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.
Hymn
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Singing hallelujah, brother how about you?
Yeah, we got holy scriptures here
That prove us to be right,
In believing out loud what we wish to be true.
I got stoned out neighbors to take me in tow,
Singing close your eyes, singing open wide.
Let the winter wind blow,
And where will we hide when it comes from inside?
Oh, hear me now, hear me now,
Hear me now, hear me now,
Hear me now, hear me now,
Hear me now, listen I got sweet, sweet music inside.
Yes, a child inside me was alone in the night,
Now has come to me, love has set my soul free.
As a man and a woman stand alone in the night,
Here is reason to be like sun on the sea.
In James Taylor's song Hymn, he discusses his journey to find happiness and enlightenment by leaning on different groups of people. In the first verse, he mentions having holy children show him the light, singing hallelujah and believing what they wish to be true. This could represent his desire for faith and guidance, and seeking it through others who seem to have it figured out. The second half of the verse mentions scripture that proves them to be right, indicating that he may be seeking validation in his search for meaning.
In the second verse, Taylor alludes to being lost and turning to stoned out neighbors for guidance. Their advice is to close their eyes and open wide, letting the world fall away and allowing the winter wind to blow. This could represent a desire to escape reality and find peace in the chaos of life. However, he questions where they will hide when the true source of turmoil comes from within. The repetition of "hear me now" throughout the song could indicate a plea to be heard and understood in his search for truth and peace.
Overall, James Taylor's Hymn seems to be about the desire for enlightenment and guidance in a confusing and chaotic world. He seeks out those who seem to have found their way and uses their wisdom to find his own sense of peace and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
I got holy children to show me the light,
I have found people who are deeply spiritual and can enlighten me about the divine.
Singing hallelujah, brother how about you?
Expressing gratitude and praising the divine, and asking if I'm also experiencing such enlightenment.
Yeah, we got holy scriptures here
There are religious texts available to us here.
That prove us to be right,
These texts reinforce our beliefs and convictions.
In believing out loud what we wish to be true.
We express our faith in a way that reflects the reality we desire.
I got stoned out neighbors to take me in tow,
I found friendly people who sometimes indulge in drugs who are guiding me.
Singing close your eyes, singing open wide.
Encouragement to close our eyes for introspection, and open them to available opportunities.
Watch the world fall away below,
Witness everything that's been burdening us fall off and disappear.
Let the winter wind blow,
Accept and endure the harsh times that are coming.
And where will we hide when it comes from inside?
When these hard times come from within, how will we deal with them?
Oh, hear me now, hear me now,
I urge people to listen to me, understand, and empathize.
Listen I got sweet, sweet music inside.
My soul is filled with harmony and beauty.
Yes, a child inside me was alone in the night,
There was once a vulnerable and defenseless part of me.
Now has come to me, love has set my soul free.
But now, the power of love and connection has liberated me from that feeling of loneliness.
As a man and a woman stand alone in the night,
Despite being alone, humans have the power to be strong and self-reliant.
Here is reason to be like sun on the sea.
Thus, there's always a reason to be bright and optimistic in life, like the sun reflecting on the sea.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR, JAMES V TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind