Carbon does have remarkable properties. One of the four basic organic elements, present in any number of compounds including pure carbon compounds like graphite and Diamonds. Mainly because the atom is built like it has four plugs, and four sockets. They think according to the meteorites that there is a vast amount of carbon in interstellar dust and think it may give them clues to the way carbon molecules form, including those that are the precursors of life.
Then of course there's
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds? The 60s does seem to be a long time ago, and as they say, if you remember it you weren't there.