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.
Baby
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His horse and his cattle are his only companions
He works in the saddle and sleeps in the canyons
Waiting for summer, his pastures to change
And as the moon rises he sits by his fire
Thinking about women and glasses of beer
And closing his eyes as the doggies retire
He sings out a song which is soft but it's clear
Goodnight you moonlight ladies
Rockabye sweet baby James
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose
Won't you let me go down in my dreams
And rockabye sweet baby James
Now the first of December was covered with snow
So was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston
The Berkshires seemed dream-like on account of that frosting
With ten miles behind me and ten thousand more to go
There's a song that they sing when they take to the highway
A song that they sing when they take to the sea
A song that they sing of their home in the sky
Maybe you can believe it if it helps you to sleep
But singing works just fine for me
So goodnight you moonlight ladies
Rockabye sweet baby James
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose
Won't you let me go down in my dreams
And rockabye sweet baby James
The song "Sweet Baby James" by James Taylor is about a young cowboy who is reflecting on his life living on the range. The cowboy is alone except for his horse and cattle, and he spends his time working in the saddle and sleeping in the canyons. He is waiting for summer to come so that his pastures will change. As night falls, the cowboy sits by his fire and reflects on women and his past while singing a soft but clear song that he hopes someone can hear. The cowboy wants to be able to dream and escape reality, signaled by the lyrics "Won't you let me go down in my dreams and rockabye sweet baby James."
The second verse jumps to the first of December, which was covered with snow, and the journey from Stockbridge to Boston. The Berkshires seemed "dream-like" due to the frosting of snow that had settled on them. The last lines discuss a song that is sung when taking to the highway or sea, or when people sing of their home in the sky. The cowboy reinforces his desire to dream and escape with the last lines: "But singing works just fine for me. So goodnight you moonlight ladies, rockabye sweet baby James."
Overall, "Sweet Baby James" conjures up a feeling of nostalgia and wistfulness for a simpler time, and the desire to escape into dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a young cowboy, he lives on the range
A cowboy resides in the countryside with his horses and cattle as his sole companions.
His horse and his cattle are his only companions
The cowboy only has his farm animals to keep him company.
He works in the saddle and sleeps in the canyons
The cowboy spends the day riding his horse and finds shelter to sleep in the canyons.
Waiting for summer, his pastures to change
The cowboy anticipates the summer season when his pastures will alter for his livestock.
And as the moon rises he sits by his fire
As the moon ascends into the sky, the cowboy rests beside his fire.
Thinking about women and glasses of beer
The cowboy contemplates women and drinks beer while sitting by the fire.
And closing his eyes as the doggies retire
The cowboy closes his eyes as his loyal dogs retire for the night.
He sings out a song which is soft but it's clear
The cowboy sings a soft, yet clear tune.
As if maybe someone could hear
Perhaps the cowboy wishes that someone will hear his song.
Goodnight you moonlight ladies
The cowboy bids farewell to the moonlight ladies.
Rockabye sweet baby James
The cowboy affectionately sings a lullaby to a baby named James.
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose
The cowboy selects deep green and blue as his preferred colors.
Won't you let me go down in my dreams
The cowboy wants to sleep and enter his dreams.
And rockabye sweet baby James
The cowboy repeats his lullaby to baby James before falling asleep.
Now the first of December was covered with snow
On the first of December, there was snow on the ground.
So was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston
The roads from Stockbridge to Boston were also covered in snow.
The Berkshires seemed dream-like on account of that frosting
Due to the thick layer of snow, the Berkshires appeared as though they were in a dream.
With ten miles behind me and ten thousand more to go
The cowboy has traveled ten miles so far but has ten thousand more miles to go.
There's a song that they sing when they take to the highway
People sing a particular song when they set out on a journey.
A song that they sing when they take to the sea
People sing another song when they venture out onto the ocean.
A song that they sing of their home in the sky
The song sung while in the sky is about one's home there.
Maybe you can believe it if it helps you to sleep
The singer acknowledges that believing in the song may help someone fall asleep.
But singing works just fine for me
The singer states that singing helps him sleep.
So goodnight you moonlight ladies
The singer bids farewell again to the moonlight ladies.
Rockabye sweet baby James
The singer repeats the lullaby to baby James once again.
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose
The singer reiterates his color preferences before going to bed.
Won't you let me go down in my dreams
The singer requests to fall into a peaceful slumber and dreams.
And rockabye sweet baby James
The song ends with the singer repeating the lullaby to baby James.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR, JAMES V TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@peeweecoco
I love James. And, I grew up listening to him. But this, this is one of my top 5 JT songs....it has a very special meaning for me, and a very special place in my heart. I had no idea after all these years that it had a video. The video is perfect, as is the song. We just saw James in STL last year....I have been fortunate enough to say I have seen him 8 times now. Every time he is fabulous.... he will always be my FAVORITE!!
@EdwardCampbellMusic
This video was uploaded a few months ago.
@TommyGadd
I remember really liking the song when I first got the cassette. Well,,,many years later I revisited the album and when I heard it again I couldn't get it out of my head. This is one of those James tunes that cross over into a great story and takes you on his journey. That's why I feel his music has moved me the most of any writer. It also reminds you where you once were when you first heard it. Good times back then.
@aBobelet
This was always one of my favourite songs from this album, I had no idea there was a video for it!
@RCROSSH
I absolutely agree with you!. I didn't know there was a video of this song!!
@jcraigshelton
Mine too!
@packersfan8876
Favorite *
@aBobelet
@I love The packers you can tell a lot about where a person is from by how they spell... I'll stick with cheques in my favourite colour, thanks neighbour.
@crystalli6295
@Packersfan in some countries, it’s favourite
@rucker293
Agreed. Hard to believe this is listed among the finest songs ever crafted by James Taylor, who had admittedly has written so many great tunes. . But this song has a poignancy that is special and heartfelt.