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.
Kootch's Song
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She is counting up her list again.
She won't satisfy another man.
You understand.
You can't cross the boundary beyond
Which she stands.
He's disposed of all his inner mind,
He has cancelled all the checks he signed,
So why be kind this time?
You can't see the picture of you in his hand.
Now they've thrown out all the undesired,
Morbid dreams behind a gay attire.
They won't talk about the morning fire,
So why aspire?
You don't want to be what they think is a man.
James Taylor’s “Kootch’s Song” talks about a man and a woman who are both struggling with their inner demons. The lyrics portray the woman as being frenzied to the point of pain and counting up her list again. She won't satisfy another man and is standing beyond a boundary which no one can cross. This could either mean that she has created an emotional barrier around her that nobody can penetrate, or that she has firm beliefs and won't sway away from them.
On the other hand, the man has disposed of all his inner thoughts, donned his mask, and left the world behind. He has cancelled all the checks he signed, so why be kind this time? The man is trying to forget the past. Furthermore, he's not interested in building any new relationships. The woman's frenzied state could be due to a broken relationship with the man, and the man might be trying to forget about it by erasing his memories of her. They're trying to change their lives by throwing out all the undesirables, morbid dreams behind a gay attire. They won't talk about the morning fire, so why aspire? It seems they're both trying to forget the past and move forward in their lives, but it's unclear whether they're doing it together or separately.
Overall, "Kootch's Song" is about people who are trying to move on from their past, but it's not easy. The lyrics are melancholic and reflective of the struggles that people go through in life, particularly after a failed relationship. It's a powerful song that resonates with people on an emotional level.
Line by Line Meaning
She is frenzied to the point of pain.
The woman is agitated to the extent that it causes her emotional agony.
She is counting up her list again.
She is re-evaluating her life choices and decisions.
She won't satisfy another man.
She refuses to be with another man.
You understand.
You comprehend her predicament and beliefs.
You can't cross the boundary beyond Which she stands.
You are unable to pass the limits of her stance and conviction.
He's disposed of all his inner mind,
He has removed all his fears and doubts within.
Donned his mask and left the world behind.
He wears his disguise and departs from reality.
He has cancelled all the checks he signed,
He has abandoned all obligations he had committed to.
So why be kind this time?
What is the purpose of showing kindness now?
You can't see the picture of you in his hand.
You are unaware of how he views you in his mind.
Now they’ve thrown out all the undesired,
They have discarded all that is unwanted.
Morbid dreams behind a gay attire.
They have hidden their dark fantasies behind a cheerful facade.
They won't talk about the morning fire,
They refuse to discuss a sensitive and hurtful subject.
So why aspire?
What is the point of aiming for a goal?
You don't want to be what they think is a man.
You reject the idea of conforming to society's narrow definition of masculinity.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DANNY KORTCHMAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind