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.
In My Life
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Perfect love but you could not be found
I thought that I was lost forever
Dreaming that we'd be together
Every time like yesterday
Love will come by – not to stay around
Now I found that
Love's my teacher – when you came and you showed me the way
You are the one who set me free – steppin' into my life
You changed my world to fantasy – steppin' into my life
You are the one who set me free – steppin' into my life
You changed my world to fantasy – steppin' into my life
Ooh, I've been searching for that feeling
Perfect lover – you cannot be found
I thought that I was lost forever
Dreaming that we'd be together
Every time like yesterday
Love will come by – not to stay around
Now I found that
Love's my teacher – when you came and you showed me the way
Now I need you – and I know that you're going astray
You are the one who set me free – steppin' into my life
You changed my world to fantasy – steppin' into my life
You are the one who set me free – steppin' into my life
You changed my world to fantasy – steppin' into my life
The lyrics to James Taylor's song In My Life tell a story of a person who has been searching for perfect love but has been unsuccessful until the moment when the love of their life enters the picture. The person felt lost without this love and had been dreaming of being together forever. However, they realized that love is not always guaranteed and can leave as easily as it came. Despite the challenges of the relationship, the person sees their love as a teacher who has shown them the way.
The lyrics emphasize the idea that love has the power to change one's world and transform it into a fantasy. The person recognizes that their love has set them free and allowed them to experience life in a new and fulfilling way. The repetition of "steppin' into my life" reinforces the idea that this love has come at the perfect moment and has changed the person's life forever.
Overall, the lyrics to In My Life convey the message that love can be elusive, but when it arrives, it can have a profound impact on one's life. This song speaks to the universal theme of love and the desire to find true happiness and fulfillment through it.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been searchin', searchin' all round
I have been searching for the perfect love everywhere.
Perfect love but you could not be found
However, I could not find the perfect love, until I met you.
I thought that I was lost forever
I felt like I would never find love.
Dreaming that we'd be together
But I continued to dream of finding someone to be with.
Every time like yesterday
Every time I tried, it felt like a repeat of the same old failures.
Love will come by – not to stay around
Love would come in my life but it seemed fleeting and never permanent.
Now I found that
Now I have come to the realization that...
Love's my teacher – when you came and you showed me the way
Love, in fact, taught me a valuable lesson when you entered my life and showed me the way.
Now I need you – and I know that you're going astray
I now realize that I need you in my life and that you seem to be distancing yourself from me.
You are the one who set me free – steppin' into my life
You are the one who freed me from my past and allowed me to move forward in my life.
You changed my world to fantasy – steppin' into my life
By coming into my life, you made my world a magical and beautiful place.
Ooh, I've been searching for that feeling
I have been searching for the feeling of being in love for a long time.
Perfect lover – you cannot be found
But the perfect lover could not be found, until now.
I thought that I was lost forever
I thought I would be lost without love forever.
Dreaming that we'd be together
I continued to dream of finding someone to be with.
Every time like yesterday
But every time it seemed like I was stuck in the same old rut.
Love will come by – not to stay around
Love would appear but not last, always fleeting.
Now I found that
Now I understand that...
Love's my teacher – when you came and you showed me the way
Love taught me a valuable lesson when you entered my life and showed me how to love.
Now I need you – and I know that you're going astray
Now I realize that I need you and I can see that you are distancing yourself from me.
You are the one who set me free – steppin' into my life
You are the one who liberated me from my previous history, allowing me to start anew.
You changed my world to fantasy – steppin' into my life
By entering into my life, you made my world into a beautiful and magical place.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES PATRICK TAYLOR, DAVID CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR, JOHN ANTHONY WILLMOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
susan hess
Beautiful song. Beautiful rendition. This song seems to have more depth as time passes. Amazing that it was written by relatively young men. It just goes to show their genius. The Beatles filled with love, fill us with love. There music has a way of making humanity look good. God was smiling when they writing this piece.
ollarik
JT does the most musical version of this song that I've ever heard. Wonderful to hear!
Craig Amarnick
Judy Collins also does a very nice version. Maybe my favorite Beatle cover.
Nick Garren
such a wonderful cover of a amazingly beautiful song. he captures the very essence of this song and it touches your soul.
MJ McKellar
So touching, so human. Yes, JT -- yes. And I love the beautiful lines of Life in his face. Thank you sharing this!
raul braga
JT...amazing...wonderful...é de emocionar a interpretação dele...
Jacqueline Ganem
Lindaaaaaaaa te amo Taylor obrigado por vc existir e fazer vibrar o meu♥️👍🌼
Bob Meachen
Simply beautiful in it's gentleness. Sometimes, less is more.
Jimmy Redbone Childs
I love the wall outlet with the wind up extension cord. Only true musicians roll this way in my life.
Haris Gul
Wow. He really makes it sound like a James Taylor song. Turned it into a totally different but equally beautiful song