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.
Never Die Young
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They were circles around the sun
Never give up, never slow down
Never grow old, never ever die young
Synchronized with the rising moon
Even with the evening star
They were true love written in stone
And we who couldn't bear to believe they might make it
We got to close our eyes
Cut up our losses into doable doses
Ration our tears and sighs
You could see them on the street on a Saturday night
Everyone used to run them down
They're a little too sweet, they're a little too tight
Not enough tough for this town
We couldn't touch them with a ten-foot pole
No, it didn't seem to rattle at all
They were glued together body and soul
That much more with their backs up against the wall
Oh, hold them up, hold them up
Never do let them fall
Prey to the dust and the rust and the ruin
That names us and claims us and shames us all
I guess it had to happen someday soon
Wasn't nothing to hold them down
They would rise from among us like a big baloon
Take the sky, forsake the ground
Oh, yes, other hearts were broken
Yeah, other dreams ran dry
But our golden ones sail on, sail on
To another land beneath another sky
The song "Never Die Young" by James Taylor is a nostalgic tribute to his childhood and the people he admired during that time, who he saw as immortal and unshakeable. The song's first verse describes himself and his friends as "ring-around-the-rosy children," while the second verse references a group of people who seem to embody the qualities he and his friends wanted to possess. The lines "Never give up, never slow down, never grow old, never ever die young" convey a sense of unbridled optimism and endless possibility that the singer finds inspiring.
The chorus of the song encourages listeners to "hold them up" and avoid letting these perfect memories and idols fall. The third verse acknowledges that the people these words describe aren't infallible, and that other hearts have been broken and other dreams have died, but that the "golden ones" he has immortalized in this song will "sail on" to new horizons.
Overall, "Never Die Young" is a tribute to a moment in time when everything seems possible and people seemed to defy the laws of aging and mortality. It's a wistful song that can resonate with anyone who has ever looked back on their childhood and early years with a sense of longing or nostalgia.
Line by Line Meaning
We were ring-around-the-rosy children
We were young, carefree, and innocent
They were circles around the sun
They were older, wiser, and more experienced
Never give up, never slow down
Never lose hope or momentum
Never grow old, never ever die young
Live life to the fullest and never lose your youthfulness
Synchronized with the rising moon
In tune with the universe and the ebb and flow of life
Even with the evening star
Connected to the heavens and beyond
They were true love written in stone
Their love was steadfast and unchanging
They were never alone, they were never that far apart
They always had each other and were close in heart and soul
And we who couldn't bear to believe they might make it
We were skeptical that their love would last
We got to close our eyes
We had to accept the truth and let go
Cut up our losses into doable doses
Deal with our pain and grief in small increments
Ration our tears and sighs
Don't let our emotions overwhelm or consume us
You could see them on the street on a Saturday night
They were out and about, enjoying life and each other
Everyone used to run them down
Others were jealous or critical of their happiness
They're a little too sweet, they're a little too tight
They were too perfect and too close for comfort
Not enough tough for this town
They weren't hardened or jaded enough to survive in the world
We couldn't touch them with a ten-foot pole
We couldn't get close to them or understand their love
No, it didn't seem to rattle at all
Their love was strong and unshakable
They were glued together body and soul
Their love was all-encompassing and unbreakable
That much more with their backs up against the wall
Their love was even stronger in difficult times
Oh, hold them up, hold them up
Support and cherish them
Never do let them fall
Never let their love weaken or fade away
Prey to the dust and the rust and the ruin
Exposure to the harsh realities of life
That names us and claims us and shames us all
The inevitability of aging and mortality
I guess it had to happen someday soon
Their love couldn't last forever
Wasn't nothing to hold them down
Nothing could stop them from being together
They would rise from among us like a big baloon
Their love would transcend and surpass us
Take the sky, forsake the ground
Their love would reach new heights and leave earthly constraints behind
Oh, yes, other hearts were broken
Others experienced heartbreak and loss
Yeah, other dreams ran dry
Others gave up on their hopes and aspirations
But our golden ones sail on, sail on
Their love still endures and lives on
To another land beneath another sky
Their love exists beyond this world and transcends time and space
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@antonioguilherme3763
We were ring-around-the-rosy children
They were circles around the sun
Never give up, never slow down
Never grow old, never ever die young
Synchronized with the rising moon
Even with the evening star
They were true love written in stone
They were never alone, they were never that far apart
And we who couldn't bear to believe they might make it
We got to close our eyes
Cut up our losses into doable doses
Ration our tears and sighs
You could see them on the street on a Saturday night
Everyone used to run them down
They're a little too sweet, they're a little too tight
Not enough tough for this town
We couldn't touch them with a ten-foot pole
No, it didn't seem to rattle at all
They were glued together body and soul
That much more with their backs up against the wall
Oh, hold them up, hold them up
Never do let them fall
Prey to the dust and the rust and the ruin
That names us and claims us and shames us all
I guess it had to happen someday soon
Wasn't nothing to hold them down
They would rise from among us like a big baloon
Take the sky, forsake the ground
Oh, yes, other hearts were broken
Yeah, other dreams ran dry
But our golden ones sail on, sail on
To another land beneath another sky
@winesr7
Every element of this song is a wonder, but as a bass player, lest we not forget what bass master Lee Sklar is doing here, that which he has always has from early on in J.T’s , Carole’s and so many other’s careers…delivering some of the most extraordinary and expressive bass lines EVER !!!
@IronMan-tk8uc
This wonderful man and musician has a channel here on YouTube. He talks about the countless sessions he made with many artists since the 70s.
@ulersag5334
Look at that! All musicians having a good time, slow dancing, awesome melodie, excelent vocals from James. Now THIS is a jam.
@danielviles38
I realise I'm in an extreme minority but I think this is James' best song.
@JWemm
Daniel Viles ..I'm with you! Something in the air today 😊
@etsugradlib
Another best song nobody would vote for....Copperline.
@MikeSparksMusic
Grad Lib Copperline is definitely up there for me. I listen to it constantly and love that fiddle solo from Mark O’Connor.
@MikeSparksMusic
I love the lead guitar in this one and it has a great message. It may be the best lead guitar part of his songs.
@ubiratanguimaraes6996
i love it also
@patsygroves3812
I Love It that he sang this song and donated the proceeds to the charity to save the wolves ! What an Amazing thing to do ! God Bless You , James Taylor !!