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.
Nothing Like A Hundred Miles
James Taylor Lyrics
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Yes, and I'm bound to leave this town, I don't care where I may land.
If what they're telling me is true, you have found somebody new to love you.
There ain't but one thing I can do, baby,
To save my heart from being broken in two by you, baby, I'm moving through.
There's nothing like a hundred miles between me and trouble in my mind.
There's nothing like a hundred miles when I'm only passing through.
There's nothing like a hundred miles to make me forget about you, forget about you.
Now don't we like our found farewells.
And don't we like to keep our good-byes nice and clean.
You may wish I'd go to hell while you tell me what a pleasure it's been,
So long, baby, I'm moving on.
There's nothing like a hundred miles between me and trouble in mind.
There's nothing like a hundred miles, show me the yellow line.
There's nothing like a hundred miles when I'm only passing through.
There's nothing like a hundred miles to make me forget about you, forget about you.
I have tried to forget about you. And baby, I have failed.
But just as long as I stay in Houston, I will.
In "Nothing Like A Hundred Miles," James Taylor sings of his attempts to move on from a failed relationship. He has made a conscious effort to forget about the person he was once involved with and the plans they made together. He knows he needs to leave the town they shared, and he doesn't care where he lands. He hears that his ex has moved on and found someone new, and he understands that he needs to do the same. He can't bear the thought of being heartbroken again, so he's moving on.
The chorus of the song, "There's nothing like a hundred miles between me and trouble in my mind," underscores how he feels. The distance from his ex-lover brings him peace and helps to ease his heartache. The yellow line on the road shows the way, and he's heading in a new direction, without the burden of his past relationship. He acknowledges that their parting may not have gone smoothly and that his ex might have preferred him to go to hell, but he doesn't care. He's moving on, and the distance he puts between himself and his old life is helping him to heal.
The lyrics of "Nothing Like A Hundred Miles" portray the struggle of moving on from a failed relationship. The physical distance is not the solution to his heartache, but it is an essential part of the healing process. He needs space to take a deep breath, clear his head, and start again. James Taylor delivers this song with his signature soothing voice and guitar skills, giving it a poetic quality that captures the emotions experienced after a tough breakup.
Line by Line Meaning
I have tried to forget about you and all the plans that we had planned.
Even though I have attempted to forget about you and everything we planned to do together, my thoughts keep coming back to you.
Yes, and I'm bound to leave this town, I don't care where I may land.
I am committed to leaving this place, regardless of where I end up after departing.
If what they're telling me is true, you have found somebody new to love you.
If the information I am receiving is accurate and you have found a new person to devote yourself to, then I accept that as fact.
There ain't but one thing I can do, baby, To save my heart from being broken in two by you, baby, I'm moving through.
Since there isn't anything else I can do to avoid feeling hurt by you, I have decided to keep moving forward and leave this relationship behind.
There's nothing like a hundred miles between me and trouble in my mind.
Putting a great distance between myself and my worries is the only cure for my troubled thoughts.
There's nothing like a hundred miles, show me the yellow line.
Traveling a hundred miles distracts me and takes my mind off my problems. Show me the way with the yellow line.
There's nothing like a hundred miles when I'm only passing through.
When I am only passing through a place without staying long, a hundred miles feels like nothing at all.
There's nothing like a hundred miles to make me forget about you, forget about you.
Traveling far away for a hundred miles helps me forget you and move on from our relationship.
Now don't we like our found farewells.
We enjoy wrapping up our goodbyes and cutting ties with finality.
And don't we like to keep our good-byes nice and clean.
We prefer to end our relationships in a positive and tidy way.
You may wish I'd go to hell while you tell me what a pleasure it's been, So long, baby, I'm moving on.
Even if you wished me ill and pretended to be happy to see me go, I am still leaving and moving on with my life.
I have tried to forget about you. And baby, I have failed. But just as long as I stay in Houston, I will.
Although I have been unsuccessful in forgetting you, as long as I stay in Houston, which has fond memories of us, it will be difficult to move on.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind