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.
Up On The Roof
James Taylor & Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And people are just too much for me to face
I'll climb way up to the top of the stairs
And all my cares just drift right into space
On the roof, it's peaceful as can be
And there the world below don't bother me
No, no
So when I come home feeling tired and beat
I go up where the air is fresh and sweet
I get far away from the hustling crowd
And all that rat race noise down in the street
On the roof, that's the only place I know
Look at the city, baby
Where you just have to wish to make it so
Let's go up on the roof
And at night the stars, they put on a show for free
And darling, you can share it all with me
That's what I say, keep on telling you
The right smack dab in the middle of town
I've found a paradise that's trouble proof
And if this old world starts a getting you down
There's room enough for two
Up on the roof, up on the roof, up on the roof oh now
Everything is all right, everything is all right
Come on
Put down what you're doing tonight and climb up the stairs with me and see
We got the stars up above us and the city lights below, oh
Up on my roof now
"Up On The Roof" by James Taylor is a song about escaping from the stress and chaos of everyday life to a peaceful and tranquil environment. Taylor's lyrics describe how he uses the rooftop of his building as a peaceful retreat to escape from the hustle and bustle of the world below. When the stress of daily life becomes too much to handle, Taylor climbs up to the roof where he can watch the world below without being overwhelmed by it. There, he finds solace and peace, and he can let go of all his worries.
The rooftop serves as a symbol of escape and freedom from the pressures of daily life. Taylor sings that on the roof, he feels completely at peace, and the world below doesn't bother him. He can breathe fresh air, and he's far away from the noise of the city streets. Even at night, the rooftop provides a sense of tranquility as the stars put on a show for him and his companion. It's a place of refuge where one can find comfort in the beauty of the world.
Overall, "Up On The Roof" is a song about finding a place of peace and tranquility in the midst of a chaotic world. It's a reminder that we all need a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life, and that sometimes the best way to escape is by getting away from it all and finding a peaceful retreat.
Line by Line Meaning
When this old world starts a getting me down
When I'm feeling overwhelmed by the problems in the world
And people are just too much for me to face
And it seems like dealing with other people is just too much
I'll climb way up to the top of the stairs
I'll go up to the roof of my building
And all my cares just drift right into space
And all my troubles seem to fade away
On the roof, it's peaceful as can be
Up on the roof it's quiet and relaxing
And there the world below don't bother me
And I can forget about the problems of the world down below
No, no
So when I come home feeling tired and beat
So when I'm exhausted from the day
I go up where the air is fresh and sweet
I go up to the roof where the air is clean and refreshing
I get far away from the hustling crowd
I get away from the busy crowds of people
And all that rat race noise down in the street
And all the noise from the busy streets below
On the roof, that's the only place I know
The roof is the only place where I can find peace
Look at the city, baby
Look at the beautiful view of the city
Where you just have to wish to make it so
Where anything feels possible and achievable
Let's go up on the roof
Let's go up to the roof together
And at night the stars, they put on a show for free
At night the stars twinkle and shine in the sky for free
And darling, you can share it all with me
And my love, you can enjoy the view with me
That's what I say, keep on telling you
That's what I always say and I'll keep telling you
The right smack dab in the middle of town
Right in the heart of the city
I've found a paradise that's trouble proof
I've found a peaceful and happy place that's free from trouble
And if this old world starts a getting you down
And if the world starts to overwhelm you
There's room enough for two
We can escape to the roof and find peace together
Up on the roof, up on the roof, up on the roof oh now
Up on the roof, up on the roof, up on the roof right now
Everything is all right, everything is all right
Everything is okay and peaceful
Come on
Let's go up to the roof
Put down what you're doing tonight and climb up the stairs with me and see
Stop what you're doing tonight and come with me to the roof to enjoy the view
We got the stars up above us and the city lights below, oh
We can see the stars above us and the beautiful city lights below
Up on my roof now
Come up to my roof now
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carole King, Gerry Goffin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@robertroyal8893
We are blessed to have these two making music in our lifetime.
@berniefields
It's difficult to even comment on how spectacular they are.
@karenbittner3381
Carole & James - special personified. I have seen them live, nearly just melted with the overwhelming passion that they share.
@alantaylor8900
James' voice on this is just superb. The harmonies are the best. Paradise for me just listening. Thank you for the music!!
@vinnysmyth7556
I still get chills wow!!!!
@J2000LT
Two of the most amazing Legends on the same stage - what a show that was! No one has topped that in my concert wheelhouse and never will.
@TedBishop1
actually 5 amazing legends Danny Korthchmar, Russ Kunkel and Leland Skylar...are legends themselves Google them !
@ginny5937
Ted Bishop__ Ditto!
@2msvalkyrie529
@ Ted
You beat me to it !! 🇬🇧 👍 !
@karensus881
I could listen to James and Carole all day!