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.
River
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Putting up reindeer, singing songs of joy and peace
Oh, I wish I had a river, I could skate away on
Yeah, but it don't snow here, it stays pretty green
You want to make a lot of money and split this crazy scene
I wish I had a river and I could skate away on
Oh, I wish I had a river so high
I wish I had a river, I could skate away on
But I'm so hard to handle, I'm selfish and I'm sad
And I think, your's the only best baby that I ever had
Oh, I wish I had a river, I could skate away on
She tried hard to help me, tried to put me at ease
She loved me so naughty, made me weak in my knees
Yeah, I wish I had a river, I could skate away on
Oh, I wish I had a river so high
I could teach my feet to fly away, yeah
I wish I had a river, I could skate away on
And I made baby cry, and I made my baby say goodbye
And I wish I had a river, I could skate away on
I could skate away on, I could skate away on
The lyrics to James Taylor's song "River" deal with themes of longing, regret, and escapism. The opening lines reference the holiday season, as people prepare for Christmas by cutting down trees and putting up decorations, but the singer expresses a desire to escape this festive atmosphere. He wishes he had a river he could skate away on, but laments that it doesn't snow where he is, so he's stuck in a place that's "pretty green." The desire for escape is also tied to a longing for peace and joy, which the singer seems to feel he can't find where he is.
As the song progresses, the singer reveals more about his personal struggles. He describes himself as "hard to handle," "selfish," and "sad," and acknowledges that he's hurt the person he loves. He wishes he could escape himself, or at least the pain he's caused. The river becomes a symbol for both freedom and a new beginning, a way for the singer to start over and leave his troubles behind.
Overall, the lyrics to "River" paint a picture of a person who feels trapped in their current situation, longing for a way out and a chance to start anew. The river represents a hope for change and an escape from pain and regret.
Line by Line Meaning
It's coming on Christmas, they're cutting down trees
The holiday season is near, and people are preparing by decorating and chopping down trees.
Putting up reindeer, singing songs of joy and peace
People are also putting up decorations like reindeer and singing cheerful carols about the holiday spirit.
Oh, I wish I had a river, I could skate away on
The singer wishes they had a place to escape to, particularly during this time of year.
Yeah, but it don't snow here, it stays pretty green
However, where they are it doesn't snow and remains green all year round.
You want to make a lot of money and split this crazy scene
The singer acknowledges their difficult situation and wishes they could make a lot of money and leave to start fresh elsewhere.
I wish I had a river and I could skate away on
The singer repeats their desire for a place to escape to, using the metaphor of a river they can skate away on.
Oh, I wish I had a river so high
The singer wishes for a river that is very deep and wide.
I could teach my feet to fly away, yeah
The singer wishes they could leave their problems behind and start anew.
But I'm so hard to handle, I'm selfish and I'm sad
The singer recognizes their own flaws and tendencies towards self-centered behavior and sadness.
And I think, your's the only best baby that I ever had
The singer expresses their deep affection for someone they care about, possibly a lover or child.
Oh, I wish I had a river, I could skate away on
The singer repeats their desire for a place to escape, with the added weight of their personal problems.
She tried hard to help me, tried to put me at ease
The singer acknowledges someone who tried to help them, but still feels the weight of their problems.
She loved me so naughty, made me weak in my knees
The same person the singer acknowledges earlier is expressed to have been intimately involved with the singer and had a strong effect on them.
Yeah, I wish I had a river, I could skate away on
The singer repeats their desire to escape, this time after expressing the effect a loved one had on them.
And I made baby cry, and I made my baby say goodbye
The singer acknowledges they hurt someone they care about and lost them because of their actions.
I could skate away on, I could skate away on
The song repeats the chorus once again, emphasizing the singer's desire for escape.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Integrity Music, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joni Mitchell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind