brought out the song's sadness. According to author James Perone, the feel of the song  is enhanced by the instrumental work of Danny Kortchmar on guitar, Curtis Amy on saxophone and King on piano. Kortchmar and Amy each have an instrumental solo. "Cash Box" described the song as "a sensitive ballad with a strong rock under-beat." Toni Stern told author Sheila Weller that she wrote the lyrics in a single day, after her love affair with James Taylor ended. The recording won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1972, and the song is included in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Soundtracks. "It's Too Late" has been  featured in Hollywood films, including "Fandango" (1985), "The Lake House" (2006), and "Invincible" (2006). Gloria Estefan version. In 1995, Cuban American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan released her cover of "It's Too Late" as the third promotional single (in the US), and fourth overall single released from her fourth studio album, "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me". Critical reception. AllMusic editor Eddie Huffman described the song as a "moment of genuine pathos" in his review of "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me". Phil Shanklin of ReviewsRevues stated that "King’s voice does possess the same warmth as Estefan’s ." Other versions. The song has been covered by