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.
Mona
James Taylor Lyrics
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And things I should have said to her, I shall say to you instead.
Mona, Mona, so much of you to love, too much of you to take care of, Mona, Mona.
You got too big to keep and too damn old to eat.
When you where just a football at your mama's side,
I reckon everyone figured you for a barbecue when you died.
And here I'm thinking about you lying underground pushing up a pine tree in my field.
Since the day she passed away, everything's just the same.
Everywhere I go, somebody mentions her name.
Sometimes it's easiest to tell a friend a lie, they don't understand the way I feel.
Oh, Mona, Mona, so much of you to love, too much of you to take care of, so long.
Now she is gone and I am left alone as you can see.
But ever since I caused her death, I do miss her company.
The song Mona by James Taylor is a poignant reflection on the death of a friend and the sense of loss and grief that accompanies it. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer expressing his sadness at the loss of his friend and acknowledging that there were things he should have said to her but didn't. The repetition of the name Mona throughout the song emphasizes the personal nature of this loss, and the deep affection that the singer felt for his friend.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on the unique qualities of his friend Mona, both in terms of her physical presence and her personality. He notes that she was "too much" in both senses - too much to love and take care of, but also too big to keep and too old to eat. This line can be read metaphorically, suggesting that Mona was a force to be reckoned with, with a vibrant personality and a strong presence. The image of her as a football at her mother's side suggests that she was always a force to be reckoned with, even from a young age.
The final lines of the song are perhaps the most striking, as the singer contemplates Mona's death and his role in it. He expresses a desire to be reunited with her in some way, even if that means taking violent action against her corpse. This line is both macabre and deeply emotional, highlighting the intensity of the singer's feelings and the sense of desperation he feels in the face of his loss.
Overall, Mona is a powerful and emotional song that captures the complexity of grief and the sense of deep loss that comes with the death of a loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
Life's good, friends are hard to find and now one of mine is dead.
Although life seems to be going well, losing a friend highlights that true friends are difficult to come by.
And things I should have said to her, I shall say to you instead.
Regretting missed opportunities to express feelings to his deceased friend, the singer chooses to express them in song.
Mona, Mona, so much of you to love, too much of you to take care of, Mona, Mona.
The singer acknowledges that his friend was larger-than-life in many ways and expresses simultaneous affection and exasperation.
You got too big to keep and too damn old to eat.
The singer makes light of his friend's size and age, emphasizing the ridiculousness of the situation.
When you where just a football at your mama's side,
When his friend was just a baby, it seemed likely that she might end up on someone's dinner table.
I reckon everyone figured you for a barbecue when you died.
Continuing the previous sentiment, the singer suggests that his friend's size made her seem like she would be suitable for cooking.
And here I'm thinking about you lying underground pushing up a pine tree in my field.
Rather than laying his friend to rest in a typical cemetery, the singer has buried her on his property and finds solace in the idea of her contributing to nature in this way.
Oh, Mona, Mona, you can close your eyes. I've got a twelve-gauge surprise waiting for you.
The singer makes a joke about hunting his already-dead friend, highlighting the absurdity of the situation and expressing his coping mechanism of humor.
Since the day she passed away, everything's just the same.
Despite the singer's loss, the world keeps turning and things carry on as normal.
Everywhere I go, somebody mentions her name.
The singer is reminded of his friend constantly and is forced to confront his grief frequently.
Sometimes it's easiest to tell a friend a lie, they don't understand the way I feel.
In order to spare others from the depth of his sadness, the singer finds it easier to pretend that he is doing alright.
Oh, Mona, Mona, so much of you to love, too much of you to take care of, so long.
The singer bids farewell to his departed friend, continuing to express mixed emotions of fondness and frustration.
Now she is gone and I am left alone as you can see.
The reality of his friend's passing sets in and the singer is faced with the stark truth that she is no longer with him.
But ever since I caused her death, I do miss her company.
The singer reveals that he feels guilt for his friend's passing and mourns her even more deeply as a result.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TAURA A. P. TAYLOR, MILES TACKETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind