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.
Woh Don't You Know
James Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Talking bout Mud Slide Slim.
Don't you know that a fish got to swim,
Don't a goose got to fly high?
Little dog got to die and I'm going home.
Woah, don't you know.
Woah, don't you know.
Gonna think about an itch in my feet.
Can't you hand me down them highway shoes?
Lord knows I'm talking 'bout the walking blues,
Got the rocking pneumonia blues
And I'm headed home, bye-bye.
Woah, don't you know.
Woah, don't you know
Listen here now, don't you come round
Talking bout over yonder, listen,
Bound to wake up the walking man in me
And I'm bound to wandering, hey now,
Talking all about spooning into bone,
Looking just like Sherlock Holmes.
Looking for a needle in a haystack,
Seeing and eating lots of fatback,
Hey, talking bout a railroad track
And I'm going home, bye-bye.
Woah, don't you know.
Woah, don't you know.
Woah, who, don't you know.
You outta know, you oughta know, you oughta know.
You outta know like a fish in the stream,
Outta know like a leaf on the tree.
Outta know like a boat in the sea.
The lyrics to James Taylor's song "You Don't Know" seem to be a series of disconnected thoughts and ideas. The first verse mentions "Jumping Jim" and "Mud Slide Slim," both likely characters or nicknames from Taylor's past or perhaps just used for poetic effect. Taylor then goes on to point out that certain things are inherent to certain beings - fish must swim, geese must fly, and little dogs must die. It's a seemingly dark thought, but it's possible that Taylor is simply acknowledging the natural order of things. He then concludes the verse by repeating the title, "You Don't Know," which can be interpreted as a taunt to someone who thinks they have everything figured out.
The second verse seems to be a more specific reflection on Taylor's own life. He talks about walking the streets and contemplating the metaphorical "itch in [his] feet." He also mentions the "rocking pneumonia blues," perhaps an allusion to a specific illness or just a nod to the blues genre as a whole. Taylor then mentions going "home" and says "bye-bye," again suggesting that he's on the move and coming to some sort of resolution.
Overall, "You Don't Know" may not have a narrative thread in the traditional sense, but it still manages to convey a sense of restlessness and feeling the need to move on - whether that means a physical journey or just a mental one.
Line by Line Meaning
Talking bout Jumping Jim,
Let's talk about Jumping Jim, who has made an impression on me.
Talking bout Mud Slide Slim.
Also, let's mention Mud Slide Slim, who is another person I would like to talk about.
Don't you know that a fish got to swim,
Just like everyone knows a fish is meant to swim and can't do without it, I also have things I'm meant to do.
Don't a goose got to fly high?
Similarly, like it is in the nature of a goose to fly high, I have some aspirations I'm striving for.
Little dog got to die and I'm going home.
Inevitably, everyone has to leave eventually, and even though there are things and people of interest in various places, I'm still heading home.
Woah, don't you know.
Do you know and understand what I mean?
Talking bout a life on the street,
Let's talk about life on the street, which I may have experienced or observed.
Gonna think about an itch in my feet.
I'm reminiscing about my travels and adventures, and I recall the feeling of wanting to move or explore more.
Can't you hand me down them highway shoes?
If you have any extra sturdy shoes, can you give them to me, as I need them to continue traveling?
Lord knows I'm talking 'bout the walking blues,
I'm feeling a little down because of my travels, and I'm reminded of the blues, a genre that often talks about tough times and personal struggles.
Got the rocking pneumonia blues
In addition to the walking blues, I also have the rocking pneumonia blues, which is another way of expressing the difficulty and discomfort I'm feeling.
And I'm headed home, bye-bye.
Despite all that, I'm ultimately going home.
Listen here now, don't you come round
Listen to me now, and don't come around here to disturb me.
Talking bout over yonder, listen,
If you're talking about something far away, please listen to me instead.
Bound to wake up the walking man in me
Continuing down the road and talking about distant places will only encourage my wandering spirit, which is something I'm trying to resist.
And I'm bound to wandering, hey now,
But even with that resistance, I might still find myself wandering and exploring new places.
Talking all about spooning into bone,
You might be telling me about things like survival and the bare necessities of life.
Looking just like Sherlock Holmes.
But, even though you might be telling me all these things, I'm looking for something specific, much like the detective Sherlock Holmes searches for clues to solve a mystery.
Looking for a needle in a haystack,
In essence, what I'm looking for is hard to find, like trying to find a single needle in a stack of hay.
Seeing and eating lots of fatback,
As I continue my travels, I see and experience various things, like a staple food item called fatback.
Hey, talking bout a railroad track
I'm also reminded of the railroad tracks, which often symbolize journeys and progress.
And I'm going home, bye-bye.
But regardless of what I see or experience, I'm ultimately heading home.
Woah, don't you know.
Do you really understand my experiences and feelings?
Woah, who, don't you know.
Are you sure you don't know?
You outta know, you oughta know, you oughta know.
Actually, you should know, you must know.
Outta know like a fish in the stream,
You should know it just like a fish in a stream knows how to swim, it is that obvious.
Outta know like a leaf on the tree.
You should know it like a leaf on a tree knows how to grow without fail, as it is the truth.
Outta know like a boat in the sea.
You should know it like a boat in the sea knows which way to sail, it's that simple.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANNY KORTCHMAR, JAMES TAYLOR, JAMES V TAYLOR, LELAND SKLAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind