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.
Up Er Mei
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blind in the Buddha land, looking for solace.
We had been told of a place,
Far beyond this vale of tears.
We could never have guessed,
We were already blessed.
There we were, where we are in the garden.
Yes and all and all along the way,
The day was simple.
Didn't we reach the top, didn't we gain our goal?
Did we finally stop, surprised by the cold?
We were walking in paradise, never did tumble.
Blind in the Buddha land, looking for trouble.
We had been told of a place
Far beyond this vale of tears.
We could never have guessed,
We were already blessed.
There we were, where we are,
In the garden, in the garden.
The lyrics of James Taylor's "Up Er Mei" talk about a journey towards finding solace and redemption, towards a place beyond the pain and turmoil of everyday life. The song speaks about walking in paradise, oblivious to it, until finally being made aware of the beauty of the surroundings. It is about wandering through the Buddha land, looking for something that will give meaning to life when all hope seems lost.
The lyrics speak about the search for a special place, which they have been told is far beyond the vale of tears. But upon arriving, they find themselves already blessed, standing where they were meant to be, without even realizing it. The journey to get there was not an easy one, climbing up temple to temple, and finally reaching the top, only to be surprised by the cold. It was simple at times, but also a journey that tested them, making them stumble towards finding the ultimate goal.
Line by Line Meaning
We were walking in paradise, never did notice.
We were in a wonderful place but failed to appreciate it fully.
Blind in the Buddha land, looking for solace.
We were in a spiritual place, but couldn't see the true meaning and were searching for comfort.
We had been told of a place, Far beyond this vale of tears.
We had heard of a place better than this world.
We could never have guessed, We were already blessed.
We didn't know how fortunate we were.
There we were, where we are in the garden.
We are where we belong in a peaceful place.
Didn't we climb on up Er Mei, temple to temple?
Did we not climb the steps of the Er Mei mountain temples?
Yes and all and all along the way, The day was simple.
Every step on our journey was easy and natural.
Didn't we reach the top, didn't we gain our goal?
Did we not accomplish what we set out to do and reach the mountaintop?
Did we finally stop, surprised by the cold?
Did we pause at the summit, taken aback by the coolness?
We were walking in paradise, never did tumble.
We were in a heavenly place and never had a mishap.
Blind in the Buddha land, looking for trouble.
Although we were in a spiritual place, we were searching for problems.
In the garden, in the garden.
We were in the garden, surrounded by beauty.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind