James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter … Read Full Bio ↴James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

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.

Is That the Way You Look?
James Taylor Lyrics

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Excuse me? Excuse me, yes?
Is that the way you look?
Is that the way you look?
Is that the way you look?
Is that really the way that you look now?
Oh darling, darling, is that the way you look?

Is that really your eyes,

Is that really your hair?
Is that really the way you walk on by,
Are those the clothes you wear?
Oh darling, darling, is that the way you look?

Woah, baby, oh baby.
Woah, baby, baby, baby,
I got the question for you
Woah, baby, oh baby.
Woah, baby, baby, baby, tell me now is it true?
Is that the way you look?
No, no I mean is that the way you really look?
Is that the way you look,
Is that the way you look?

Baby, maybe I'm dreaming,
But I'll be bound
Whoever wakes me up,
I'm going to knock him down.
Oh darling, darling, is that the way you look?

Well I rubbed my eyes and I pinched my leg.

And I asked my friend and I shook my head,
But baby, is that the way you look?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of James Taylor's "Is That the Way You Look?" capture the bewilderment and disbelief of the singer as they encounter their lover transformed beyond recognition. The singer is taken aback by their lover's changed appearance and repeatedly asks whether the new look is for real. The chorus serves as a refrain, punctuating each stanza with the same question; "Is that really the way that you look now? Oh darling, darling, is that the way you look?" This repetition lends the lyrics a sense of urgency, as if the singer cannot quite believe what they are seeing.

The verses of the song highlight the details of the lover's transformation, drawing attention to the eyes, the hair, the walk, and the clothes. These details give the song a sense of specificity, as if the transformation is not just a generic change but a unique and individual one. The verses also convey a sense of longing and confusion on the singer's part. They do not seem to know how to react to their lover's transformation, and yet they cannot help but be drawn to it. The lyric, "Baby, maybe I'm dreaming, but I'll be bound / Whoever wakes me up, I'm going to knock him down" captures this tension perfectly.

Overall, "Is That the Way You Look?" is a compelling exploration of the transformative power of love and how it can alter one's perceptions of themselves and each other.

Line by Line Meaning

Excuse me? Excuse me, yes?
May I have your attention for a moment?

Is that the way you look?
Is that really how you present yourself?

Is that really the way that you look now?
Is this your current appearance?

Is that really your eyes,
Are those your actual eyes?

Is that really your hair?
Is that truly your hair?

Is that really the way you walk on by,
Is that truly how you walk by?

Are those the clothes you wear?
Is this really what you choose to wear?

Woah, baby, oh baby. Woah, baby, baby, baby,
My dear, oh my dear. My dear,

I got the question for you
I have a question to ask you

Baby, maybe I'm dreaming,
Perhaps I am dreaming

But I'll be bound Whoever wakes me up,
But if someone wakes me up,