Taylor and King first met - briefly - in the 60s at the Night Owl Café in Greenwich Village. James was a shy teenager. Carole, although only in her mid-twenties, was already a legendary songwriter, but not yet a performer. She began finding her way toward being comfortable as an entertainer as part of James Taylor's band. Taylor's version of King's "You've Got a Friend" became a number one hit in the summer of 1971 and won a Grammy. In that same year, King's album 'Tapestry' reached number one and stayed there for a remarkable 15 weeks. It would eventually sell 22 million copies. Despite this success, King carried on touring with Taylor. They played L.A.'s Troubadour in the spring for a two-week co-starring run.'
At Thanksgiving in 2007, James and Carole returned to the Troubadour for a sentimental journey through their old set list, including performances of the pair's most beloved hits such as "You've Got a Friend", King's "So Far Away," "It's Too Late," and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?", as well as Taylor's "Carolina in My Mind," "Sweet Baby James," and "Fire and Rain," to name just a few.
Fire and Rain
James Taylor & Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just can't remember who to send it to
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
Won't you look down upon me, Jesus
You've got to help me make a stand
You've just got to see me through another day
My body's aching and my time is at hand
I won't make it any other way
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again
Been walking my mind to an easy time, my back turned towards the sun
Lord knows when the cold wind blows, it'll turn your head around
Well there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you baby, one more time again, now
Thought I'd see you one more time again
There's just a few things coming my way this time around now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you, fire and rain now
Na na na. Na na na na na na na na na na. Na na na na na na na na
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you baby, one more time again, now
Thought I'd see you one more time again
There's just a few things coming my way this time around now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you, fire and rain now
"Fire and Rain" is a song by James Taylor & Carole King. In the first verse, the lyrics describe the moment when the singer finds out that someone named Suzanne has died - she possibly committed suicide. He then begins reflecting on his life and the experiences he has had. This leads him to think about his own mortality and he asks for help from Jesus to guide him through whatever difficulties he may face in life. The second verse talks about reminiscing on a simpler time in life when things were easygoing and carefree. However, the present is nothing like that. He sings about the harsh realities of life, particularly the loneliness that can come with it.
The chorus talks about the different experiences he has gone through, both good and bad - from seeing fire and rain to experiencing sunny days and loneliness. Despite all of this, he always held onto the belief that he would see his loved one again. The song ends with the singer saying goodbye to his loved one, acknowledging that he will not see her again, but still holds onto the hope that he will see her in the afterlife.
Line by Line Meaning
Just yesterday mornin', they let me know you were gone
I was informed that you left this world just yesterday morning
Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you
You met your end due to the plans made by a person named Suzanne
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I wrote this song after walking out this morning
I just can't remember who to send it to
I cannot recall who to send this song to
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I’ve experienced both the dangerous and challenging periods as well as peaceful and happy moments in life
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've encountered days of happiness and success that I thought would last forever
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
I’ve felt alone and helpless and had no companion to share my feelings with
But I always thought that I'd see you again
But I assumed that I would meet you again, regardless of what comes in life
Won't you look down upon me, Jesus
Jesus, please pay attention to me from above
You've got to help me make a stand
You have to support me in taking a stand for myself
You've just got to see me through another day
You just have to encourage me to live through this day
My body's aching and my time is at hand
I am in pain, and my moment of truth is close
I won't make it any other way
I will not survive any other way
Been walking my mind to an easy time, my back turned towards the sun
I often try in my imagination to find moments of happiness and peace, but it leaves the real world behind
Lord knows when the cold wind blows, it'll turn your head around
The unexpected can change everything in a moment, and the cold breeze of life can be challenging, and we can lose our way
Well there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come
The telephone line serves as a source of hope and provides us with a chance to talk about our anticipated future
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground
Our dreams and ideas can fall and fail horribly in reality
Thought I'd see you one more time again
I had thought of seeing you once again before your demise
There's just a few things coming my way this time around now
There are only a few things that will come into my life now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you, fire and rain now
I believed that I was going to encounter you somewhere or somehow, even in the most challenging circumstances
Na na na. Na na na na na na na na na na. Na na na na na na na na
Humming sound with no particular meaning
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I’ve experienced both the dangerous and challenging periods as well as peaceful and happy moments in life
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've encountered days of happiness and success that I thought would last forever
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
I’ve felt alone and helpless and had no companion to share my feelings with
But I always thought that I'd see you baby, one more time again, now
But I assumed that I would meet you again, regardless of what comes in life
Thought I'd see you one more time again
I had thought of seeing you once again before your demise
There's just a few things coming my way this time around now
There are only a few things that will come into my life now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you, fire and rain now
I believed that I was going to encounter you somewhere or somehow, even in the most challenging circumstances
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind