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.
I Was Only Telling A Lie
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got a lovely view.
Classic shot of the parking lot,
An off ramp of route 72.
Half flat six pack of lukewarm beer,
So lay down by my side.
Like to whisper sweet nothings
In my filthy ear till I'm satisfied.
Baby-bootie, juicy-fruity,
Truck-stop cutie, roadside-beauty,
I'm in love with you.
Hope it don't last too long.
You got the mackerel eyes,
Brought the side of fries.
You got me hypnotized,
I'm in love again.
Now baby when I told you
That I love you,
I was only telling a lie.
I'll be long gone
Come the crack of dawn
And I believe the word is
Good-bye, bye baby, bye, bye.
I was only telling a lie,
There ain't no need to act
Like I shot your dog, no.
I was only telling a lie, lie, lie, lie, lie.
The lyrics to James Taylor's song 'I Was Only Telling A Lie' tell a story of a man who has checked into a downtown motel with a view of the parking lot and a half flat six-pack of beer. He's in the company of a "truck-stop cutie, roadside beauty," and is infatuated with her, but only for the time being. "Hope it don't last too long," he sings. He goes on to describe her physical features - "baby-bootie, juicy-fruity" - and her hypnotic gaze, "you got me hypnotized, I'm in love again."
However, after telling her he loved her, he admits it was only a lie and he will be long gone by morning. He reassures her that it's nothing to take personally, begging her not to act like he's shot her dog. The song draws attention to the idea of temporary infatuation and the consequences of deceitful language. Perhaps it's a cautionary tale to listeners about the importance of honesty in relationships and being conscious of the power of our words.
Line by Line Meaning
Got the one room suite in the downtown motel, Got a lovely view.
I am staying in a cheap motel room in the downtown area and can see the parking lot.
Classic shot of the parking lot, An off ramp of route 72.
The view from my motel room looks like an uninteresting and typical parking lot next to a highway exit.
Half flat six pack of lukewarm beer, So lay down by my side.
I have a half-empty warm six-pack of beer, so come and lay next to me.
Like to whisper sweet nothings In my filthy ear till I'm satisfied.
I want you to talk dirty to me until I am satisfied.
Baby-bootie, juicy-fruity, Truck-stop cutie, roadside-beauty, I'm in love with you.
You are a pretty girl I met at a truck stop and I am infatuated with you.
Hope it don't last too long.
I hope our fling isn't too long-lasting.
You got the mackerel eyes, Brought the side of fries.
Your eyes look like a fish's eyes and you brought me fries to eat.
You got me hypnotized, I'm in love again.
You have me under your spell, and I am falling in love again.
Now baby when I told you That I love you, I was only telling a lie.
When I said I love you, it was not true.
I'll be long gone Come the crack of dawn And I believe the word is Good-bye, bye baby, bye, bye.
I will be gone by morning, and we will say goodbye to each other.
I was only telling a lie, There ain't no need to act Like I shot your dog, no.
I was lying about my feelings, there is no reason to overreact.
I was only telling a lie, lie, lie, lie, lie.
I was lying, plain and simple.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind