Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the No. 3 single "Fire and Rain" and had his first No. 1 hit the following year with "You've Got a Friend", a recording of Carole King's classic song. His 1976 Greatest Hits album was certified Diamond and has sold 12 million US copies. Following his 1977 album, JT, he has retained a large audience over the decades. Every album that he released from 1977 to 2007 sold over 1 million copies. He enjoyed a resurgence in chart performance during the late 1990s and 2000s, when he recorded some of his most-awarded work (including Hourglass, October Road, and Covers). He achieved his first number-one album in the US in 2015 with his recording Before This World.
He is known for his popular covers of other people's songs, such as "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" and the aforementioned "You've Got A Friend", as well as originals such as "Fire and Rain".
Taylor's four siblings (Alex, Livingston, Hugh, and Kate) have also been musicians with recorded albums. Livingston is still an active musician; Kate was active in the 1970s but did not record another album until 2003; Hugh operates a bed-and-breakfast with his wife, The Outermost Inn in Aquinnah on Martha's Vineyard; and Alex died in 1993 on James's birthday.
After his divorce from Carly Simon in 1983, Taylor married actress Kathryn Walker on December 14, 1985 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. She had helped him get off heroin, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1996.
On February 18, 2001, at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Boston, Taylor wed for the third time, marrying Caroline ("Kim") Smedvig, the director of public relations and marketing for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.[81] They had begun dating in 1995, when they met as he appeared with John Williams and the Boston Pops Orchestra. Part of their relationship was worked into the album October Road, on the song "On the 4th of July". The couple reside in the town of Washington, Massachusetts, with their twin boys, Rufus and Henry, born in April 2001. Henry shares James' intrest and talents.
Sally and Ben, his children with Carly Simon, have also embarked on musical careers. After they were born, Taylor moved with his family to Lenox, Massachusetts.
10 Terra Nova
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When shall I see the sea?
May this day set me in emotion,
I ought to be on my way.
We were there,
We were sailing on the Terra Nova.
Sailing for the setting sun,
May this day show me an ocean,
I ought to be on my way.
Ought to be on my way right now.
Stepping on the boat
With a lump in my throat,
On my way right now.
I got a letter from a dear friend of mine,
The story of a spiritual awakening.
She spoke of her love returning in kind,
She let me know that she'd be waiting.
And I should be on my way by now.
Walking across the floor,
Reaching for the door, on my way by now.
But here I sit,
Country fool that I am,
My elbow on my knee
And my chin in my hand.
My mind in the gutter
And my eye on the street,
Holed up in a cave of concrete.
And I ought to be on my way right now.
Packing my things
While the telephone rings,
On my way right now.
I miss my lovely mother
And I love my lonely father.
I know I owe my brothers one thing
And another, I hear my sister singing.
And I ought to be on my way right now.
Moving across the land
With my heart in my hand,
On my way by now,
Ought to be on my way by now.
Oh, end this day,
Set me in motion.
Ought to be on my way.
Out of the west
Of Lambert's Cove,
There's a sail out in the sun.
And I'm on board
Though very small,
I've come home to stop yearning.
Burn off the haze
Around the shore,
Turn off the crazy way I feel.
I'll stay away from you no more,
I've come home to stop yearning.
The song "10 Terra Nova" by James Taylor is a longing for a coastal life and the ocean. The lyrics originally appeared in a journal Taylor kept as he sailed on the Terra Nova to Antarctica in 1993. In the song, he pleads for the day to end so he can be shown the ocean – a symbol of his desire to escape from his current life. Taylor feels stuck in his current situation and wishes he was on his way to something more fulfilling, whether that be the sea or a spiritual awakening like the one his friend experienced.
Despite his longing, Taylor finds himself stagnant, sitting with his chin in his hand and his mind in the gutter. He is a "country fool" who needs to pack his things, leave his cave of concrete and start moving towards his goals. He thinks about his family who he misses and loves, but feels like he owes them something before he can leave. However, by the end of the song, he has found his way "home," as he boards a small sailboat and stops yearning.
Overall, "10 Terra Nova" is a deeply personal and introspective song about the struggle to find meaning in life and the longing for something more. It is a relatable sentiment that many can empathize with, especially during times of uncertainty or stagnation.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, end this day, show me the ocean.
The singer wants to escape his current situation and see the ocean.
When shall I see the sea?
The singer is eager to see the ocean and wants to know when they will have the chance to do so.
May this day set me in emotion,
The singer hopes that this day will inspire them to take action and leave.
I ought to be on my way.
The artist knows that they need to leave and start a new journey.
We were there,
The artist is recalling a past experience when they were sailing on the Terra Nova.
We were sailing on the Terra Nova.
The singer and others were on a boat named Terra Nova while they were sailing in the past.
Sailing for the setting sun,
The singer and others were sailing in the direction of the setting sun, possibly on a journey to escape reality.
Sailing for the new horizon.
The artist and others were sailing towards a new beginning or outlook on life.
May this day show me an ocean,
The artist hopes that this day will bring them closer to the ocean and the start of their new journey.
I ought to be on my way.
The artist feels a strong sense of urgency and knows that they need to leave as soon as possible.
Ought to be on my way right now.
The singer feels that they need to leave immediately and start their journey without further delay.
Stepping on the boat
The artist is preparing to embark on a new journey by getting on the boat.
With a lump in my throat,
The singer is feeling emotional and possibly scared or anxious about their new journey.
On my way right now.
The singer is ready to leave and start their new journey immediately without hesitation.
I got a letter from a dear friend of mine,
The singer received a letter from a friend who talks about their spiritual awakening.
The story of a spiritual awakening.
The artist's friend has had a powerful transformative experience that has changed their spiritual beliefs and perspectives on life.
She spoke of her love returning in kind,
The artist's friend has found someone who loves them and the feeling is mutual.
She let me know that she'd be waiting.
The singer's friend will be waiting for them at their destination.
And I should be on my way by now.
The singer knows that they should have left already to be on time to meet their friend.
Walking across the floor,
The artist is getting ready to leave by taking their first steps towards the door.
Reaching for the door, on my way by now.
The artist is reaching for the door and is ready to leave immediately to meet their friend.
But here I sit,
The artist is currently stuck and unable to move or escape their current situation.
Country fool that I am,
The singer feels foolish for being unable to leave their current situation and is ashamed of it.
My elbow on my knee
The artist's body language suggests that they are feeling dejected or defeated.
And my chin in my hand.
The singer is holding their chin in their hand, which is a sign of deep thought or contemplation.
My mind in the gutter
The singer's thoughts are focused on negative or undesirable situations.
And my eye on the street,
The singer is watching people in the street, possibly wishing they could be out there too.
Holed up in a cave of concrete.
The artist is feeling trapped and confined by their surroundings.
Packing my things
The artist is preparing to leave by packing their belongings.
While the telephone rings,
Despite the obstacles, the singer is still focused on leaving and is packing their things even as the phone rings.
I miss my lovely mother
The singer feels homesick and misses their mother very much.
And I love my lonely father.
The artist has a great deal of love and respect for their father, who may be living alone or feeling lonely.
I know I owe my brothers one thing
The artist has a sense of obligation towards their brothers and wants to fulfill a promise or commitment to them.
And another, I hear my sister singing.
The artist also thinks of their sister and can hear her voice or feel her presence.
Moving across the land
The singer is traveling on foot and making their way across the land.
With my heart in my hand,
The artist is carrying their heart with them and has it on their sleeve or is showing their emotions openly.
On my way by now,
The singer is eager to leave immediately and start their new journey.
Out of the west
The singer is looking to the west to find answers or inspiration.
Of Lambert's Cove,
The singer is familiar with this place and knows it intimately.
There's a sail out in the sun.
The artist sees a boat with a sail that is glistening in the sun.
And I'm on board
The artist is ready to leave and is already on board the boat.
Though very small,
The singer may feel insignificant in the grand scheme of things but is still going to embark on their new journey.
I've come home to stop yearning.
The singer has found their way back to where they belong and no longer feels a sense of longing or restlessness.
Burn off the haze
The artist wants to clear away the fog or confusion in their life and find clarity.
Around the shore,
The artist is referring to the shoreline and wants the area to be cleansed or purified.
Turn off the crazy way I feel.
The artist wants to find peace and calmness by turning off the negative thoughts and emotions that are troubling them.
I'll stay away from you no more,
The singer is finally ready to embrace their destiny and not shy away from it any longer.
I've come home to stop yearning.
The artist has found their way back to where they belong and no longer feels a sense of longing or restlessness.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CARLY E. SIMON, JAMES VERNON TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Al Im
Great song!