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.
Machine Gun Kelly
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you understand what happened to Machine Gun Kelly?
I'll tell you about Machine Gun Kelly
He rode along the outlaw trail
Machine Gun Kelly was a simple man
But the woman was as hard as hell
Don't let her run you round
Don't let a woman put you six feet in the ground
Machine Gun (yes indeed)
I'll tell you about Katherine Kelly
Tired of being such small time, now
Figured they'd kidnap a rich man's son
Make it in the world of crime
Watch out Machine Gun
Don't let her run you round
Don't let a woman put you six feet in the ground
Machine Gun
You'd better watch out Machine Gun Kelly
Careful of what you do, now
If you keep listening to your old lady
Ain't no telling what'll happen to you, now
Machine Gun
The government boys they came for Machine Gun
Took the poor boy away
They stuck him in a hole in a Leavenworth prison
Where he lived until his dying day
Watch out Machine Gun
Don't let her put you down
Don't let the woman make you out to be a clown
Machine Gun
Watch out, Machine Gun
The lyrics to James Taylor’s “Machine Gun Kelly” tell the story of infamous gangster Machine Gun Kelly and his wife Katherine, who became involved in a kidnapping scheme. The song advises Machine Gun Kelly to watch out for his wife and not let her control him, as they embark on a life of crime. The cautionary message is clear: the criminal world is no place for levity, and it’s easy to get into serious trouble when you’re in too deep.
Machine Gun Kelly, born George Kelly Barnes, was a notorious gangster in the 1930s. He gained his nickname due to his favored weapon, a Thompson submachine gun. His wife Katherine was known as the “mother of Machine Gun Kelly’s gang,” and was heavily involved in his criminal enterprises. In 1933, the couple and several others kidnapped oil tycoon Charles F. Urschel and held him for ransom. Despite collecting $200,000, Kelly and his gang were eventually caught and sentenced to prison, where Kelly remained until his death in 1954.
“Machine Gun Kelly” speaks to the allure and danger of a life of crime. The lyrics warn against getting too involved with criminality, and the story of Machine Gun Kelly is a classic example of how things can go wrong quickly. James Taylor’s delivery of the lyrics is haunting and understated, lending weight to the song’s message.
Line by Line Meaning
This is not a time for levity
Serious topic that deserves attention
Do you understand what happened to Machine Gun Kelly?
Asking if you know the background story of Machine Gun Kelly
I'll tell you about Machine Gun Kelly
Introducing the topic
He rode along the outlaw trail
He was a criminal
Machine Gun Kelly was a simple man
He was not educated, wealthy or had any significant characteristics
But the woman was as hard as hell
His partner was tough and cold-hearted
Watch out Machine Gun
Be wary of your actions, Machine Gun
Don't let her run you round
Don't allow her to dominate or manipulate you
Don't let a woman put you six feet in the ground
Don't let a woman lead you to your death
Machine Gun (yes indeed)
Emphasizing the name of the topic
I'll tell you about Katherine Kelly
Introducing another character
Tired of being such small time, now
Unhappy with their current situation
Figured they'd kidnap a rich man's son
They planned to commit a crime
Make it in the world of crime
Achieve success in the world of crime
You'd better watch out Machine Gun Kelly
Be careful, Machine Gun Kelly
Careful of what you do, now
Be cautious about your actions
If you keep listening to your old lady
If you keep following your partner's orders
Ain't no telling what'll happen to you, now
There's no way to predict what could happen to you
The government boys they came for Machine Gun
Authorities arrested Machine Gun Kelly
Took the poor boy away
He was removed from society
They stuck him in a hole in a Leavenworth prison
He was imprisoned in Leavenworth, in terrible conditions
Where he lived until his dying day
He remained in prison until he died
Don't let her put you down
Don't allow her to make you feel inferior
Don't let the woman make you out to be a clown
Don't let her make you look foolish
Machine Gun
Repeating the name of the topic
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Danny Kortchmar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@charlesbyrd1254
James, U carried me through 6 years of heroin addiction...sing and know all your songs..Thanks bro...got strung out in Vietnam...I was a Hospital Corpsman with the 1st Marine Division
@rinalore
❤️🔥The Vietnam War should've never occurred and Nixon's🔥burning in hell with Kissinger!
I wish you well🇺🇸Soldier.
🇨🇦✌🏻💔🇺🇸✨🌎💫
@matcoffidis1135
Wish you well Charles...❤️
@toddmcintosh83
C Byrd, first let me thank you for your service, my brother was also there, a Spec 6 in the Army. It changed him, and he was a very different person when he returned home in 1973! It’s a pain that fades, but obviously never goes away! I’m thankful that you both made it back home! He died in a plane crash near Chiriquana, Columbia in 1978. It was the year I graduated, and it changed me forever! It’s a pain that has faded, but it never goes away! I pray you are doing much better now, and JT has helped many of us through that pain with music! God Bless and be well! Semper fi marine! 🙂🙏✝️🕊
@toddmcintosh83
@@rinalore he is a marine, not a soldier.
@toddmcintosh83
Also, to Rina Lore, we were involved in Vietnam long before Nixon became President. Lyndon Johnson assumed the Presidency after John F. Kennedy was assassinated and did not seek re-election specifically because of the outcry against the war in Southeast Asia! It was a terrible time for the world and war is never a good thing! They are fought for many reasons, and the only reason it can ever be justified is the escape from tyranny! Vietnam was not that war, and it destroyed many lives! We all wish it had not happened, and I’m sure Nixon before his death regretted ever being charged with overseeing America’s role in it! Let’s hope those who currently beat the drums of war now regret their part in the war in Ukraine! Let’s hope and pray it doesn’t become another Vietnam for America, or an Iraq, or Afghanistan or even Korea! 🙏✝️🕊✌️
@patriciamorgan6545
All these years later I still remembered all the notes and nearly all of the lyrics, even though I haven't heard "Machine Gun Kelly" in decades. I played the heck out of "Mud Slide Slim" back in the day and just loved the guitar work on this one. Found myself singing the harmony parts. Thanks, James (and Danny!), for creating my perennially favorite music!
@salvadorsepulveda6415
Takes my 69yr old self back to 1969 and 16yrs old again ❤️ Thank you JT Blessings 🙏
@Roberto-pd8vn
Two guitars and .... the most beautiful male voice ever! ❤
@kathy9300
That long hair though... 🔥🔥🔥🔥😍😍😍😍🤩🤩🤩🤩❤❤❤❤