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.
Knock On Wood
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This good thing
That I got
If I do
I would surely
I'll surely lose a lot
'Cause your love
Than any love I know
[Chorus]
It's like thunder
(Thunder)
Lightning
(Lightning)
The way you love me is frightening
I better knock, on wood, baby
Oh baby
I ain't superstitious
About you
But I can't take no chance
You got me spinningbaby (spinning baby)
Baby, I'm in a trance
'Cause your love
Is better
Than any love I know
[Chorus]
My baby
It's no secret
That woman
Fills my lovin' cup up
She sees to it
That I get enough
Just one touch
From her
Really do so much
[Chorus]
Yeah baby
I'm about to knock, knock, knock on wood
I think I'm about to knock, knock, knock on wood
Good thing to do
Knock, knock, knock on wood
I think I better knock, knock, knock on wood
'Cause I'm gonna knock, knock, knock on wood
I think I better knock, knock, knock on wood
'Cause I wanna knock, knock, knock on wood
Better, knock, knock on wood
Knock, knock, knock on wood
Knock, knock, knock on wood
Knock, knock, knock on wood
Knock, knock, knock on wood
Knock, knock, knock on wood
Knock, knock, knock on wood
Knock, knock, knock on wood.
James Taylor's song "Knock on Wood" is a love song about the singer's fear of losing the good thing that he has with his lover. He expresses how much her love is better than any love he knows, and he is afraid of losing it. The chorus talks about how the way she loves him is like thunder and lightning and how it frightens him. He says he is not superstitious, but he cannot take the chance of losing her love because it has him spinning and in a trance. The singer reiterates that he cannot lose her and it's a good thing to knock on wood to avoid any negative outcomes.
The song is an example of the use of superstition in the lyrics, as people believe that knocking on or touching wood will prevent bad things from happening. The message of the song is that love is a powerful force that can inspire fear and awe, as well as joy and happiness. Through his lyrics, Taylor is expressing how much he values the love he has and how much he wants to hold on to it.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to lose
I do not wish to lose what I have
This good thing
This positive aspect of my life
That I got
That which I possess
If I do
If I lose it
I would surely
Undoubtedly
I'll surely lose a lot
Suffer a great loss
'Cause your love
Because your affection for me
Is better
Surpasses
Than any love I know
Exceeds any other feeling of love that I have experienced
It's like thunder
It's as powerful as a thunderstorm
(Thunder)
Lightning
As swift as a bolt of lightning
(Lightning)
The way you love me is frightening
The intensity in which you love me is significantly alarming
I better knock, on wood, baby
I should knock on a wooden surface to prevent the possibility of jinxing the relationship
Oh baby
An indication of affection to a partner
I ain't superstitious
I don't believe in superstitions
About you
Concerning our relationship
But I can't take no chance
But I cannot take any risk
You got me spinningbaby (spinning baby)
You have made me feel disoriented and giddy (spinning)
Baby, I'm in a trance
I'm lost in my feelings for you, unaware of surrounding events
'Cause your love
Because your affection
Is better
Is surpassing
Than any love I know
More than any love I have experienced before
My baby
My partner
It's no secret
It's apparent
That woman
You, my partner (Taylor's perspective)
Fills my lovin' cup up
Brings joy and happiness to my life
She sees to it
Ensures
That I get enough
That I am sufficiently satisfied
Just one touch
A single gesture
From her
From my partner
Really do so much
Produces such a significant impact
Yeah baby
Yes, my partner
I'm about to knock, knock, knock on wood
I'm going to knock on wood to avoid bad luck or jinxing the situation
I think I'm about to knock, knock, knock on wood
I believe I need to knock on wood
Good thing to do
It is prudent to knock on wood
Knock, knock, knock on wood
Tap on a wooden surface three times to avert bad luck
Cause I'm gonna knock, knock, knock on wood
I intend to knock on wood
I think I better knock, knock, knock on wood
I'm confident that knocking on wood is the appropriate action to take
Cause I wanna knock, knock, knock on wood
Because I want to knock on wood
Better, knock, knock on wood
The best course of action is to knock on wood
Knock, knock, knock on wood
Tap on a wooden surface three times to avert bad luck
Knock, knock, knock on wood
Tap on a wooden surface three times to avert bad luck
Knock, knock, knock on wood
Tap on a wooden surface three times to avert bad luck
Knock, knock, knock on wood
Tap on a wooden surface three times to avert bad luck
Knock, knock, knock on wood
Tap on a wooden surface three times to avert bad luck
Knock, knock, knock on wood
Tap on a wooden surface three times to avert bad luck
Knock, knock, knock on wood
Tap on a wooden surface three times to avert bad luck
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eddie Floyd, Steve Cropper
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dirk Evans
Saw JT & his Amazing Band play this live last night in Raleigh, NC and they simply KILLED IT!! Brought the whole house down. It was awesome!!
Deborah P
I was there for that. Loved it
Eppie Timisela
The best live ´knock on wood´ performance ever. Every single instrument is in sync and every note well performed...esp the rythem guitar by Bob Mann. Outstanding! Also in rememberance the famous singer (to me) Valerie Carter.....
Carlos Vieira
For mer, the best cover its that one from Seal
PocoPortillo
Its a happy tune,dance on.🙂
Denise Hedden
🥀Amazing Song I love it and this Man he's so creative and has a powerful to get through this classic 🥀☝️🥀
Orio Menoni
So tight, they're unbelievable!! They've got quantizers built inside their brains!
Jay Sidman
Did this last night at Tanglewood. He’s no Eddie Floyd but did a good job
Wanda Mundy
Would be great to know the names of the players on that stage (and their instruments). They are just as responsible for the power of that performance - and they never are credited for their work. Just a thought . . .
PocoPortillo
Soul baby!