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.
Love Songs
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Little one doesn't know when to stop.
Love must find her, love must find her away.
She doesn't know what he's thinking,
She only knows how he behaves,
Love must find him, love must find him a way.
I reckon I must be just an old softy,
I think the best is yet to come cause
Where I'm from is also where I'm going.
And in the time that it takes to sing this song,
I hope you can see for yourself
Love must find you love must find you a way.
I reckon I must be just an old softy,
Cause I still believe in love.
I think the best is yet to come cause
Where I'm from is also where I'm going.
And in the time that it takes to sing this song,
I think I can see for myself
Love has found me, love has found me a way,
Oh, love has surely found a way.
La la la la la la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la.
La la la la la la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la.
Never did I feel like this before,
Never was I so confused,
I don't know if I'm up or down.
I guess I've got nothing to lose.
Never did I feel so good before,
Guess I might as well hold onto a feeling,
It feels so fine, as long as it's on my mind.
What a blue Monday, talk about lonely,
Don't look back, don't look down,
I don't know how I made it through,
I guess it's got something to do with you.
Never was I so in love before,
The world is like a collage,yes,
And the only thing I can see clearly
Is the slow steady glow of love in her eyes.
Talking about the slow steady glow of love in her eyes.
La la la la la la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la.
La la la la la la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la.
The song Love Songs by James Taylor is about the search for love and the powerful emotions that come with it. In the first verse, Taylor sings about a young woman who is unaware of the effect of her actions on those around her, and the need for love to reach her. He then refers to a man who is equally oblivious to his own behavior and thoughts, but who also needs love to find him. The chorus emphasizes the importance of love, with Taylor singing that "Love must find you love must find you a way." The second verse repeats the idea that the singer is a romantic ("an old softy") who still believes in love, and that it will come to him eventually. He expresses his optimism that "the best is yet to come" and encourages the listener to believe that love will find them too.
Throughout the song, Taylor uses vivid descriptions of his own experience of love, both good and bad. He sings about feeling confused and uncertain at times, but also the joy and wonder of full immersion in love. He also acknowledges the role of other people in helping him find and understand love, particularly the person he is addressing in the song. The repeated use of the phrase "La la la" throughout the song reinforces the idea of the power and depth of emotions that are beyond words.
Overall, Love Songs is a moving and heartfelt tribute to the transformative power of love. James Taylor's lyrics show a deep understanding of the complexities of human emotions and relationships, and are infused with his own romanticism and hope for the future.
Line by Line Meaning
She doesn't know what she's done,
The little one is unaware that she has the power to attract love.
Little one doesn't know when to stop.
The little one is quite naive and does not know when to put brakes on the things she does.
Love must find her, love must find her away.
Love must discover her and find her the way to the one who will reciprocate.
She doesn't know what he's thinking,
She does not have any idea about the thought process of the person she loves.
She only knows how he behaves,
The little one can only perceive the actions and reactions of the person in question as a yardstick of love.
Love must find him, love must find him a way.
Love must help connect the two people and enable them to bond strongly.
I reckon I must be just an old softy,
Despite age, the singer still believes in the power and magic of love in human lives.
Cause I still believe in love.
Despite everything, the artist believes in loving someone deeply.
I think the best is yet to come cause
The artist is optimistic about the future, and deep love for someone else is on the cards.
Where I'm from is also where I'm going.
The history of the artist won't decide their future, they can make choices and carve their own path.
And in the time that it takes to sing this song,
In the duration of this song, speaker hopes that audience would recognize the power and importance of love.
I hope you can see for yourself
The artist anticipates the audience to realize the power of love by themselves.
Love must find you love must find you a way.
Love must help everyone find their true love and must help pave the way for a better future.
I think I can see for myself
The singer can see and feel the power of love in their personal life.
Love has found me, love has found me a way,
The singer has found love in their life, and that love has helped them to make a mark in their journey.
Oh, love has surely found a way.
Love can always find a way out and is powerfully transformative.
Never did I feel like this before,
The level of intense emotions experienced by the artist is something new and uncharted.
Never was I so confused,
The plethora of emotions being felt by the singer has them questioning everything around their current love situation.
I don't know if I'm up or down.
The singer is struggling to figure out the direction their love life is taking and the impact on personal life.
I guess I've got nothing to lose.
The artist feels they have nothing to lose by taking a chance on love as everything in life is transient.
Never did I feel so good before,
The emotions currently being felt may be up and down, but overall the artist has not experienced these levels of joy and feelings of completeness.
Guess I might as well hold onto a feeling,
The level of love and emotion being felt is so raw and complete that the artist is thinking of holding onto it.
It feels so fine, as long as it's on my mind.
The love and emotions being felt are so intense that they make the singer feel joyous despite being only present in mind and thoughts.
What a blue Monday, talk about lonely,
The artist is feeling lonely and isolated like many in the world who don't have someone special to share their feelings.
Don't look back, don't look down,
The singer tries to maintain a positive outlook and doesn't want to hold back or lose the forward momentum.
I don't know how I made it through,
The singer is surprised by how they handled their emotional state and the difficulties of continuing without having someone special in their life.
I guess it's got something to do with you.
The singer finds solace from their loneliness in thinking about the person they love and how they can envision a better future together.
Never was I so in love before,
Speaker has never felt intense emotions such as love before in their life.
The world is like a collage,yes,
The overall scenario of the world looks like different pieces of artwork woven together differently by each individual.
And the only thing I can see clearly
In the cacophony of emotions and potential relationship noises, the singer can only see the love in her eyes.
Is the slow steady glow of love in her eyes.
The slow, steady glow of love in her eyes indicates the intensity of the feelings she holds for the singer, which helps bring new perspectives into the singer's otherwise mundane life.
Talking about the slow steady glow of love in her eyes.
The artist is discussing the intensity of emotions and desire in the eyes of the person they love.
La la la la la la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la.
This line is a collection of therapeutic melodies that just envelopes and accumulates feelings.
La la la la la la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la.
This line is again a collection of therapeutic melodies just to conclude the song on a calming note.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind