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.
Stop Thinkin' 'Bout That
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living with your people down in New Orleans.
Mad at your mama cause she'd never
Let you ride in no nasty limousine.
Later on the levee with the moon up above,
I lost my heart and confessed my love,
Oh Lucy, now, God have mercy,
I've got to stop thinkin' 'bout that, somehow.
One Summer night in a field of wheat,
God's sweet lanterns hanging in the sky.
Moving light on your tiny feet,
I knew I had to love you till the day I die.
They talk about Amazing Grace,
It meant something when I saw your face.
Oh Lucy, now, God have mercy,
I've got to stop thinkin' 'bout that.
Oh, Lucy, babe, can't stop thinkin' bout you.
I think of all the little things
That I never told you,
I think I may get to hold you someday.
It's my brain just like a man possessed,
I can't do me no work,
I can't get me no rest,
I can't understand it baby.
Don't like to think about the way it ended,
I hate remembering the things that I said.
I dream a dream of love so splendid,
I wake up hard in an empty bed.
I wonder who'll be loving you next,
Some fool will be writing bad checks.
Oh, Lucy, God have mercy,
I've got to stop thinkin' 'bout you.
The song "Stop Thinkin' 'Bout That" by James Taylor is a nostalgic love song about a woman named Lucy whom he met in New Orleans. He fondly remembers their first meeting when she was living with her family and how she was upset that her mother wouldn't let her ride in any nasty limousines. He goes on to describe a moment they shared on a levee under a moonlit sky where he lost his heart and declared his love for her. Despite the wonderful memories, the thought of Lucy consumes him to the point where he can't do any work or get any rest, and he declares that it does him no damn good.
In the second verse, James Taylor reminisces about a romantic night they shared in a field of wheat, under the stars, where he fell even deeper in love with Lucy. The mention of Amazing Grace holds great significance to him as it was during that moment he saw the grace and beauty in her face. The chorus then repeats the same sentiment of him being unable to stop thinking about her. However, in the final verse, he expresses regret about the way the relationship ended and the things he said. He ends on a melancholic note wondering who will love her like he did and declares that he needs to stop thinking about her but continues to do so nonetheless.
Overall, the song is a bittersweet recounting of a past relationship that continues to weigh heavily on the singer's heart. It highlights the power of memory and the lasting impact of love on one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
I like to think about the time I met you
I enjoy reminiscing about the moment I first met you.
Living with your people down in New Orleans.
You were residing with your folks in New Orleans back then.
Mad at your mama cause she'd never Let you ride in no nasty limousine.
You used to be upset at your mother because she never let you ride in a filthy limousine.
Later on the levee with the moon up above,
At a later date, under the moon's radiance, while standing in the levee,
I lost my heart and confessed my love,
I lost my heart to you, and I told you how I felt.
Oh Lucy, now, God have mercy,
Oh Lucy, please, may God have mercy on me,
I've got to stop thinkin' 'bout that, somehow.
I have to stop thinking about that moment, somehow.
Does me no damn good.
It serves me no purpose or benefit to dwell on it constantly.
One Summer night in a field of wheat,
One summer evening in a wheat field,
God's sweet lanterns hanging in the sky.
Under the stars that resemble sweet lanterns swaying in the night sky under God's watchful eye.
Moving light on your tiny feet,
A gleaming light emitted by your small feet in motion.
I knew I had to love you till the day I die.
I recognized that I would love you until the day that I died.
They talk about Amazing Grace,
People speak of the wondrous grace,
It meant something when I saw your face.
But it held definitive meaning when I saw your beautiful face.
Oh Lucy, now, God have mercy,
Oh Lucy, please, may God have mercy on me,
I've got to stop thinkin' 'bout that.
I need to stop thinking so intently about that moment.
Oh, Lucy, babe, can't stop thinkin' bout you.
Oh, Lucy, darling, I'm unable to stop thinking about you.
I think of all the little things
I ponder all the little things,
That I never told you,
That I neglected to tell you,
I think I may get to hold you someday.
I believe that there is a chance I may hold you in my arms someday.
It's my brain just like a man possessed,
My mind is like that of a possessed man,
I can't do me no work,
I cannot focus on any work.
I can't get me no rest,
I am unable to rest.
I can't understand it baby.
I cannot understand why I am so consumed by thoughts of you, baby.
Don't like to think about the way it ended,
I dislike thinking about how things ended between us,
I hate remembering the things that I said.
I despise recollecting the things I said.
I dream a dream of love so splendid,
I dream of a grandiose love,
I wake up hard in an empty bed.
Only to wake up with difficulties in an empty bed.
I wonder who'll be loving you next,
I muse over who will be the next person to love you,
Some fool will be writing bad checks.
Perhaps some fool will be writing checks of little value.
Oh, Lucy, God have mercy,
Oh, Lucy, please, may God have mercy on me,
I've got to stop thinkin' 'bout you.
I must stop contemplating you so fervently.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Orio Menoni
RIP Don Grolnick, Carlos Vega, Valerie Carter.
I have seen this exact formation live, and I'm so glad I did. Unreachable.
joan raven
very sad
Rodgebi
@Orio Menoni Thanks man, so sad... :-(
Orio Menoni
@Rodgebi She died in 2017, the black year for musicians
Rodgebi
Since when Valerie past away ? 😳😞
Al. Keith
Such great musicians we still miss.
teddypantelas
Great to see the process. You’ve got great background vocalists! Always dug this tune! Go JT! The man with soul!
Michelle R Jackson
teddypantelas Oh YES.. I cannot get over this Squibnocket film! JT at his natural best😍😍😍😍🤗
Tony Underwood Music
Fantastic work. Love this version,
VirgoSwan58
Never seen these recordings before. Incredible!