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.
London Town
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think I can begin again.
Become again the man I was back when.
So I'm walking on your streets again,
Feeling now as I did then,
I've since become a different man.
London Town, turn be around, London Town,
Carry me back, oh, London Town,
I can remember lots of time and space,
If I lose the name,
Still I know the faces.
Time as come and left its traces.
London Town, turn be around, London Town,
Carry me back, oh, London Town,
Lost and found, and I feel like going back.
When I grew too old and dull to rock 'n roll,
Like to hold on tight to you, darling.
And when my fires have all burned out,
I'd like to think I can still think about
The things I used to sing about
When I was spending all my time alone.
By myself and on my own,
Seldom seen and quite unknown.
London Town, turn be around, London Town,
Carry me back, oh, London Town,
Lost and found, and I feel like going back.
Yes, I feel like going back.
The lyrics to James Taylor's song, London Town, express the desire to return to a former self, a time of youth and freedom, and the possibility of starting over. The singer is reminiscing about the past, remembering his experiences and the people he knew. He longs to return to this time, to relive his memories, and feel the same way he once did. The song speaks of growth and change, and the longing for a simpler time.
London Town is used as a metaphor for this lost time in the singer's life. The streets of London represent the memories, and the singer feels as though he has returned to the same place, and is walking down streets he once knew so well. He believes that he can become the person he once was, with the same sense of creativity and drive. The song suggests that the city of London has a powerful impact on the singer, offering a sense of comfort, familiarity, and inspiration.
Line by Line Meaning
I do believe, I must believe,
Despite everything, I still have hope and faith in myself.
I think I can begin again.
I believe I can start over and recreate myself.
Become again the man I was back when.
I want to be the person I used to be before life changed me.
So I'm walking on your streets again,
I'm back in London and taking a stroll on its familiar roads.
Feeling now as I did then,
I feel like I did before, it's like I never left.
I've since become a different man.
I've changed since my last visit to London.
London Town, turn me around, London Town,
London, please help me find my way and provide me with a fresh start.
Carry me back, oh, London Town,
Take me back to the place I once knew well.
Lost and found, and I feel like going back
Feeling like I've lost my way in life, but London makes me feel like I need to come back.
I can remember lots of time and space,
I have many memories of the past, of which London is a significant part.
If I lose the name,
Even if I don't remember exact names or places, I know that I have memories tied to London.
Still I know the faces.
Even if I can't remember names, I recognize the people in my memories.
Time has come and left its traces.
Time has passed and left its mark on me and on London.
When I grew too old and dull to rock 'n roll,
I'm reminiscing about the past when I used to play rock and roll music, which I'm too old for now.
Like to hold on tight to you, darling.
I want to hold on to those good memories and feelings I had in London.
And when my fires have all burned out,
When I'm no longer passionate about the things I used to be passionate about.
I'd like to think I can still think about
I hope that I can still remember and relive the experiences I had when I was young.
The things I used to sing about
The topics that inspired me to write and sing songs when I was a musician.
When I was spending all my time alone.
I remember spending a lot of time by myself, reflecting and creating.
By myself and on my own,
I didn't have anyone to help me along the way, but I did it myself.
Seldom seen and quite unknown.
I was an unknown artist struggling to become famous and recognized.
Yes, I feel like going back.
I really want to come back to London and relive the memories I have associated with the city.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: MIKE TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind