"It's Too Late" is a 1971 pop-soft rock ballad by Carole King from her landmark album Tapestry. The music is by Carole King with lyrics by Toni Stern, and it was released as a single in 1971 as a double A-side with "I Feel the Earth Move." The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Adult Contemporary chart, and its success helped make the album a monumental hit; it has been platinum certified by the RIAA. Lyrically, it describes the blameless end of a loving relationship with a tone of acceptance and maturity, with critics noting a feminist reading of the song. Musically it blends Tin Pan Alley sensibilities with light jazz and polished LA studio craft, featuring guitar by Danny Kortchmar and sax by Curtis Amy alongside King's piano. It won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1972, is listed among Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003. The tune has been covered by artists including Gloria Estefan in 1995 and Dina Carroll in 1991 (via Quartz).
