James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter … Read Full Bio ↴James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

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.

Belfast To Boston
James Taylor Lyrics

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There are rifles buried in the countryside for the rising of the moon,
May they lie there long forgotten till they rust away into the ground.
Who will bend this ancient hatred, will the killing to an end?
Who will swallow long injustice, take the devil for a country man?
Who will say "this far no further, oh lord, if I die today?"

Send no weapons no more money. Send no vengeance across the seas,
Just the blessing of forgiveness for my new countryman and me.

Missing brothers, martyred fellows, silent children in the ground.

Could we but hear them could they not tell us "Time to lay God's rifle down."
Who will say, "this far, no further," oh Lord, if I die today?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of James Taylor's song "Belfast To Boston" touches on the theme of forgiveness and moving on from the past. It begins with a sorrowful acknowledgement of the buried rifles in the countryside, which symbolize the long-standing history of conflict and violence in Ireland. The lines "May they lie there long forgotten till they rust away into the ground / Who will bend this ancient hatred, will the killing to an end?" speak to the idea that these weapons should remain unused and forgotten, as a symbol of a desire for peace and an end to violence.

The following lines, "Who will swallow long injustice, take the devil for a country man? / Who will say 'this far no further, oh lord, if I die today?'" suggest that forgiveness and acceptance of past wrongdoings is necessary for moving forward. There is a sense that someone must take a stand and commit to ending the cycle of violence and hatred, even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.

The final verse brings a sense of hope and a call to action. The lines "Missing brothers, martyred fellows, silent children in the ground / Could we but hear them could they not tell us 'Time to lay God's rifle down' / Who will say 'this far, no further,' oh Lord, if I die today?" suggest that the voices of those lost to the conflict are calling for peace and urging people to let go of their grievances and work towards a better future. The song ends with a plea to send not weapons nor vengeance, but rather the "blessing of forgiveness" for all people involved in the conflict.

Line by Line Meaning

There are rifles buried in the countryside for the rising of the moon,
Guns are hidden in the countryside for a possible uprising, and hopefully, they will remain forgotten and useless.

May they lie there long forgotten till they rust away into the ground.
The hope is for the buried weapons to remain hidden and unused for a very long time.

Who will bend this ancient hatred, will the killing to an end?
Who can put an end to this long-standing hate and violence?

Who will swallow long injustice, take the devil for a country man?
Who can forgive and embrace those who have been unjust and evil towards them?

Who will say "this far no further, oh lord, if I die today?"
Who will take a brave stand against violence and hate, even if it means sacrificing their life?

Send no weapons no more money. Send no vengeance across the seas,
Don't send any more arms or money, and don't seek revenge from afar.

Just the blessing of forgiveness for my new countryman and me.
Let us bless each other with forgiveness and start anew as fellow countrymen.

Missing brothers, martyred fellows, silent children in the ground.
The fallen, including brothers, martyrs, and innocent children, lie buried and silenced.

Could we but hear them could they not tell us "Time to lay God's rifle down."
If we could hear their voices, wouldn't they tell us it's time to put an end to this violence?

Who will say, "this far, no further," oh Lord, if I die today?
Who will have the courage to draw a line and say, 'no more violence,' even if it means losing their life?

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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