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.
It's Too Late
James Taylor & Carole King Lyrics
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There's somethin' wrong here, there can be no denyin'
One of us is changin', or maybe we've just stopped tryin'
And it's too late, baby now, it's too late
Though we really did try to make it
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no
It used to be so easy, livin' here with you
You were light and breezy, an' I knew just what to do
Now you look so unhappy, and I feel like a fool
And it's too late, baby now, it's too late
Though we really did try to make it
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no
There'll be good times again for me and you
But we just can't stay together, don't you feel it, too?
Still I'm glad for what we had and how I once loved you
But it's too late, baby now, it's too late
Though we really did try to make it (we can't make it)
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no, no, no, no
It's too late, baby, it's too late now, darling
It's too late
The lyrics of James Taylor & Carole King's song "It's Too Late" are a reflection of a broken relationship. The song starts by mentioning how the persona spent the morning in bed, and there is something wrong that cannot be denied. Either one of them has changed, or they have stopped trying. It's a sign that things have started falling apart, and the persona realizes that it's too late to save the relationship.
As the song goes on, the singer reminisces about the good times they shared when it was easy to be together. The partner was light, and she knew what to do; however, things have changed now. They look unhappy, and the persona feels like a fool. Something has died inside, and she can't hide it anymore. The chorus confirms that it's too late to try and make things work because something inside has died, and she cannot fake it anymore.
Towards the end of the song, the persona admits that they will have good times again, but they cannot stay together. The relationship has beyond repair, and both partners feel it. The persona is glad for what they had and how she once loved her partner, but it's too late now.
Line by Line Meaning
Stayed in bed all mornin' just to pass the time
I am feeling unfulfilled and have resorted to idleness to avoid facing the issues at hand.
There's somethin' wrong here, there can be no denyin'
It is becoming increasingly clear that there is an issue in our relationship that cannot be ignored.
One of us is changin', or maybe we've just stopped tryin'
Either one or both of us has changed, or we have lost the will to keep our relationship healthy.
And it's too late, baby now, it's too late
The relationship has reached a point of no return, despite our past efforts.
Though we really did try to make it
We both put in effort to make this work, but it was not enough.
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide
The love and passion that once fueled our relationship is no longer there and I cannot pretend otherwise.
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no
I cannot continue to pretend that everything is okay when it clearly is not.
It used to be so easy, livin' here with you
Our relationship used to be effortless and enjoyable.
You were light and breezy, an' I knew just what to do
You were carefree and easy to be with, and I knew how to keep our relationship healthy.
Now you look so unhappy, and I feel like a fool
You seem unhappy and I feel foolish for not being able to fix it.
There'll be good times again for me and you
Although our relationship has ended, there is still hope for a future where we are both happy.
But we just can't stay together, don't you feel it, too?
Even though there may be hope for the future, we cannot continue in this relationship as it currently stands.
Still I'm glad for what we had and how I once loved you
I cherish the memories and love that we shared, even though it is over now.
But it's too late, baby now, it's too late
Despite our past love and memories, the time has come for us to move on separately.
Though we really did try to make it (we can't make it)
We both tried to make our relationship work, but it was not meant to be.
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide
The love and passion that once fueled our relationship is no longer there and I cannot pretend otherwise.
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no, no, no, no
I cannot continue to pretend that everything is okay when it clearly is not.
It's too late, baby, it's too late now, darling
Our relationship has ended and there is no going back.
It's too late
Our relationship has reached a point of no return.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carole King, Toni Stern
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind