That's Why I'm Here
James Taylor Lyrics

No I ain't had nothing to drink
I want you to know that I am sober right now, despite the late hour.

I knew that's probably what you'd think
I anticipated that you might assume that I had been drinking due to the time of night.

If I stopped by this time of night
I realize that it is late and unexpected for me to visit you now.

Remember way back when
Let's recall a previous conversation we had.

I promised you I'd drop in
I made a commitment to visit you in the past.

At one of those meetings down at the Y
I committed to attending a meeting at the Y with you.

When they started talkin' 'bout the steps you take
During the meeting, the topic of discussion was about the steps that one can take to improve their life.

Mistakes you make, the hearts you break and the price you pay
The discussion also included the consequences of making mistakes and hurting others, as well as the cost of those actions.

I almost walked away
I almost left without hearing the message because I was afraid to face my problems.

You could hear a pin drop when this ole man
The room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop when an older man stood up to speak.

Stood up and said, I'm gonna say it again like I do every week
The man stood up to share his testimony, which he does every week at the meeting.

For those who don't know me...
He began his story for those who were unfamiliar with him.

It's the simple things in life
What I have learned is that the most important things in life are often the simplest ones.

Like the kids at home and a loving wife
For me, these simple things include my family, especially my children and spouse.

That you miss the most when you lose control
When one's life becomes unmanageable, they often realize that they have lost sight of what really matters to them, such as family and love.

Everything you love starts to disappear
When a person's addiction takes hold, they often lose everything that they once cared about.

The devil takes your hand and says, no fear
Addiction is like a voice in one's head that tells them to keep using, despite the negative consequences.

Have another shot, just one more beer
The voice of addiction often tells the person to keep using, even when they know they should stop.

I've been there, that's why I'm here
The singer has been through this struggle with addiction themselves and is now here to help others find their way out.

This ole boy stood up in the aisle
The older man who shared his story stood up in the middle of the meeting room.

Said he'd been living a life of denial and he cried
The older man admitted that he had been in denial about his addiction and became emotional as he spoke.

As he talked about wasted years
The older man reflected on how much time he had lost to his addiction.

I couldn't believe what I heard
The singer was surprised to hear someone else echoing his own experiences with addiction.

It was my life word for word
The older man's story was almost identical to the artist's own experience with addiction.

And all of a sudden it was clear
In that moment, the singer realized that he was not alone in his struggles and that there was hope for him to recover.

For us it may be too late
The singer is acknowledging that they may have already lost some important things in their life due to their addiction.

But it would mean the world to me
Despite this, it would be very meaningful to the singer for their loved ones to be there for them.

If you were there when I stand and say
The artist is picturing a moment in the future when they will be able to share their own story of recovery with their loved ones.