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.
Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What to my surprise,
When we got there she hit me
With the news right between the eyes
She said she couldn't do the cha, cha, cha.
I told her not to worry now,
They'd play some other dance,
And we never got a chance
Cause every song they played
Was the cha, cha, cha.
I told her not to worry,
There's still one thing we can do,
Let me take you by your hand tonight,
I want to teach this dance to you.
I taught my baby how to cha, cha, cha.
We kept on dancing for an hour or two,
What do you think I'd see?
We hadn't practiced for a time or two around,
She was doing it better than me.
You know my baby loves to cha, cha, cha.
Everybody loves to cha, cha, cha.
Little children love to cha, cha, cha.
Everybody loves to cha, cha, cha.
Sam Cooke himself in the midnight hour.
Everybody loves to cha, cha, cha.
In James Taylor's song "Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha," the singer takes his girlfriend to a hop, hoping to dance with her all night long. However, his excitement quickly turns into disappointment when his girlfriend tells him that she cannot dance the cha cha cha. The problem becomes worse when every song that is played at the dance is a cha cha cha. The singer tries to take his girlfriend out of the situation by suggesting they dance to some other styles, but he is unsuccessful.
Desperate to get his girlfriend out of her misery, the singer decides to teach her to cha cha cha. His effort pays off, as they end up having great fun cha cha cha-ing for an hour or two. The song ends with the chorus repeating that everybody loves to cha cha cha, and the namesake Sam Cooke himself would dance to the cha cha cha.
The song reminds listeners that everybody has their strengths and weaknesses, and it's okay to feel intimidated by something at first. However, with the right kind of help and support, anything can be learned and enjoyed. The song also highlights the importance of being adaptable and trying new things.
Line by Line Meaning
Took my baby to the hop last night
I went to a dance with my significant other recently
What to my surprise, when we got there she hit me with the news right between the eyes
My partner told me that she couldn't do the cha cha dance, which was a surprise to me
She said she couldn't do the cha, cha, cha
My partner confessed that she didn't know how to do a specific dance, the cha cha
I told her not to worry now, they'd play some other dance
I comforted my partner by saying that we could dance to a different style of music
But we sat there for an hour and a half and we never got a chance, cause every song they played was the cha, cha, cha
We were waiting for a chance to dance, but every song that played was the cha cha, so my partner couldn't try a different dance.
I told her not to worry, there's still one thing we can do, let me take you by your hand tonight, I want to teach this dance to you
I reassured my partner that we could still enjoy the dance by teaching her the cha cha moves myself
I taught my baby how to cha, cha, cha
I successfully showed my partner the steps for the cha cha, and she learned them
We kept on dancing for an hour or two, what do you think I'd see? We hadn't practiced for a time or two around, she was doing it better than me
We continued dancing for a while, and to my surprise, my partner had picked up the dance better than me
You know my baby loves to cha, cha, cha. Everybody loves to cha, cha, cha. Little children love to cha, cha, cha. Everybody loves to cha, cha, cha. Sam Cooke himself in the midnight hour. Everybody loves to cha, cha, cha.
In general, people have a great time dancing the cha cha, regardless of age or background. Even famous musicians, like Sam Cooke, enjoy it!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sam Cooke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
songbird53
Thanks for uploading this song. I have always loved it!!!
- Beeman
The first and second verses and choruses make me think his baby had ESP, and knew that all they were going to play was the Cha Cha Cha, which is why she said she couldn't do it.
Thaiburgh
A buddy and I made a video ranking every James Taylor song. He ranked this 148.
Elisabeth Keyes
:)
Lee Davis
Great remake
Jett 7276
Sam Cooke