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.
Mud Slide Slim
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the Blue Horizon
Oh, Mud Slide
I'm dependent on you
I don't know but I've been told
There's a time from time to time
I can't sleep
But I just might move my feet
'Cause there's nothing like the sound of sweet soul music
To change a young lady's mind
And there's nothing like a walk on down by the bayou
To leave the world behind
Mud Slide
I'm depending upon you
Mister Mud Slide Slim
And the Blue Horizon
I've been letting the time go by
Letting the time go by
Yes, I'm letting the time go by
Letting the time go by
I'm gonna cash in my hand
And pick up on a piece of land
And build myself a cabin back in the woods
Lord, it's there I'm gonna stay
Until there comes a day
When this old world starts to changing for the good
Now the reason I'm smiling is over on a island
On a hillside in the woods where I belong
I wanna thank Jimmy, Jimmy, John, Nick and Laurie
The No Jets Construction
For setting me down a homestead on the farm
Mud Slide
I'm depending upon you
Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon
Night goes on and on, don't want to come at all
Baby, baby, baby, I know
Stoney Lee Blue Borne,
Picking on a fretless bass, babe
Oil slick, slipping and a slapping and a sliding on
Kootcheroo
The song “Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon” by James Taylor was released in 1971 as part of his album with the same title. The lyrics are a mixture of personal reflection, love for music, and appreciation of nature. The opening lines, “Mud Slide, I'm dependent on you,” refer to a deep emotional connection with the environment, specifically the mudslide area where Taylor grew up. He portrays himself as a man who is lost and in need of a guide, and the “Mud Slide” is his beacon of hope.
The second stanza describes Taylor’s love for music and how it can change a person’s mood. He goes on to sing about his desire to escape the pressures of society by taking a walk down by the bayou. In the chorus, he reiterates his dependence on the Mud Slide and the Blue Horizon, the latter being a metaphor for something that is unattainable and always beyond reach, yet ever-present.
The final stanza provides a glimpse into Taylor’s personal life, his desire to live a simple life away from the city with his family and friends. He shows gratitude to the people who have helped him achieve this dream and acknowledges that, deep down, he is happy and content.
Overall, the song presents a mixture of feelings, including hope, dependence, and gratitude, all intertwined with Taylor’s love for nature and music.
Line by Line Meaning
Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon
The singer associates Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon with a sense of dependency and reliance.
Oh, Mud Slide, I'm dependent on you
The singer uses the name Mud Slide as a metaphor for something they depend on or rely on.
I don't know but I've been told
The singer acknowledges that they have heard something, but are not sure if it is true or not.
There's a time from time to time
The artist implies that there are moments when certain feelings, emotions or situations arise.
I can't eat, I can't sleep
The artist emphasizes the severity of their emotional struggle or turmoil by explaining that it affects basic bodily functions necessary for survival.
But I just might move my feet
The singer suggests that in spite of their emotional distress, they may take action or make a change.
'Cause there's nothing like
The singer asserts that there is something special or unique about what is coming next.
The sound of sweet soul music
The artist identifies the special or unique thing as the sound of soul music, which they imply can influence emotions and thoughts.
To change a young lady's mind
The artist suggests that something as intangible as music can affect someone's mental state or decision making.
And there's nothing like a
The artist continues their pattern of assertions, building up to another unique and special experience.
Walk on down by the bayou
The singer identifies another experience that they see as unique and worth pursuing.
To leave the world behind
The artist describes the bayou as a place where one can escape reality, de-stress and forget about the world's problems.
Mud Slide I'm depending upon you
The singer repeats a prior assertion to reinforce their sense of dependency and reliance on something.
Mister Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon
The singer adds a friendly honorific to Mud Slide's name, perhaps signifying their respect or admiration for the object of their dependency.
I've been letting the time go by
The singer admits that they have not taken action or made any progress towards their goals or desires.
Yes, I'm letting the time go by
The artist repeats the prior assertion, possibly expressing regret or concern over time lost.
I'm gonna cash in my hand and
The artist announces a plan of action that involves exchanging something of value (i.e. 'cash in my hand') for something else.
Pick up on a piece of land
The singer intends to buy a plot of land, perhaps indicating a desire for control, stability or independence.
And build myself a cabin back in the woods
The singer plans to build themselves a small, simple and private home in a natural environment.
Lord, it's there I'm gonna stay
The artist declares their intention to stay in the cabin they will build.
Until there comes a day
The artist does not mention what will happen to make them leave their cabin, but suggests that such a moment may arise in the future.
When this old world starts to changing for the good
The artist implies that a drastic and positive global change would be necessary for them to abandon the life they aspire to in the cabin they plan to build.
Now the reason I'm smiling is over on a island
The singer discloses the reason for their current feeling or demeanor: something that is happening on an island they know of.
On a hillside in the woods where I belong
The artist describes the idyllic location where they believe they 'belong', meaning, where they feel most content, comfortable, and at ease.
I wanna thank Jimmy, Jimmy, John, Nick and Laurie
The singer offers gratitude towards a group of people for a specific action or contribution.
The No Jets Construction for setting
The singer names an organization to give credit for a certain accomplishment or action, perhaps related to building.
Me down a homestead on the farm
The singer concludes their expression of gratitude, naming the specific item that they have been given to live in.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: James Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind