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.
Hour That the Morning Comes
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She dances all night in her golden shoes.
She's high flying, going, going, gone.
She'll be halfway to Heaven by the hour
That the morning comes.
And papa's knocked out with his head in his lap.
Mama likes to think that he's taking a nap
Working all night long.
He'll be halfway to hell in the hour
That the morning comes.
Like a bat out of hell in the moonlight,
Like the pieces of the picture
That you broke last night.
I'm sure it's going to be all right,
I'll be halfway heavy by the hour
That the morning comes
Oh, look at that fool with the lampshade on.
Somebody told him he was having fun.
But they were wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.
If he's fool enough he might open his eyes
When the morning comes along.
Now look at that secret agent man
Sneaking out of church with blood on his hands,
He's for sale, going, going, gone.
He'll be the first to know and the last to go
When the shit hits the fan.
Give me a little water, give me a little wine,
You're looking at a man who's been out
In the sunshine just a little too long,
Little bit too long.
But I'll be halfway home in the hour
That the morning comes.
The song Hour That the Morning Comes by James Taylor uses vivid imagery to describe the activities of different characters as they move through the night. Mama, who makes the music and the news, spends her night dancing in her golden shoes until the early hours of the morning. She is described as high-flying and by the hour that the morning comes, she will be halfway to heaven. Papa, on the other hand, is working tirelessly all night and is knocked out with his head in his lap when Mama is dancing. Mama likes to think that he's taking a nap, but by the hour that the morning comes, he will be halfway to hell.
James Taylor describes different people making their way through the night, like a bat out of hell in the moonlight. He acknowledges that although things might seem chaotic, everything will be alright. The fool with the lampshade on his head is described as being told that he's having fun, but he might open his eyes when the morning comes along. The secret agent man sneaks out of the church with blood on his hands and is for sale, going, going, gone. He'll be the first to know and the last to go when the shit hits the fan.
The lyrics are poetic and use evocative metaphors to describe the different characters. Mama and Papa are used to symbolize the different paths that people can take in life. Mama's carefree and joyful dancing is contrasted with Papa's industriousness, and Taylor alludes to the idea that while Mama might end up in heaven, Papa might end up in hell.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama makes the music and she makes the news,
My mother is the center of attention, making and breaking news with her music and dancing in her fancy shoes.
She dances all night in her golden shoes.
My mother parties all night long, showing off her fancy and expensive footwear.
She's high flying, going, going, gone.
My mother is always on the move and living life to the fullest, constantly pushing herself to the limit.
She'll be halfway to Heaven by the hour That the morning comes.
My mother lives life so intensely that she feels as if she's already halfway to heaven by the time morning comes.
And papa's knocked out with his head in his lap.
My father is passed out, his exhaustion and hard work having finally caught up with him.
Mama likes to think that he's taking a nap
My mother tries to reassure herself that my father is just resting and not passed out from exhaustion or worse.
'Cause he's working so hard, Working all night long.
My father is working harder than anyone, sacrificing his sleep and well-being to provide for his family.
He'll be halfway to hell in the hour That the morning comes.
My father's hard work and exhaustion will make him feel like he's halfway to hell by the time morning arrives.
Like a bat out of hell in the moonlight,
I am moving so quickly and recklessly, like a bat fleeing danger under the cover of darkness.
Like the pieces of the picture That you broke last night.
Like picking up the pieces of a shattered picture, I am trying to put my life back together after a rough night.
I'm sure it's going to be all right,
Despite the current chaos, I am convinced that everything will be fine.
I'll be halfway heavy by the hour That the morning comes
The weight of my exhaustion and debauchery will hit me hard by the time morning arrives.
Oh, look at that fool with the lampshade on.
I see someone with a lampshade on their head, a sign that they've had too much to drink and are making a fool of themselves.
Somebody told him he was having fun.
Someone convinced him that his drunkenness was enjoyable and entertaining, but they were wrong.
But they were wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.
Their belief was completely misguided and incorrect, as evidenced by his foolish behavior.
If he's fool enough he might open his eyes When the morning comes along.
If he's foolish enough to keep drinking, he may not even be able to open his eyes when morning arrives.
Now look at that secret agent man Sneaking out of church with blood on his hands,
I see someone sneaking out of church, but instead of being holy, he's a secret agent with blood on his hands from his covert missions.
He's for sale, going, going, gone.
He's a mercenary, willing to sell his skills to the highest bidder, and is always on the move and in demand.
He'll be the first to know and the last to go When the shit hits the fan.
He's always the first to hear about and respond to trouble, but he's also the last to leave when things go sour.
Give me a little water, give me a little wine,
I need a drink, something to quench my thirst and ease my troubles.
You're looking at a man who's been out In the sunshine just a little too long, Little bit too long.
I've spent too much time in the sun, my skin and my soul a little too burnt out from my experiences.
But I'll be halfway home in the hour That the morning comes.
Despite my exhaustion and troubles, I know that I'm almost at the end of my journey and halfway home by the time morning arrives.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind