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.
Highway Song
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's nothing for you here
And brother, let us throw our lot out upon the sea
It's been done before
I'm thinking 'bout a broken heart
I'm talking 'bout the break of dawn
You love me while I'm here
Sweet misunderstanding
Won't you leave a poor boy alone
I'm the one eyed seed of a tumbleweed
In the belly of a rolling stone
Back on the highway, yeah, yeah, yeah
Back on the road again
I had a little woman in Memphis
She wanted to be my bride
She said, settle on down, traveling man
You can stay right by my side
I tried so hard to please her
But I couldn't hold out too long
'Cause one Saturday night I was laying in bed
And I heard that highway song
Back on the highway, yeah, yeah, yeah
Back on the road again
Now one of these days that highway song will lose its appeal to me
I'm gonna settle on down like a natural born man
I'm gonna live my life naturally (Free and easy)
Until that day the thunder's gonna roll
And I notice there's a sign of rain
So I grab my bags and I pack my clothes
And I'm back on the road again
Back on the highway, yeah, yeah, yeah
Back on the road again
I'm thinking 'bout a broken heart
I been talking 'bout the break of dawn
You loved me while I'm here
and you can miss me when I'm gone
And I said sweet misunderstanding
Won't you leave a poor boy alone
'Cause I'm the one eyed seed of a tumbleweed
In the belly of a rolling stone
Back on the highway, yeah, yeah, yeah
Back on the road again
Here I am again
Holiday Inn
Same old four walls again
Gee, but it's fine to be back home again (whoa, now)
Say, Holiday Inn, I'm on the road again
The first verse of James Taylor's "Highway Song" features two speakers, a father and a brother, expressing a desire to leave and explore life at sea. The father suggests building a boat and sailing away. The brother agrees, citing that it's been done before. They are both seeking adventure and a chance to break free from their current situation. Taylor then shifts to describing his own thoughts about heartaches and misunderstandings. He acknowledges that he is difficult to understand, but still desires to be loved in the present moment, while knowing that he will eventually be missed when he is gone. Taylor then jumps back to the chorus, discussing being back on the road again and how he is drawn to the adventure that comes with it. He sings about trying to settle down with a woman in Memphis but not being able to resist the call of the road when he hears the highway song. He ends the song by expressing that one day he will settle down but until then he'll continue to live free and easy.
Line by Line Meaning
Father, let us build a boat and sail away
I want to escape from this place.
There's nothing for you here
I don't see a future for myself here.
And brother, let us throw our lot out upon the sea
We should take a risk and explore the unknown.
It's been done before
Others have taken the same journey and succeeded.
I'm thinking 'bout a broken heart
I'm reminiscing about a painful past experience.
I'm talking 'bout the break of dawn
I'm contemplating the beginning of a new chapter.
You love me while I'm here
You show affection towards me in the present moment.
Then you can miss me when I'm gone
You'll appreciate my presence more when I'm no longer around.
Sweet misunderstanding
There's a communication issue that is causing confusion.
Won't you leave a poor boy alone
Please stop bothering me.
I'm the one eyed seed of a tumbleweed
I come from a long line of wanderers and have no permanent roots.
In the belly of a rolling stone
I'm always on the move and can't stay in one place for too long.
Back on the highway, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm back on the road and ready for my next adventure.
Back on the road again
I'm back to my nomadic lifestyle.
I had a little woman in Memphis
I had a girlfriend in Memphis.
She wanted to be my bride
She wanted to marry me.
She said, settle on down, traveling man
She wanted me to stay in one place and commit to her.
You can stay right by my side
You can live with me and we can build a life together.
I tried so hard to please her
I did my best to make her happy.
But I couldn't hold out too long
I couldn't stay in one place for too long.
'Cause one Saturday night I was laying in bed
One Saturday night when I was lying in bed.
And I heard that highway song
And I heard a song that reminded me of the open road.
Now one of these days that highway song will lose its appeal to me
One day, the nomadic lifestyle won't be as attractive to me anymore.
I'm gonna settle on down like a natural born man
I'll eventually want to lead a more stable life.
I'm gonna live my life naturally (Free and easy)
I want to live my life without any constraints or obligations.
Until that day the thunder's gonna roll
Until then, I'll keep living life on the road.
And I notice there's a sign of rain
I realize that a change is coming.
So I grab my bags and I pack my clothes
I prepare to leave and travel once again.
And I'm back on the road again
And I continue my journey on the open road.
Here I am again
I'm back to where I started.
Holiday Inn
I'm staying in a hotel for the night.
Same old four walls again
I'm in the same kind of room that I've been in many times before.
Gee, but it's fine to be back home again (whoa, now)
I'm happy to be in a familiar place again.
Say, Holiday Inn, I'm on the road again
Even though I'm staying in a hotel, I'm still a traveler on the road.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jorma Kaukonen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind