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.
You've Got A Friend
James Taylor & Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you need some lovin' care
And nothin', nothin' is goin' right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night
You just call out my name
I'll come runnin'
To see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there
You've got a friend
If the sky above you
Grows dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind begins to blow
Keep your head together
And call my name out loud
Soon you'll hear me knockin' at your door
You just call out my name
And you know, wherever I am
I'll come runnin', runnin', yeah, yeah
To see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yes, I will
Now, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend
When people can be so cold?
They'll hurt you, yes, and desert you
And take your soul if you let them
Oh, but don't you let them
You just call out my name
And you know, wherever I am
I'll come runnin', runnin', yeah, yeah
To see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yes, I will
You've got a friend
You've got a friend
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend
Ain't it good to know, ain't it good to know
Ain't it good to know
You've got a friend
Oh, yeah, now, you've got a friend
Yeah baby, you've got a friend
Oh, yeah, you've got a friend
The song "You've Got a Friend" by James Taylor & Carole King is a comforting ballad about the true friendship between two people. The lyrics evoke a sense of warmth, compassion, and reassurance in the midst of life's difficulties. The song opens with the words, "When you're down and troubled, and you need some lovin' care," which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The lines "Close your eyes and think of me, and soon I will be there, to brighten up even your darkest night" suggest that the singer will always be there for their friend, no matter what.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of this friendship, with the repeated lines "Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you have to do is call, and I'll be there." The song reassures the listener that they have a friend who is always there for them, regardless of the season or the circumstances. The final lines of the song, "Ain't it good to know you've got a friend," underline the importance of friendship and the comfort that it can bring in times of need.
Overall, "You've Got a Friend" is a timeless and heartwarming song that celebrates the power of true friendship. It reminds us that no matter what we are going through in life, we are never alone as long as we have friends by our side.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're down and troubled
When you're feeling sad and struggling
And you need some lovin' care
And you need someone to show you compassion and care
And nothin', nothin' is goin' right
And everything in your life is going wrong
Close your eyes and think of me
Imagine me in your mind
And soon I will be there
And I'll be there for you
To brighten up even your darkest night
To bring light into your darkest moments
You just call out my name
You just need to say my name
And you know, wherever I am
And I'll come to you no matter where I am
I'll come runnin'
I'll come quickly
To see you again
To be with you once again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
No matter what time of year it is
All you have to do is call
Just call me and I'll be there
And I'll be there
I'll be there for you
If the sky above you
If things around you
Grows dark and full of clouds
Become gloomy or pessimistic
And that old north wind begins to blow
And things start to get tough
Keep your head together
Don't lose your composure
And call my name out loud
And call me for help
Soon you'll hear me knockin' at your door
I'll be there for you soon
Now, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend
Isn't it comforting to know that you have someone who cares for you
When people can be so cold?
When the world can be cruel and unfeeling
They'll hurt you, yes, and desert you
People will cause you pain and abandon you
And take your soul if you let them
And if you let them, they can take all that is good within you
Oh, but don't you let them
But don't allow them to hurt you that way
You've got a friend
You have someone who cares for you
Oh, yeah, now, you've got a friend
Oh, yes, now you really have someone who cares for you
Yeah baby, you've got a friend
Yes, my dear, you have someone who cares for you
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend
Isn't it wonderful to know that you have someone who cares for you
Ain't it good to know, ain't it good to know
Isn't it a wonderful feeling to know
Ain't it good to know
Isn't it great to know
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carole King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Thank You So Very Much
When you're down and troubled
And you need some love and care
And nothing, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night
You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running, to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there
You've got a friend
If the sky above you
Grows dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind begins to blow
Keep your head together
And call my name out loud
Soon you'll hear me knocking at your door
You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running, running, yeah, yeah, to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yes, I will
Now, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend
When people can be so cold?
They'll hurt you, yes, and desert you
And take your soul if you let them, oh, but don't you let them
You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running, running, yeah, yeah, to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yes, I will
You've got a friend
You've got a friend
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend?
Ain't it good to know, ain't it good to know, ain't it good to know
You've got a friend?
Oh yeah now, you've got a friend
Yeah baby, you've got a friend
Oh yeah, you've got a friend
E. M. Sturdivant Gallieshaw
When you're down and troubled
And you need some lovin' care
And nothin', nothin' is goin' right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night
You just call out my name
And you know, wherever I am
I'll come runnin'
To see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there
You've got a friend
If the sky above you
Grows dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind begins to blow
Keep your head together
And call my name out loud
Soon you'll hear me knockin' at your door
You just call out my name
And you know, wherever I am
I'll come runnin', runnin', yeah, yeah
To see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yes, I will
Now, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend
When people can be so cold?
They'll hurt you, yes, and desert you
And take your soul if you let them
Oh, but don't you let them
You just call out my name
And you know, wherever I am
I'll come runnin', runnin', yeah, yeah
To see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yes, I will
You've got a friend
You've got a friend
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend
Ain't it good to know, ain't it good to know
Ain't it good to know
You've got a friend
Oh, yeah, now, you've got a friend
Yeah baby, you've got a friend
Oh, yeah, you've got a friend
Rafael Fleitas
After some 51 years, it´s still a joy to listen to these two as if no time has gone by. One of my favorite songs of all my times.
Hortense Pinto
Past, present, future...
Ian Williams
Timeless
Chris Ullery
Absolutely beautiful
edward mc cancio
same here☺️☺️☺️
Jhopyne H.
Ageless
GrmRpr 81
Great full respect to this LADY..SHES
THE BEST FOR ME....ITS BRING BACK
MY MEMORIES SINCE 70'S...
pooperpants450
Both had a big impact on my life, like musicians hope, with their words. Got through some breakups and found others, thank you!
Karen Bittner
I have been a huge fan of Carole and James for many decades. They are timeless…. I particularly love the interaction in this clip. Beautiful and harmonious unity. #lovecarolekingandjamestaylorr
Bless you both!
Jim Robert
Hello 👋 Karen.