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 More Time With You
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching me packing my bags.
He knows I'm leaving town,
I can see that it's a drag.
Why leave the life I love here
In the great state of Maine
Just to ride that shining rail,
Just to size that ball and chain?
Oh, I gotta spend just a little more time
With you, that's why.
Gotta spend just a little more time
With you, oh oh oh.
I passed on the cocaine,
Said bye-bye to my methadone.
Put down the bottle for one more day,
Backing off of my tobacco jones.
Still feel like a hopeless junkie,
Like a man who can't say no.
I look back and there's that monkey,
Rascal won't let go, let me go.
Gotta spend just a little more time
With you, that's right.
Gotta spend just a little more time
With you, oh oh.
Gotta spend just a little more time
With you, yes I do, yes I do, now.
Gotta spend just a little more time
With you, oh oh oh.
I get high and I can't come down,
I get high just hanging around.
I get high, I go lost and found,
I get high oh I oh I,
Gotta spend just a little more time
With you, I'll be walking in the light.
Gotta spend just a little bit more time
With you, oh oh.
Gotta spend just a little more time
With you, just a little more time,
Just a little more time.
Gotta spend just a little bit more time
With you, oh oh
The song, "Little More Time With You," by James Taylor is essentially a person's struggle with addiction and their desire to spend more time with their loved ones. The lyrics depict a man who is preparing to leave town while his dog, who acts almost as his conscience or “watchdog,” watches him packing his bags. But, despite being torn between his addiction and the life he loves, he yearns for the time he has left with his loved one. He admits to struggling with addiction and that it still haunts him like a "monkey" he cannot escape, but he is determined to take the steps to stay sober in order to spend more time with his significant other.
Throughout the song, Taylor represents the internal turmoil of addiction as a “ball and chain,” something that holds him back from the life he wants. His addiction becomes a metaphorical weight that drags him away from his loved one. But Taylor also underscores the hopefulness of recovery in the lyrics, as he acknowledges his ability to turn away from cocaine, methadone, tobacco, and alcohol, showing his dedication towards his relationship. The chorus, "Gotta spend just a little more time with you," emphasizes his strong desire towards overcoming addiction and spending time with the one he loves.
Overall, the song is about recognizing that though addiction may be a constant battle, it is important to never give up – especially when it comes to the people in our lives whom we love and care for. The lyrics capture the depth of such emotions and the mindset of someone struggling with addiction, displaying both hope and despair within the same lyric.
Line by Line Meaning
Gotta watchdog watching me, doggy,
I have a dog who closely watches my every move, even as I pack my belongings.
Watching me packing my bags.
The dog is keenly observing as I pack my bags and leave town.
He knows I'm leaving town,
The dog is aware that I am leaving this place,
I can see that it's a drag.
I can sense that my departure is causing the dog disappointment and sadness.
Why leave the life I love here
I am wondering why I have to leave a life that I deeply care about in Maine
In the great state of Maine
Maine is a wonderful state that I am leaving behind in my travels.
Just to ride that shining rail,
Traveling on the train and its shiny tracks is my plan and why I'm leaving.
Just to size that ball and chain?
Perhaps this choice will lead me to a confined lifestyle or responsibility that will limit my freedoms and what I can do.
Oh, I gotta spend just a little more time
I must spend some more time before I leave this place,
With you, that's why.
I'm staying with you for a while longer. That's how it ends up.
I passed on the cocaine,
I have rejected using cocaine,
Said bye-bye to my methadone.
I have stopped using methadone and said farewell.
Put down the bottle for one more day,
I have abstained from using the bottle for a day longer,
Backing off of my tobacco jones.
I am taking a step back from my dependency on tobacco.
Still feel like a hopeless junkie,
I still get the feeling of being an addict without hope.
Like a man who can't say no.
I am always saying yes, like a person who doesn't have the strength to say no.
I look back and there's that monkey,
I look back and there it is - the addiction that I can't shake off.
Rascal won't let go, let me go.
I can't seem to let go of this pesky 'monkey' addiction that is holding me back.
I get high and I can't come down,
I get high, but it's difficult to get back down to normal.
I get high just hanging around.
Even just lounging around can lead me to get high
I get high, I go lost and found,
Sometimes getting high makes me feel like a lost and found item.
I get high oh I oh I,
I have a tendency to get high, and it often feels like an out-of-body experience.
Gotta spend just a little more time
I must spend a little longer with you
With you, I'll be walking in the light.
If I spend more time with you, I will have a fresh opportunity to be a better person and quit the addiction.
Gotta spend just a little bit more time
I have to take a little more of my time before leaving.
Just a little more time, Just a little more time.
Just a bit more time, just a bit more time.
Gotta spend just a little bit more time
I need to spend just a bit more time with you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind