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.
Who Comes This Night
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As to the lowly manger?
The Shepards and the Kings did come
To welcome in the stranger.
Who sends this song upon the air,
To ease the soul that?s aching?
To still the cry of deep despair
Brother Joseph bring the light
Fast, the night is fading.
And who will come this wintry night
To where the stranger?s waiting?
Who comes this night, with humble heart,
To give the fullest measure
A gift of purest love to bring
What good and worthy treasure.
Brother Joseph bring the lamb
For they are asking for him
The children come this starry night
To lay their hearts before him.
For those who would the stranger greet
Must lay their heart before him
And raise their song in voices sweet
To worship and adore him
Brother Joseph bring the light
Fast, the night is fading
And who will come this wintry night
To where the stranger?s waiting
Brother Joseph bring the lamb
For they are asking for him.
The children come this starry night
To lay their hearts before him.
Pure of heart this starry night
To lay their hearts before him.
The lyrics to James Taylor's song Who Comes This Night, invite the listener to reflect on the meaning of Christmas, and the significance of the birth of the baby Jesus. The song is characterized by its gentle melody and its heartfelt lyrics, which paint a vivid picture of the scene at the manger, where the shepherds, the kings, and the holy family gather to welcome the stranger. The song opens with the question, "Who comes this night, this wintry night, as to the lowly manger?", a line that not only sets the scene but also captures the mystery and wonder of the event. The answer is given in the second line, "The Shepherds and the Kings did come to welcome in the stranger," which refers to the biblical story of the birth of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of Luke.
The second stanza of the song shifts the focus of the lyrics from the external event to the internal experience of the listener. The question becomes, "Who sends this song upon the air, to ease the soul that's aching? To still the cry of deep despair and heal the heart that's breaking?" Here, the song becomes an invitation to connect with the deeper meaning of Christmas, beyond the commercial trappings and the holiday frenzy. The lyrics suggest that the true gift of Christmas is not material but spiritual, a soothing balm for the soul.
Overall, Who Comes This Night is a beautiful and reflective Christmas song that invites us to slow down, listen, and connect with the deeper meaning of the holiday.
Line by Line Meaning
Who comes this night, this wintry night,
Who arrives during this cold and dark night?
As to the lowly manger?
At the humble shelter where animals are kept?
The Shepards and the Kings did come
Both the humble and the powerful arrived
To welcome in the stranger.
To greet and embrace the unfamiliar guest.
Who sends this song upon the air,
Who broadcasts this music in the atmosphere?
To ease the soul that?s aching?
To soothe and comfort those in emotional pain?
To still the cry of deep despair
To calm the anguish and distress of the heart?
And heal the heart that?s breaking.
And remedy the wounds of a shattered heart.
Brother Joseph bring the light.
Bring in the source of illumination, Brother Joseph.
Fast, the night is fading.
Quick, the darkness is disappearing.
And who will come this wintry night
Who else will arrive in this bitter night?
To where the stranger?s waiting?
Where the outsider is anticipating their presence?
Who comes this night, with humble heart,
Who arrives with a modest disposition in their heart?
To give the fullest measure
To offer the utmost they could give.
A gift of purest love to bring
A present entirely made of adoration to present.
What good and worthy treasure.
An honorable and valuable offering indeed.
Brother Joseph bring the lamb
Bring the young sheep, Brother Joseph.
For they are asking for him
As they requested for it.
The children come this starry night
The young ones come tonight filled with stars.
To lay their hearts before him.
To present their emotions and devotion to him.
For those who would the stranger greet
For those who want to welcome the foreigner
Must lay their heart before him
They must come with an open and sincere heart
And raise their song in voices sweet
And raise their melodious chorus with sincere voices
To worship and adore him
To praise and honor him.
Pure of heart this starry night
Full of innocence in this starlit evening.
To lay their hearts before him.
To lay their feelings before the guest of honor.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVE GRUSIN, SALLY STEVENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind