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.
New Hymn
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sheepdog, jackal, rattler, swan
We hunt your face and long to trust
That your hid mouth will say again let there be light
A clear new day
But when we thirst in this dry night
We drink from hot wells poisoned with the blood of children
Our ears are balked by stiffled moans
And howls of desolation from the throats of sisters, brother, wild men
Clawing at the gates for bread
Even our own feeble hands
Aim to seize the crown you wear
And work our private havoc through
The known and unknown lands of space
Absolute in flame beyond us
Seed and source of Dark and Day
Maker whom we beg to be
Our mother, father, comrade, mate
Til our few atoms blow to dust
Or form again in wiser lives
Or find your face and hear our name
In your calm voice the end of night
If dark may end
Wellspring gold of Dark
Be here
Be now
In James Taylor's song New Hymn, he explores the complex and often contradictory relationship between humanity and a higher power. Taylor uses a variety of animals - the sheepdog, jackal, rattler, and swan - as symbols for various aspects of this higher power. The opening lines of the song suggest that humanity both hopes for and fears the power of the divine, and that we are constantly seeking reassurance from it.
However, Taylor quickly shifts the tone of the song by describing the atrocities that humans commit. The image of drinking from wells poisoned with the blood of children is particularly haunting, and it highlights the ways in which we can become corrupted by our own desires and struggles. The final lines of the song express a yearning to reconnect with the divine, but also a sense of acceptance that we may never fully understand its power or intentions.
Overall, New Hymn is a complex meditation on the nature of faith, spirituality, and human suffering. By juxtaposing images of hope and despair, Taylor creates a sense of tension that reflects the difficulties of grappling with these concepts.
Line by Line Meaning
Source of all we hope or dread
You are the beginning and end of everything we fear and desire.
Sheepdog, jackal, rattler, swan
You take many forms and it can be hard for us to recognize you.
We hunt your face and long to trust
We search for a sign from you and want to trust that you're there.
That your hid mouth will say again let there be light
We hope that you will reveal yourself and make everything clear again.
A clear new day
A fresh start, free from darkness.
But when we thirst in this dry night
When we are desperate for guidance and comfort in difficult times.
We drink from hot wells poisoned with the blood of children
We try to find solace in harmful and destructive things.
And when we strain to hear a steady homing beam
When we try to find our way through the confusion and chaos.
Our ears are balked by stiffled moans
We are distracted and saddened by the sound of others' suffering.
And howls of desolation from the throats of sisters, brother, wild men
We hear the pain and desperation of those around us.
Clawing at the gates for bread
Fighting for survival and basic needs in a harsh world.
Even our own feeble hands
Our limited abilities and resources.
Aim to seize the crown you wear
We try to take control and power that belongs to you.
And work our private havoc through
We cause chaos and destruction in our own lives and the world around us.
The known and unknown lands of space
Every aspect of existence, both familiar and mysterious.
Absolute in flame beyond us
A powerful force beyond human understanding.
Seed and source of Dark and Day
You are the origin of everything, light and dark.
Maker whom we beg to be
We plead with you for help and guidance.
Our mother, father, comrade, mate
We look to you for all of the roles that family and companionship provide.
Til our few atoms blow to dust
Until the end of our existence.
Or form again in wiser lives
Reincarnation as a form of spiritual growth.
Or find your face and hear our name
Meeting face to face with you and feeling a sense of recognition and belonging.
In your calm voice the end of night
Your reassurance and presence brings an end to fear and darkness.
If dark may end
If there is hope for an end to pain and suffering.
Wellspring gold of Dark
The possibility of something good coming from a dark situation.
Be here
Be present and guide us.
Be now
Be here in this moment, whenever we need you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind