Where You Lead

“Where You Lead” is a song written in 1970 by Carole King with lyricist Toni Stern, introduced on King’s iconic 1971 album Tapestry. A Top 40 hit for Barbra Streisand in both a studio and a live version — the latter in a medley entitled “Sweet Inspiration/ Where You Lead'” — the song has also served as the main theme song for The WB dramedy series Gilmore Girls in a lyrically revised version recorded by King and Louise Goffin. “Where You Lead” is one of two Carole King/ Toni Stern collaborations featured on Tapestry, the other being the #1 single “It’s Too Late”. King had written the music and the majority of the lyric for “Where You Lead” when she solicited the assistance of Stern, saying: “I can’t write the bridge to this: if you can figure out the bridge you can get [co-writing] credit for the song.” Disliking the arguably servile stance of the song as written by King so far, Stern swiftly conceived lyrics for its bridge which she felt expressed a more empowered narrative voice. The lyrics Stern submitted to King included the lines: “…if you want to live in fucking New York City / Honey you know I will”: King herself deleted “fucking”, then sought Tapestry producer Lou Adler’s approval of the “New York City” reference; Adler’s approval was forthcoming and the lyrics for “Where You Lead” were thus complete. Inspired by the Book of Ruth, where it says: “Where you go, I will go”