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.
Little David
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Play on your harp, hallelujah.
Little David, play on your harp, hallelu, hallelujah, little David,
Play on your harp, hallelujah.
Hey now, I don't know for sure, but it's gets said, and I got told,
Someone said that the streets of heaven are paved with solid gold,
It must make a might good road, little David, play on your harp,
The lyrics of James Taylor's song Little David are an adaptation of the bible story of David and Goliath. In this story, David, a shepherd boy, stands up to Goliath, a giant Philistine warrior, armed with only his sling and five stones. David manages to hit Goliath in the head with a stone, knocking him down and then cuts of his head himself. The lyrics are sung to encourage David to continue playing his harp to praise God for his victory. The repetition of the phrases "hallelu, hallelujah" demonstrates the joy and excitement of the people around David for his bravery, and his accomplishment.
In the second verse, James Taylor sings that he has heard that the streets of heaven are paved with solid gold. This is a reference to the belief that heaven is a place of ultimate beauty and luxury, and little David's harp playing is being celebrated as a key that could easily unlock the gates of heaven. The enthusiasm and encouragement for David's harp playing are clear throughout the song, with the audience urging him forward to continue playing his harp in a celebration of victory and the goodness of the Almighty.
Line by Line Meaning
Little David, play on your harp, hallelu, hallelujah, little David,
Encouraging Little David to play his harp and praising him with hallelujah
Play on your harp, hallelujah.
Asking Little David to keep playing his harp and praising him with hallelujah
Hey now, I don't know for sure, but it's gets said, and I got told,
Expressing uncertainty about what follows, but explaining that it's a common saying
Someone said that the streets of heaven are paved with solid gold,
Repeating a common belief that heaven's streets are made of gold
It must make a might good road, little David, play on your harp,
Reflecting on the extravagance of using gold for roads and encouraging Little David to keep playing
Hallelu, hallelujah, little David, play on your harp, hallelujah.
Praising Little David once more with hallelujah and encouraging him to continue playing his harp
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR, JAMES V TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind