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.
Secret O
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is enjoying the passage of time.
Any fool can do it,
There ain't nothing to it.
Nobody knows how we got
To the top of the hill.
But since we're on our way down,
We might as well enjoy the ride.
The secret of love
Is in opening up your heart.
It's okay to feel afraid,
But don't let that stand in your way.
'Cause anyone knows
That love is the only road.
And since we're only here for a while,
Might as well show some style.
Give us a smile.
Isn't it a lovely ride?
Sliding down, gliding down,
Try not to try too hard,
It's just a lovely ride.
Now the thing about time
Is that time isn't really real.
It's just your point of view,
How does it feel for you?
Einstein said he
Could never understand it all.
Planets spinning through space,
The smile upon your face,
Welcome to the human race.
Some kind of lovely ride.
I'll be sliding down,
I'll be gliding down.
Try not to try too hard,
It's just a lovely ride.
Isn't it a lovely ride?
Sliding down, gliding down,
Try not to try too hard,
It's just a lovely ride.
The secret of life
Is enjoying the passage of time.
James Taylor’s song, “Secret O” shares an important message about life and love. The song is about enjoying life’s journey and the secret to doing that is simply enjoying the passage of time. Taylor sings about how anyone can do it; there’s nothing to it. The passage of time is unique to everyone, and nobody truly knows how we got to the top of the hill, but since we’re on our way down, it’s important to enjoy the ride. The secret of love is also mentioned, and it’s that it’s in opening up your heart. It’s alright to feel afraid but Taylor encourages listeners not to let that stand in the way of love, and to take that journey and show some style while doing so.
The song is also a reflection on time itself. Taylor speaks to the fact that time isn’t really real, it’s just a point of view. He mentions how even Einstein couldn’t understand it all, and planets are constantly spinning through space. He invites listeners to welcome themselves to the human race and to take part in the lovely ride that is life. The song has a peaceful, uplifting tune that perfectly matches the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
The secret of life
The key to living life to the fullest
Is enjoying the passage of time.
Finding joy and contentment in the present moment
Any fool can do it,
It doesn't take a lot of effort to find happiness
There ain't nothing to it.
It's a simple concept
Nobody knows how we got
The origins of our existence are unknown
To the top of the hill.
How we achieved success remains a mystery
But since we're on our way down,
As we near the end of our journey
We might as well enjoy the ride.
Why not make the most of the time we have left?
The secret of love
The key to experiencing love
Is in opening up your heart.
Being vulnerable and receptive to love
It's okay to feel afraid,
Fear is a natural response to love
But don't let that stand in your way.
Don't let fear prevent you from experiencing love
'Cause anyone knows
It's a well-known fact
That love is the only road.
Love is the path to happiness
And since we're only here for a while,
Our time on earth is limited
Might as well show some style.
Why not make the most of our time and enjoy ourselves?
Give us a smile.
Spread joy and happiness with a smile
Isn't it a lovely ride?
Isn't life wonderful?
Sliding down, gliding down,
A metaphorical description of life's journey
Try not to try too hard,
Don't overthink your existence
It's just a lovely ride.
Life is beautiful and enjoyable
Now the thing about time
A discussion of the nature of time
Is that time isn't really real.
Time is a human construct with no universal truth
It's just your point of view,
How we perceive time varies from person to person
How does it feel for you?
What is your personal experience of time?
Einstein said he
A reference to the brilliant physicist Albert Einstein
Could never understand it all.
Even the greatest minds struggle to understand the nature of time
Planets spinning through space,
The vastness of the universe
The smile upon your face,
The beauty of human emotion
Welcome to the human race.
An introduction to the world of being human
Some kind of lovely ride.
Life is a wonderful journey
I'll be sliding down,
A personal declaration of enjoying life's journey
I'll be gliding down.
A continuation of the above statement
Try not to try too hard,
Don't force things in life
It's just a lovely ride.
Life is simply beautiful
Isn't it a lovely ride?
An affirmation of the beauty and wonder of existence
Sliding down, gliding down,
A repetition of the metaphorical description of life's journey
Try not to try too hard,
A repetition of the earlier line
It's just a lovely ride.
A repetition of the earlier sentiment
The secret of life
A repetition of the earlier line
Is enjoying the passage of time.
A repetition of the earlier sentiment
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marc
James Taylor has a remarkable ability to craft a song. (Of course this is a complete understatement). Marvel at the use of pentameter combining the lyrics with music/chord progression. One must appreciate his command of the English language as a songwriter and lastly his wonderful sense of humor.....and humility.
I attended his concert at the Gorge Amphitheater east of Seattle, WA back in the 90's.....Through a personal relationship with a band member, I was able to go backstage at intermission. There was a lineup of people waiting to greet him and I managed to eventually have a word or two.
I introduced myself, mentioned that I had a distant/personal connection with the keyboardist in his band. I shook his hand and mumbled something like: "You've been an inspiration to me for the last 25 years. And ditto for my father. He'd be here tonight but he passed away recently "...(which was unfortunately true).
James Taylor put his hand on my shoulder and gently pulled me aside and away from others in the line. He wanted to know more about my father and offered his condolences.
I continued: ".....and one of his favorite tunes was "Secret O' Life". (From the album - "JT" - which had been released well before this concert).
"You know that your right about one thing for sure....." I said. "The secret of life IS enjoying the passage of time."
"Catchy title" he said.
"I'll have to use it in one of my songs."
Humility.
Humor.
Terrence Boudreaux
Those of you who watched the Orville and heard Gordon singing this song, y’all are my kind of people! I have faith in the younger generation
Telno
Well that’s just another reason why I need to catch up on the Orville
Ossie Xanth
The Orville Brought me here. This song is absolutely evocative. It elicits a feeling of nostalgia, sadness, hope, beauty and sentimentality. I never heard this song - yet as soon as I heard it I feel like it has been in my head my whole life. It is timeless in its impactfulness. The song truly captures what is a needful ingredient to having a happy life....enjoying the passage of time. I heard a wise man once say that "Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time"...It is a Truth - enjoying good family, good friends, good food, good play, good pursuits and finding and cultivating moments of contentment in ones "lovely ride" and brining beauty and joy to others through ones gifts and talents and time...That's the secret of life!
Priscilla Wilson
@Ossie Xanth, well my brother brought me here. He posted a guitar cover of this song on YouTube. And I 100% agree to your comment/ feelings towards this song 🧡
nickster0007
I had never heard it before the Orville either. May need to buy some James Taylor albums now.
Aetigma Facade
I grew up in farm in the desert. And this music was regular. Not trying to pull away. But I'm so glad you are welcomed to the race of man kind.
daveywaveygravysmaveyglaveychaveynaveyplaveyhagado
Me too. I love this Song so much. It always makes me feel emotional.
Lana Beniko
i'm from the Orville too. i cryd when i frist heard the song and
Ed and Kelly hold hands really got me.🥹
Pashnea Gaming
The Orville bought me here.
Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy) sang this wonderfully well.
David Karisa
omg! Same here...