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.
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved B
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How sweet it is to be loved by you
I needed the shelter of someone's arms and there you were
I needed someone to understand my ups and downs and there you were
With sweet love and devotion
Deeply touching my emotion
I want to stop and thank you baby
How sweet it is to be loved by you, feels so fine
How sweet it is to be loved by you
I close my eyes at night
Wondering where would I be without you in my life
Everything I did was just a bore
Everywhere I went it seems I'd been there before
But you brighten up for me all of my days
With a love so sweet in so many ways
I wanna stop and thank you baby
I just wanna stop and thank you baby, oh yes
How sweet it is to be loved by you, it's just like sugar sometimes
How sweet it is to be loved by you, oh yeah
You were better to me than I was to myself
For me, there's you and there ain't nobody else
I wanna stop and thank you baby
I just wanna stop and thank you baby, oh yes
How sweet it is to be loved by you
How sweet it is to be loved by you
Oh now, how sweet it is to be loved by you
It's like jelly baby, oh
How sweet it is to be loved by you
Just like honey to the bee, baby, yeah, now
How sweet it is to be loved by you
The song "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" is a classic love song written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland in 1964. James Taylor's version, which was released in 1975, became a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The lyrics of this song express gratitude and joy for the love that the singer's partner has given him.
The first verse describes how the singer was in need of emotional support and found solace in the arms of his partner. The second verse speaks of the dullness the singer felt in his life before meeting his partner and how their love has brightened everything for him. The bridge of the song acknowledges that the partner was better to the singer than he was to himself, and he is grateful for their love.
The chorus repeats the sentiment that it is sweet to be loved by the person he is with. It's clear that this love is an important and cherished part of the singer's life. Overall, the song provides a simple but heartfelt message that love is sweet and should be celebrated.
Line by Line Meaning
How sweet it is to be loved by you
Expressing happiness for the love received from the person being addressed
I needed the shelter of someone's arms and there you were
Grateful for being there during struggling times
I needed someone to understand my ups and downs and there you were
Thankful for understanding signature life moments
With sweet love and devotion
Acknowledging their continuous love with commitment
Deeply touching my emotion
Grateful of empathizing and triggering emotions
I wanna stop and thank you baby
Wanting to pause and express gratitude
I close my eyes at night
Reflecting alone on life without them
Wondering where would I be without you in my life
Appreciation for the significant impact on life
Everything I did was just a bore
Past activities were not fulfilling
Everywhere I went it seems I'd been there before
Lacking variety and repetition was in existence
But you brighten up for me all of my days
Feeling illuminated and loved in every moment spent together
With a love so sweet in so many ways
The gratitude of the many dimensions of their love
You were better to me than I was to myself
Acknowledging their partner's supportive nature and kindness to oneself
For me, there's you and there ain't nobody else
Admitting that their love is unparalleled with no alternative
Oh now, how sweet it is to be loved by you
Reiteration of how fortunate and grateful the singer is
It's like jelly baby, oh
Metaphoric representation of how sweet their love is
Just like honey to the bee, baby, yeah, now
Comparing their love to how sweet and appealing honey is to bees
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN HOLLAND, EDWARD JR. HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind