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.
It's Growing
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like the size of a fish that the man claims broke his reel, it's growing.
Like a rosebud blooming in the warm of the summer sun, it's growing.
Like the tale by the time it's been told by more than one, wooo, it's growing.
Everyday it grows a little more than it was the day before.
My love for you just grows and grows.
Oh, how it grows and it grows.
(Hey, hey, hey, nobody knows)
How it grows, and it grows, and it grows.
(Nobody knows) yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Nobody knows. It grows, it grows, where is it gonna stop)
Like a need in a guy to see his girl.
When she's gone away, it's growing.
Like the sadness in his little heart
When he knows that she's gone to stay, wooo, it growing.
Everyday it grows a little more than it was the day before.
My love for you just grows and grows.
Oh, how it grows and it grows.
And where it's gonna stop I'm sure, nobody knows.
(Hey, hey, hey, nobody knows) It gets a little wider.
(Nobody knows) oh, it gets a little stronger.
(Hey, hey, hey) the feeling for each kiss, baby.
(Hey, hey, hey) oh, it lasts a little longer, yeah.
(Hey, hey, hey) oh, so much, oh, so much.
Can't you see it's growing, baby
It grows, and it grows, and it grows, and it grows
James Taylor's "It's Growing" is a song about the growth of love. Through the use of various metaphors, Taylor expresses the idea that love grows steadily over time, just like a snowball rolling down a hill or a rosebud blooming in the summer sun. The song's refrain repeats the phrase "oh, how it grows and it grows," emphasizing the theme of love's continuous growth.
The song's opening lines use the metaphor of a snowball to illustrate the idea that love can accumulate and gain momentum as it grows. The subsequent metaphor of a fish that's too big for a man's reel suggests that love can be overwhelming at times. The image of a rosebud blooming in the summer sun is used to evoke the idea of love as a natural process that unfolds over time. Finally, the metaphor of a tale that gets passed down from person to person emphasizes the idea that love can grow as it is shared and passed on.
Throughout the song, Taylor emphasizes the idea that love grows gradually, day by day. He sings, "everyday it grows a little more, my love for you just grows and grows." This slow, steady growth is contrasted with the sudden onset of sadness that can come when a loved one is gone. This contrast reinforces the idea that love is a long-term investment that grows over time.
Overall, "It's Growing" is a reflective and contemplative song about the nature of love. It presents a hopeful and optimistic view of love as a force that can steadily grow and endure over time.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a snowball rolling down the side of a snow covered hill, it's growing.
Just like a snowball gets bigger as it rolls down a hill covered in snow, the thing that is growing is also getting bigger.
Like the size of a fish that the man claims broke his reel, it's growing.
Similar to how a fisherman's story gets exaggerated with each telling, the thing that is growing is also getting bigger.
Like a rosebud blooming in the warm of the summer sun, it's growing.
Just like a rosebud becomes a beautiful flower with sunlight, the thing that is growing is becoming more beautiful and radiant.
Like the tale by the time it's been told by more than one, wooo, it's growing.
Similar to how a story gets bigger and more exaggerated as it is passed on, the thing that is growing is also getting bigger.
Everyday it grows a little more than it was the day before.
The thing that is growing is getting bigger every single day.
My love for you just grows and grows.
The singer is talking about their love for someone, and it keeps increasing as time goes on.
Oh, how it grows and it grows.
The singer is expressing just how much this thing is growing and how quickly it is happening.
And where it's gonna stop I'm sure, nobody knows.
The growth of this thing seems to be limitless and unpredictable, just like the future is unknown and unpredictable.
Like a need in a guy to see his girl.
The artist is comparing the feeling of needing to be with someone to the thing that is growing.
When she's gone away, it's growing.
The artist is saying that the thing is growing when the person they love is not around.
Like the sadness in his little heart when he knows that she's gone to stay, wooo, it growing.
When someone leaves and doesn't come back, the singer's heart hurts and the thing that is growing keeps getting bigger.
It gets a little wider.
The thing that is growing is expanding and becoming bigger.
Oh, it gets a little stronger.
As the thing grows, it becomes more powerful and impactful.
the feeling for each kiss, baby.
The singer is talking about the emotions they feel with each kiss or intimate moment, and how they contribute to the growth of the thing.
Oh, it lasts a little longer, yeah.
The singer is saying that the growth of the thing is lasting longer and becoming more significant with time.
Can't you see it's growing, baby
The artist is asking their partner if they can see how much the thing is growing and changing.
It grows, and it grows, and it grows, and it grows
The repetitive nature of this line emphasizes just how much this thing is growing and how quickly it is happening.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SMOKEY ROBINSON, WARREN MOORE, WILLIAM ROBINSON JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@maryjohnson5079
I love 💕 me some James Tayler , because he has a beautiful voice, I can listen to James Taylor all night long
@barber215
James Taylor is one of my fav musicians. he is a legend. keep singin and playin, James
@jacquelineganem6166
Lindaaaaaaaa vc é o cara James Taylor lindo maravilhoso vc e suas melodias São como vinho qto mais o tempo passa mais delicioso fica parabéns ☀️🌻💋💋💋
@sevvy253
This is a really great song; I've been hearing it on the radio recently & love it. Whilst I obviously realised that this version is by James Taylor, I didn't realise that it was a cover of a Temptations song. Good stuff! Thanks for posting!
@jackieporeda6039
I love this...
@selwadaarthur6182
Wow I like these
@touchstone48
just how music should be..soooo coool.
@wirralad26
An amazing tune. Not taking anything away from the original at all but James Taylor is a legend.
@beebandloz
The Temptations version is great. I love this though to. Nice cover
@jacquelineganem6166
I love you James Taylor 💋♥️⭐ te amo beautiful