"(They Long to Be) Close to You" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. First recorded in 1963 by Richard Chamberlain, the song had its biggest success in 1970, in a version recorded by American duo the Carpenters for their second studio album Close to You and produced by Jack Daugherty. A soft pop ballad, the song expresses a woman's appreciation that her romantic partner symbolically attracts the attention of birds and falling stars.

Released on May 14, 1970, the single of the Carpenters' version topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts and ranked no. 2 in the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 of 1970. Billboard, Cash Box, and Record World all offered positive reviews. It was also popular internationally, reaching the top of the Canadian and Australian charts and peaked at number six on the charts of both the UK and Ireland. The record was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in August 1970. Johnny Mathis and Andy Williams also recorded their own versions of "Close to You" later that year.

In 1986, American R&B singer Gwen Guthrie recorded a cover of the song that reached no. 25 on the UK Singles Chart and no. 9 on the Recorded Music NZ chart. In later years, the Carpenters' version continued to attract interest, as a plot device in the 1989 film Parenthood and 2007 film The Simpsons Movie along with a 1991 episode of The Simpsons. The New York Times also wrote articles complimenting the song in 1995 and 2014.

With lyrics by Hal David and music by Burt Bacharach, "(They Long to Be) Close to You" is in the key of C major, with a ⁴
₄ time signature. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a woman asking why birds, stars from the sky, and other women "long to be close to" her romantic partner.

In 1970, "(They Long to Be) Close to You" was released by the Carpenters on their album Close to You (1970) and became their breakthrough hit. Believing the original title to be too long, Richard Carpenter added parentheses around "They Long to Be". Los Angeles station KHJ was the first U.S. radio station to play "Close to You", reported Record World on June 6, 1970. The song charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for 17 weeks, including four at number one, becoming Carpenters' first top 10. It was also no. 2 in the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1970. In 2018, Billboard ranked "Close to You" the top single of the summer of 1970. Additionally, the success of "Close to You" helped A&M Records set a new record for singles sales in 1970.

Bacharach and David gave Herb Alpert the song after he scored a number one hit in 1968 with "This Guy's in Love with You", which the duo had also written. Alpert recorded the song, but he was displeased with the recording and did not release it. After the Carpenters achieved their first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Ticket to Ride" in 1969, Alpert approached them to record their version of the song, believing it was well-suited for them.

"(They Long to Be) Close to You" earned the Carpenters a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus in 1971. It became the first of three Grammy Awards they would win during their careers. The song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on August 12, 1970. Reaching number six on the UK Singles Chart in 1970, in a UK television special on ITV in 2016 it was voted fourth in "The Nation's Favourite Carpenters Song".

Instrumental backing was provided by L.A. studio musicians from the Wrecking Crew. Richard had originally written the flugelhorn solo part for Herb Alpert but when he was unavailable at the time of recording, Chuck Findley was hired in his stead. Richard later commented: "Chuck didn't play it that way at first, but I worked with him and he nailed it. A lot of people thought it was Herb – Bacharach thought so, too. But it's the way Findley is playing it."