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.
The Letter
James Taylor Lyrics
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I know the river and the railroad would run through the valley still.
I guess it never was much to look at, just a one-horse town,
The kind of place young people want to leave today,
Store fronts pretty much boarded up, Main Street pretty much closed down.
The church bell still rings on Sunday, old folks still go, the young ones listen on the radio.
Saturday night nothing but a stray dog running wild like nobody's child.
They say you never go home again, that's no lie.
Its like a letter in the mail to a brother in jail,
It's a matter of time until you can do a little bit better time.
It used to be part of the heartland, awful proud and strong.
But deep, deep down peaceful and serene.
When people used to talk about the country that's what they used to mean.
I might go down come the weekend, go on my own,
Drop off Annie and the baby, maybe drive alone.
Pay my last respects to a time that has all but gone.
We said, Mama come look at the mountain, fire in the sky, it's lit up like the Fourth of July,
The mill burning down, the jobs leaving town, the trains rolling by.
And little by little, light after light, that's how it died.
They say you never go home again, that's no lie.
Its like a letter in the mail to a brother in jail,
It's a matter of time until you can do a little bit better time.
The song "Letter in the Mail" by James Taylor is a reflective tune about a town the singer used to know. The lyrics begin with the depiction of a sleepy town that has seen better times. The singer imagines visiting the place unnoticed to see the sun creeping up the hill. He describes the river and the railroad still running through the valley but laments the sad state of the town. It was never much to look at, yet it used to be a source of pride for the people, and they would talk about it when they referred to the country. Although the church still rings every Sunday, most stores are boarded up, and the town center has nearly closed down. The young people from the town see it as a place to leave.
As the lyrics continue, the singer laments the town's death, which he observes as being painful and gradual. Every light after light, the town died little by little. The town has become something that is not worth remembering, but the singer still wants to pay his last respects. He longs to go down by the weekend, leave the family behind, and take the time to say goodbye. He imagines the burning mill and jobs leaving the town, causing the people to lose hope. The folks who are left behind are listening to the church bell on the radio on Sunday, and there is a stray dog running wild like nobody's child on Saturday night. The song ends with the singer saying that "it's like a letter in the mail to a brother in jail, it's a matter of time until you can do a little bit better time,” suggesting the town's current state is temporary, and things can improve over time.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could go down now while the whole town is sleeping, see the sun creeping up on the hill,
If I was able to go to this town while everyone is asleep, I would be able to see the sun slowly coming up over the hill.
I know the river and the railroad would run through the valley still.
Even though the small town may not be flourishing, the river and railroad still pass through its valley.
I guess it never was much to look at, just a one-horse town,
The town may not have been much to look at, as it was a small, simple town.
The kind of place young people want to leave today,
Young people today do not find the small town lifestyle appealing, and may want to leave.
Store fronts pretty much boarded up, Main Street pretty much closed down.
Unfortunately, many stores have closed down and the main street is not very lively anymore.
The church bell still rings on Sunday, old folks still go, the young ones listen on the radio.
Although things have changed, the church bell still rings, and the elderly continue to attend, while the younger generation listens on the radio.
Saturday night nothing but a stray dog running wild like nobody's child.
On Saturday nights, the only activity in town is a stray dog roaming around, without any owner to take care of it.
And little by little, light after light, that's how it died.
The town slowly died, as businesses closed down and people moved away, one by one.
They say you never go home again, that's no lie.
Many believe that once you leave your hometown, you can never truly return to the same place as it was before.
Its like a letter in the mail to a brother in jail,
The experience of going back to the town is like receiving a letter from a brother in jail - it can be bittersweet and nostalgic.
It's a matter of time until you can do a little bit better time.
Although the past has its appeal, it is important to move forward and work towards a better future.
It used to be part of the heartland, awful proud and strong.
The town used to be a strong and proud part of the heartland region.
But deep, deep down peaceful and serene.
Despite its simple appearance, the town had a peaceful and serene quality.
When people used to talk about the country that's what they used to mean.
The town represents an idealized version of the country lifestyle that many people used to talk about.
I might go down come the weekend, go on my own,
The singer may visit the town on his own during the weekend.
Drop off Annie and the baby, maybe drive alone.
He may drop off his family and explore the town on his own.
Pay my last respects to a time that has all but gone.
He wants to pay his respects to the town's past and acknowledge that it is no longer the same.
We said, Mama come look at the mountain, fire in the sky, it's lit up like the Fourth of July,
In the past, the family admired the beautiful mountain in the town and watched the Fourth of July fireworks.
The mill burning down, the jobs leaving town, the trains rolling by.
Unfortunately, the town has gone through difficult times with the mill burning down and people losing their jobs, while the trains continue to pass through.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind