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.
Sunny Skies
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He doesn't know when to rise
He closes his weary eyes upon the day
Look at him yawning
Throwing his morning hours away
He knows how to ease down slowly
Everything is fine in the end
And you will be pleased to know
Sunny Skies weeps in the evening
It doesn't much matter why
I guess he just has to cry from time to time
Everyone's leaving
And Sunny Skies has to stay behind
Still he knows how to ease down slow, no
Everything is fine in the end
And you will be pleased to know
That Sunny Skies hasn't a friend
Sunny skies sleeps in the morning
He doesn't know when to rise
He closes his weary eyes upon the day
And throws it all away
Looking at the snow and trees that grow
Outside my window
Looking at the things that passed me by
Wondering if where I've been is worth
The things I've been through
Ending with a friend named Sunny Skies
The song "Sunny Skies" by James Taylor is a poignant portrayal of a person who is isolated and lonely in life. The song begins with a description of a person who is unable to wake up in the morning and ends up wasting his morning hours away. This person, named Sunny Skies, seems to have no friends who can motivate him to get up and start his day. The second verse describes a person who weeps in the evening for no apparent reason. Sunny Skies "has to stay behind" while everyone else leaves, further emphasizing his isolation.
Despite his loneliness, Sunny Skies knows how to "ease down slowly." He has developed his own coping mechanism to deal with his feelings of isolation. The song suggests that everything will turn out fine in the end, and even though he has no friends, Sunny Skies can find solace in his own company.
Overall, the song is a beautiful reminder that even though life can be lonely and difficult, there is always a way to find peace within oneself. We must learn to be comfortable in our own skin and find ways to cope with life's challenges, even when we feel completely alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunny Skies sleeps in the morning
The subject of the song, Sunny Skies, is lazy and often sleeps in during the morning.
He doesn't know when to rise
Sunny Skies lacks discipline and does not have a set time to wake up in the morning.
He closes his weary eyes upon the day
Sunny Skies is tired and unmotivated, and would rather avoid confronting the challenges of the day.
Look at him yawning
Sunny Skies is so uninterested in the events of the day that he can't help but yawn in boredom.
Throwing his morning hours away
Sunny Skies wastes valuable time in the morning by not getting up and starting his day.
He knows how to ease down slowly
Sunny Skies is skilled at taking things easy and relaxing, even if it means avoiding responsibilities.
Everything is fine in the end
Despite his lackadaisical approach to life, Sunny Skies is content with the way things turn out.
And you will be pleased to know
That Sunny Skies hasn't a friend
Sunny Skies is so apathetic and uninvolved that he has no friends to share his life with.
Sunny Skies weeps in the evening
Later in the day, after reflecting on his lack of purpose and friends, Sunny Skies becomes overwhelmed with sadness.
It doesn't much matter why
Sunny Skies doesn't have a specific reason for feeling sad, but his overall unfulfillment and loneliness contribute to his mood.
I guess he just has to cry from time to time
Sunny Skies has no one to talk to or share his emotions with, so crying is his only way of coping with his feelings of isolation.
Everyone's leaving
And Sunny Skies has to stay behind
While others are able to move on and find meaning and fulfillment in their lives, Sunny Skies feels trapped and unable to do the same.
Still he knows how to ease down slow, no
Despite his sadness and lack of purpose, Sunny Skies still knows how to relax and take things slow.
Looking at the snow and trees that grow
Outside my window
The singer reflects on the passing of time and the changes that occur outside their window, without much personal involvement.
Looking at the things that passed me by
Wondering if where I've been is worth
The things I've been through
The singer considers the events of their own life and questions whether the struggles and hardships they've experienced have been worth it.
Ending with a friend named Sunny Skies
The song ends with a note of irony, as the subject of the song, who has no friends, is referred to as a friend to the listener.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR, JAMES V TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind