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.
T-Bone
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's like I'm walking with a talking machine.
Just as soon as he thinks of something else,
He won't wait to interrupt himself.
Must be something that he can't quite say,
He just doesn't want to leave it that way.
Although he may not know it yet,
Unless I miss my bet,
What his heart remembers.
I see that T-Bone got an automobile,
Low-loping and open to the sky.
All night behind the hurricane wheel,
Riding in the eye.
All day underneath the hood,
Mondo Bondo, plastic, wood.
He needs a mile of masking tape if he wants
To keep his ship in shape,
Someday to escape what his heart remembers,
Yes, what his heart remembers.
T-Bone's not alone, not alone,
Looks like he gets a second chance.
It's Mamarama and Lumalamalu
Want to take him to recovery dance.
He's looking like he gets his meat suit back,
I guess he must have missed the crack attack.
Still he's riding for a fall
'Cause it's written upon the wall,
That now he must recall what his heart remembers, What his heart remembers.
In James Taylor's song T-Bone, the artist describes a road trip with T-Bone, who seems preoccupied and cannot express his thoughts clearly. It's like walking with a talking machine because T-Bone interrupts himself whenever he thinks of something else. It feels like something is bothering him, but he can’t find the words to express it. He’s trying to forget something that his heart remembers, and Taylor thinks he knows what that is. T-Bone recently acquired a new vehicle, a convertible that feels like it’s open to the skies. He spends all day working on it, fixing it up with plastic and wood, making it look nice with masking tape. But despite T-Bone's attempts to forget something, James Taylor believes that he still remembers whatever he's trying to forget.
T-Bone is not alone in his struggle. Mamarama and Lumalamalu want to take him to a recovery dance, as if to give him a second chance. T-Bone appears to be getting his life back together, but James Taylor warns that he's "riding for a fall" if he doesn't deal with whatever is haunting him. Whatever T-Bone is trying to forget is not gone, and it will come back someday. The song's message is about the weight of emotional baggage and the danger of denial.
Line by Line Meaning
Me and T-Bone on the road to town,
T-Bone and I are driving to town.
It's like I'm walking with a talking machine.
T-Bone talks a lot and interrupts himself when he thinks of something else.
Just as soon as he thinks of something else,
T-Bone changes the topic of conversation quickly.
He won't wait to interrupt himself.
T-Bone interrupts his own thoughts.
Must be something that he can't quite say,
T-Bone might have something on his mind that he can't express.
He just doesn't want to leave it that way.
T-Bone wants to express what's on his mind.
Although he may not know it yet,
T-Bone might not be aware of this.
Unless I miss my bet,
Unless I'm mistaken,
He's just trying to forget
T-Bone is attempting to forget.
What his heart remembers.
T-Bone is trying to forget a memory/feeling that's in his heart.
I see that T-Bone got an automobile,
T-Bone has a car now.
Low-loping and open to the sky.
The car is convertible.
All night behind the hurricane wheel,
T-Bone drove through the night.
Riding in the eye.
He drove through the calm center of the hurricane.
All day underneath the hood,
T-Bone worked on the car all day.
Mondo Bondo, plastic, wood.
The car has a mixture of materials for repairs.
He needs a mile of masking tape if he wants
T-Bone needs a lot of masking tape if he wants
To keep his ship in shape,
To keep his car in good condition.
Someday to escape what his heart remembers,
T-Bone hopes to escape a memory/feeling that's in his heart.
Yes, what his heart remembers.
This memory/feeling is still in his heart.
T-Bone's not alone, not alone,
T-Bone has support.
Looks like he gets a second chance.
T-Bone is getting another opportunity.
It's Mamarama and Lumalamalu
People who support T-Bone are Mamarama and Lumalamalu.
Want to take him to recovery dance.
They want to take T-Bone to a dance to celebrate his recovery.
He's looking like he gets his meat suit back,
T-Bone is looking healthier.
I guess he must have missed the crack attack.
T-Bone has had a drug addiction in the past.
Still he's riding for a fall
T-Bone is still in danger.
'Cause it's written upon the wall,
There is a warning of danger ahead.
That now he must recall what his heart remembers,
T-Bone must remember what's in his heart.
What his heart remembers.
The memory/feeling is still in his heart and he must face it.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind