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.
Carry Me on My Way
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There isn't anything
I haven't been given.
How could I wish for
Anything more as I
Am here living in heaven?
This moment in the sun
To feel the wheel turning on.
Carry me on my way, carry me on my way.
Carry me on my way, carry me on my way.
I worry about my actions,
I think about the damage I do.
I've seen the coming attractions,
Armageddon and Waterloo.
I tried to change my mind,
I wasted precious time.
Carry me on my way, carry me on my way.
Carry me on my way, carry me on my way.
Who knows where the time goes,
Only everything is everything.
Feels like I'm wearing my father's clothes, Singing a song my brother would sing.
I turned to hide my face,
They're gone without a trace.
Carry me on my way, carry me on my way.
Carry me on my way, carry me on my way.
"Carry Me on My Way" is a contemplative and introspective song that reflects on the beauty of life and its impermanence. The first two lines of the song express how the singer has been given everything in life and has forgotten what more to ask for. He finds himself living in heaven and grateful for every moment in the sun. This is followed by the chorus "Carry me on my way," which is a plea for guidance and protection while navigating life's uncertainties.
The verse that follows changes the contemplative mood of the song to one filled with anxiety and uncertainty. The singer worries about the damage he may have caused with his actions and how the world could be heading towards an inevitable disaster. He acknowledges that he has wasted precious time and tries to change his mind. The second chorus reiterates the plea for guidance and protection in a world full of uncertainties.
The final verse expresses the singer's sense of nostalgia and displacement as he reflects on the passage of time. He notes how everything is everything, and time seems to fly by, leaving him feeling like he's wearing his father's clothes and singing a song his brother would sing. The final line notes how things can disappear without a trace, adding to the theme of the song's impermanence.
Overall, "Carry Me on My Way" is an introspective song that reflects on the beauty and impermanence of life, and the need for guidance and protection to navigate its uncertainties.
Line by Line Meaning
I forget what to ask for,
I have been blessed with so much in life that I cannot even think of what more to ask for.
There isn't anything
There is nothing that I lack or need in my life.
I haven't been given.
I have been given everything that I need and more.
How could I wish for
It is impossible for me to wish for anything more.
Anything more as I
I am already content and satisfied with my life.
Am here living in heaven?
I feel like I am in heaven, living a blessed and fulfilling life.
This moment in the sun
This moment of happiness and contentment in my life.
To feel the wheel turning on.
To experience the cycles of life and enjoy the good moments as they come and go.
Carry me on my way, carry me on my way.
Please help me continue to enjoy and appreciate my life as it is.
I worry about my actions,
I am concerned about the impact that my actions have on others and the world.
I think about the damage I do.
I reflect on the harm that I may be causing and try to improve my behavior.
I've seen the coming attractions,
I am aware of the potential negative consequences of my actions.
Armageddon and Waterloo.
I fear the worst-case scenarios of destruction and chaos that could result from my actions and those of others.
I tried to change my mind,
I attempted to shift my perspective to a more positive and constructive one.
I wasted precious time.
I regret that I did not make this shift earlier and feel like I have lost valuable time.
Who knows where the time goes,
It is impossible to predict or control the passage of time.
Only everything is everything.
Everything is interconnected and every action has a consequence.
Feels like I'm wearing my father's clothes,
I feel like I am following in my father's footsteps and carrying on his legacy.
Singing a song my brother would sing.
I feel a connection to my brother through the activities and interests that we share.
I turned to hide my face,
I am ashamed or embarrassed of something that I have done or said.
They're gone without a trace.
The people who I have hurt or affected negatively have moved on, and there may be no way to make things right or repair the damage.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind