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.
Road Runner
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me live a life free and easy
Put a toothbrush in my hand
Let me be a traveling man
I'm a roadrunner baby
I'm a road runner baby
Any place is my home
You look for me and I'll be gone
Well you can love me if you want
But I do declare
When I get restless
I've got to move somewhere
I'm a road runner baby
Just got to keep on keeping on
And I love the life I live
And I'm gonna live the life I love
Don't want no woman
To tie me down
Gotta be free baby
To roam around
All my life it's been like this
If you love me it's your own risk
When the dust hits my shoes
I got the urge to move
I'm a road runner baby
Anyplace is my home
And I love the life I live
And I'm gonna live the life I love
Roadrunner baby
James Taylor's "Road Runner" is a classic rock song with a bluesy, laid-back vibe. The song's lyrics are sung from the perspective of a lone traveler who values his freedom and independence over material possessions like money; he's the ultimate road runner. He doesn't want to be tied down to any one place or person, and the world is his home.
The song's narrator describes himself as a restless soul who is constantly on the move, always looking for something new and exciting. He loves the life he lives and is determined to keep on moving forward, no matter what. He refuses to be tied down by anyone or anything, and he's not afraid to take risks.
Despite this, the singer seems to be aware that his lifestyle can be difficult for others to accept or understand. He acknowledges that if someone wants to love him, they do so at their own risk. Ultimately, though, he is true to himself, and his love for the road and his nomadic existence is unwavering.
Overall, James Taylor's "Road Runner" is a song that celebrates freedom, independence, and the open road. The song celebrates the spirit of adventure and the thrill of exploration, and reminds listeners of the joys of living life on one's own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
Money, who needs it
I don't really care much about material possessions or wealth.
Let me live a life free and easy
I want to live a carefree and easygoing life, without any complications or obligations.
Put a toothbrush in my hand
All I need is a toothbrush and some basic essentials to travel and live my life.
Let me be a traveling man
I want to be able to travel and explore the world without any restrictions.
I'm a roadrunner baby
I am a free-spirited person who can't stay in one place for too long.
Any place is my home
I don't have a specific home, as I am comfortable and adaptable in any place I go.
You look for me and I'll be gone
I am not one to stay in a place for too long, so if someone is looking for me, they might not find me there anymore.
Well you can love me if you want
Someone can love me if they want to, but they have to accept and understand my free-spirit nature.
But I do declare
I am stating and affirming my intentions and desires here.
When I get restless
When I start feeling restless or trapped, I need to move and explore a new place.
I've got to move somewhere
I need to find a new place to move and explore to satisfy my restlessness.
Just got to keep on keeping on
I have to keep moving and exploring to continue living my free-spirit lifestyle.
And I love the life I live
I am happy and content with my current lifestyle, and wouldn't have it any other way.
Don't want no woman
I am not interested in settling down with a woman, as I value my freedom and independence too much.
To tie me down
I don't want anyone to restrict my freedom or prevent me from exploring and moving around.
Gotta be free baby
I need to be free and live my life without any constraints or expectations.
To roam around
I need to have the freedom to roam around and explore new places, without worrying about commitments or obligations.
All my life it's been like this
My free-spirit nature is not a recent development, but has been a part of me throughout my life.
If you love me it's your own risk
If someone wants to love me, they have to accept and understand my free-spirit nature, as it comes with certain risks and uncertainties.
When the dust hits my shoes
When I feel the urge to move and explore a new place, I can't resist it and have to act on it.
And I'm gonna live the life I love
I am determined to continue living my free-spirit lifestyle and enjoying the experiences and adventures that come with it.
Roadrunner baby
This phrase is used to reaffirm my free-spirit nature and my love for travel and exploration.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Edward Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind