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.
Carolina in my head
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't you see the sunshine?
Can't you just feel the moonshine?
Ain't it just like a friend of mine
To hit me from behind?
Yes, I'm gone to Carolina in my mind
Karin, she's a silver sun
Watch her watch the morning come
A silver tear appearing now
I'm cryin', ain't I?
Gone to Carolina in my mind
There ain't no doubt in no ones mind
That love's the finest thing around
Whisper something soft and kind
And hey babe, the sky's on fire
I'm dying, ain't I?
Gone to Carolina in my mind
In my mind I'm gone to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine?
Can't you just feel the moonshine?
Ain't it just like a friend of mine
To hit me from behind?
Yes, I'm gone to Carolina in my mind
Dark and silent, late last night
I think I might have heard the highway call
And geese in flight and dogs that bite
The signs that might be omens say
I'm goin', I'm goin'
I'm gone to Carolina in my mind
With a holy host of others standin' around me
Still I'm on the dark side of the moon
And it seems like it goes on like this forever
You must forgive me, if I'm up and gone to
Carolina in my mind
In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine?
Can't you just feel the moonshine?
Ain't is just like a friend of mine
To hit me from behind
Yes, I'm gone to Carolina in my mind
Gone to Carolina in my mind
And I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind
Gone to Carolina in my mind
Gone, I'm gone, I'm gone
Say nice things about me 'cause I'm gone South now
Carry on without me, I'm gone
"Carolina in my head" is a ballad written and performed by James Taylor. It's a song that reflects on the feelings of homesickness and wanderlust, where he thinks of Carolina and longs to return there. The chorus, "In my mind, I'm gone to Carolina, can't you see the sunshine, and can't you just feel the moonshine?" is powerful and creates a sense of nostalgia. He paints a picture of a sunny and bright world that contrasts the present darkness he's in.
The verses reflect more on the loneliness of his current situation. He sees a silver tear appearing in Karin's eye, and with deep emotion sings, "I'm crying, ain't I? Gone to Carolina in my mind." He knows that love is the finest thing around, and maybe that's where he wants to go, to find someone to love. He hears the highway calling, geese in flight, and dogs barking in the stillness of the night, and it seems like a sign, "I'm going, I'm going," until finally, he's up and gone to Carolina in his head.
Overall, "Carolina in my head" is a beautifully written song that's full of emotion and nostalgia. Through its lyrics, James Taylor describes a deep longing for home, for a place where he can feel the sunshine and be with the people he loves. It's a song that many people can relate to, and it's one that will always have a special place in music history.
Line by Line Meaning
In my mind I'm gone to Carolina
I am thinking of escaping to a place called Carolina in my thoughts.
Can't you see the sunshine?
Can't you picture the warm sunshine in your mind's eye right now?
Can't you just feel the moonshine?
Can't you feel the bright, magical light of the moon in your thoughts?
Ain't it just like a friend of mine
To hit me from behind?
It is exactly like a friend of mine to surprise me like this.
Yes, I'm gone to Carolina in my mind
Yes, I have decided to escape to Carolina using only my thoughts.
Karin, she's a silver sun
You best walk her way and watch it shine
And watch her watch the morning come
A silver tear appearing now
I'm cryin', ain't I?
Gone to Carolina in my mind
Karin, a person James Taylor knows and describes as a 'silver sun,' is worth encountering and appreciating. He cries as he recalls her and how he is gone to Carolina in his mind.
There ain't no doubt in no ones mind
That love's the finest thing around
Whisper something soft and kind
And hey babe, the sky's on fire
I'm dying, ain't I?
Gone to Carolina in my mind
Undoubtedly, love is the best feeling one could experience. Speaking softly and gently can ignite the world around us, and make us feel amazing, even to the point of dying. All of this leads James Taylor to being gone to Carolina completely in his thoughts.
Dark and silent, late last night,
I think I might have heard the highway call
And geese in flight and dogs that bite
The signs that might be omens say
I'm goin', I'm goin'
I'm gone to Carolina in my mind
In the dark, silent night, James thought he might have heard the highway, and things like geese flying, and dogs barking seemed to trigger a sign that spoke of his escape to Carolina.
With a holy host of others standin' around me
Still I'm on the dark side of the moon
And it seems like it goes on like this forever
You must forgive me, if I'm up and gone to
Carolina in my mind
Despite being surrounded by people, James still feels as if he is completely alone on the dark side of the moon. This feeling of solitude seems like it will persist, thus James asks to be forgiven if he suddenly leaves to escape to Carolina in his thoughts.
Gone to Carolina in my mind
Gone to Carolina in my mind
And I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind
Goin' to Carolina in my mind
Gone, I'm gone, I'm gone
Say nice things about me 'cause I'm gone south now
Got to carry on without me, I'm gone
James has gone completely to Carolina in his thoughts, and will continue to do so. He has left, so his friends and loved ones should say kind words about him. They must move on with their lives without him since he is completely gone in his thoughts.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: James Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@theloniouscoltrane3778
No screaming; no shouting; no hitting high notes; no guitar shredding...just singing with his conversation voice; filled with soul...JT Living Legend
@zuzannawisniewska4464
James's voice has never really changend over the years, he sounds as young now as he has always been. One of the best musicians on earth...
@angelaallen340
Yes he's a unique singer/. Somehow he escaped the drug scene .
@JulianGem
@angelaallen340 and I am thankful for that
@anelladambrosio2513
@@JulianGemciao Julian!🙋😊😍😘💘🌅
@DH-xm3hc
Seeing James Taylor with Carole King in Chapel Hill, NC in '70 is still in my top 5 best concerts ever. ✌️❤️🌼
@angelaallen340
@@DH-xm3hc I'm sure it was fantastic
@northover
I had the best seats I could buy to see James in Baton Rouge so that my wife could see him which was something she always wanted more than anything. She was recovering from major brain surgery and was doing well. The very day he was scheduled to perform, she
had a very sudden relapse and instead of going to the concert, we spent the night in the ER. Three months later she was dead from a previously undiagnosed glioblastoma tumor.
Nothing he will ever sing will do nothing but bring me to tears. “Going to Carolina” is the hardest since it was one I played late one evening as we drove to...Florida (!), on our first road trip together in my first new car. That song came up on her favorite cassette and i looked over at her in the passenger seat and she was sound asleep. That song and that moment will never leave me.
She was so young and beautiful. We were married for 27 years and she was twelve years younger than me. She died four years ago and I still miss her so much.
@newhavenchristianministrie6721
Wow! Sorry for your loss
@randomkiliinterviews9453
Beautiful and sad story </3