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 Will Follow
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't make it all on my own, no.
Rolling river, why so wide?
To sweep me up and to bear me on,
Up against the sky so bright
That I can't even close my eyes.
I know I will follow, follow love, yes, yes,
I know I will follow, follow love.
Growing slowly like a tree, someday soon,
Darling I love you, I love you.
Soft and gentle, full Summer moon,
Set my soul free, thank you, baby.
Drifting like a cloud in the sky,
I can see myself from high above.
I know I must follow, follow love, yes, yes,
I will follow, follow love.
I know I will follow, follow love.
Oh, half the future and half the past,
They're waiting inside your eyes.
Yes, and after all of this,
To last and last till at last
It's your time to rise, rise.
True believer that I am,
I am blind, lead me on, lead me on.
Blessed receiver of your love,
I own my own time
And I've been holding on, holding on.
Leave the word unspoken and the spell
Will not be broken.
And I'm bound to follow, now, follow love.
I know I must go, follow love.
I must follow, follow love.
Yes, I must follow, follow love.
Someone to hold my hand, follow love.
Somebody to lead me on, follow love.
Somebody to walk beside me, follow love.
Someone to follow me now, follow love.
I must follow love, follow love.
I will fall in love.
I will follow love, follow love,
Anywhere it leads me.
I will follow love, follow love, follow love.
The lyrics of James Taylor's song "I Will Follow" are an ode to the power of love and the journey it takes us on. The opening lines evoke a sense of the enormity of life's challenges and call to mind the towering presence of a mountain that cannot be traversed alone. The rolling river serves as a metaphor for the flow of life, carrying us along and sweeping us up in its momentum. The vivid imagery of the sky so bright we cannot even close our eyes underscores the intensity of the experience and the need to embrace it fully, even in its most overwhelming moments.
But throughout the song, the message is one of hope and resolve as Taylor declares his commitment to following love wherever it leads him. He acknowledges that he is growing slowly like a tree and that his love is soft and gentle like a full summer moon. He reflects on the passage of time, half of which is behind him and half of which lies ahead, embodied in the waiting eyes of his lover.
Ultimately, the lyrics convey an unwavering faith in the transformative power of love, as Taylor declares himself a true believer and embraces his role as a blessed receiver of its gifts. The song is a beautiful affirmation of the human capacity for deep connection with another, and of the courage it takes to follow that connection wherever it leads.
Line by Line Meaning
Yonder mountain so high,
The task ahead seems daunting and impossible to do alone.
I can't make it all on my own, no.
The singer acknowledges the need for the help of others.
Rolling river, why so wide?
The challenges that face the singer seem as uncertain as the vastness of a river.
To sweep me up and to bear me on,
The artist acknowledges that the trials they face are capable of carrying them along like a river's current.
Up against the sky so bright
The future and possibilities are limitless.
That I can't even close my eyes.
The singer is in awe of what the future may hold.
I know I will follow, follow love, yes, yes,
The singer is sure they will pursue the path of love no matter what obstacles may come.
Growing slowly like a tree, someday soon,
The love the artist has for the other person is growing and maturing until it becomes sustainable.
Darling I love you, I love you.
The artist has great affection for their partner.
Soft and gentle, full Summer moon,
The artist has an intense emotional experience tied to the season of summer and full moons.
Set my soul free, thank you, baby.
The singer believes that the presence of their partner brings them liberation, and they feel gratitude for it.
Drifting like a cloud in the sky,
The artist feels disconnected and otherworldly as if they are observing themselves from above.
I can see myself from high above.
The singer has gained perspective and sees the bigger picture.
Oh, half the future and half the past,
The singer is reflective on their life leading up to this point.
They're waiting inside your eyes.
The singer feels like their partner is a representation of their past and future selves and sees it reflected in their eyes.
Yes, and after all of this,
Despite the trials faced, the artist acknowledges that they will make it through.
To last and last till at last
This journey will continue until the artist completes it.
It's your time to rise, rise.
The singer believes that the end of this journey will bring positive change and realization.
True believer that I am,
The singer has faith in the journey the love will take them on.
I am blind, lead me on, lead me on.
The artist acknowledges they are vulnerable in this journey and trusts their partner to guide them.
Blessed receiver of your love,
The artist acknowledges the love their partner gives them and sees it as a gift.
I own my own time
The artist knows they have agency in their own journey.
And I've been holding on, holding on.
The singer has been steadfast in their commitment to love and the journey it brings.
Leave the word unspoken and the spell
The artist sees the importance of leaving unsaid things and letting the magic be in the emotions it brings.
Will not be broken.
This love will last if they let it be, and if they care for it as they have.
And I'm bound to follow, now, follow love.
The singer feels intertwined with this journey and cannot escape its pull.
I know I must go, follow love.
The singer is determined to accept their fate and continue on the path of love.
Someone to hold my hand, follow love.
The artist needs someone to be by their side and guide them throughout their journey.
Somebody to lead me on, follow love.
The artist needs someone to be their guide along the winding path of love.
Somebody to walk beside me, follow love.
The singer needs a partner who will stand by their side as they progress on this journey.
Someone to follow me now, follow love.
The singer seeks someone who is willing to follow them and see where love may lead them.
I must follow love, follow love.
The artist knows that love is the only path for them.
I will fall in love.
The artist is ready and willing to fall head over heels in love.
I will follow love, follow love,
The artist is determined not to stray from the path of love.
Anywhere it leads me.
The singer is comfortable with not knowing where this journey will take them as long as they are following love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind