James Taylor Quotes

James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 100 million records worldwide.Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the No. 3 single "Fire and Rain" and had his first No. 1 hit in 1971 with his recording of "You've Got a Friend", written by Carole King in the same year. 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 . He achieved his first number-one album in the US in 2015 with his recording Before This World.He is known for his covers, such as "How Sweet It Is " and "Handy Man", as well as originals such as "Sweet Baby James". Wikipedia

✵ 12. March 1948

James Taylor photo

Paul Keleher, originally posted to Flickr as James Taylor at Tanglewood / CC BY 2.0

James Taylor: 24 quotes0 likes

Famous James Taylor Quotes

“Just yesterday morning, they let me know that you were gone.
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.
But I always thought that I'd see you again.”

"Fire and Rain" · Live performance (1970) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOIo4lEpsPY <br class="br">Song lyrics, Sweet Baby James (1970)

“Where do those golden rainbows end?
Why is this song so sad?
Dreaming the dreams I've dreamed my friend
Loving the love I love
To love is just a word I've heard when things are being said
Stories my poor head has told me cannot stand the cold
And in between what might have been and what has come to pass
A misbegotten guess alas and bits of broken glass…”

"Long Ago and Far Away" · Early performance on Youtube (before he had given it a title) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuvO2Vw-M2Y <br class="br">Song lyrics, Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon (1971)

“The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
Any fool can do it;
There ain't nothing to it.
Nobody knows how we got to
The top of the hill.
But since we're on our way down,
We might as well enjoy the ride.”

"Secret O' Life"
Song lyrics, JT (1977)

“Take to the highway, won't you lend me your name?
Your way and my way seem to be one and the same, child.
Mamma don't understand it.
She wants to know where I've been.
I'd have to be some kind of natural born fool
To want to pass that way again.
But I could feel it
On a country road.”

"Country Road"
Song lyrics, Sweet Baby James (1970)

“You can play the game and you can act out the part.
Though you know it wasn't written for you.
But tell me, how can you stand there with your broken heart,
Ashamed of playing the fool?
One thing can lead to another; it doesn't take any sacrifice.
Oh, father and mother, and sister and brother,
If it feels nice, don't think twice.”

Shower the People"
Song lyrics, In the Pocket (1976)

“If I had stopped to listen once or twice
If I had closed my mouth and opened my eyes
If I had cooled my head and warmed my heart
I'd not be on this road tonight.”

"That Lonesome Road", written with Don Grolnick
Song lyrics, Dad Love His Work (1981)

James Taylor Quotes about time

“When I grow too old and dull to rock 'n roll
Like to hold on tight to you darling
And when my fires have all burned out
I'd like to think I can still think about
The things I used to sing about
When I was spending all my time alone
By myself and on my own
Seldom seen and quite unknown.”

"London Town"
Song lyrics, Dad Love His Work (1981)

“I thought I was in love
A couple of times before
With the girl next door.
But that was long before I met you.
Now I'm sure that I won't forget you.
And I thank my lucky stars
That you are who you are.
And not just another lovely lady
Sent down to break my heart.”

"Your Smiling Face"
Song lyrics, JT (1977)

“True believer that I am
I am blind, lead me on (lead me on)
Blessed receiver of your love
I own my own time
And I've been holding on (holding on)
Leave the word unspoken
And the spell will not be broken.”

"I Will Follow"
Song lyrics, Dad Love His Work (1981)

“At that time my heart was all broke
I looked like ashes and smelled like smoke.
And I turned away from my loving kind
Try to leave my body and live in my mind.
But it's much too much emotion
To hold it in your hand.
They've got waves out on the ocean
They're gonna wear away the land.”

"Line 'Em Up"
Song lyrics, Hourglass (1997)

“I’ve been walking my mind to an easy time,
My back turned towards the sun.
Lord knows 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.”

"Fire and Rain"
Song lyrics, Sweet Baby James (1970)

“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
And I won't make it any other way.”

"Fire and Rain"
Song lyrics, Sweet Baby James (1970)

James Taylor Quotes about love

“Whenever I see your smiling face
I have to smile myself.
Because I love you (Yes, I do).
And when you give me that pretty little pout,
It turns me inside out.
There's something about you, baby”

I don't know
"Your Smiling Face"
Song lyrics, JT (1977)

“The secret of love is in opening up your heart.
It's okay to feel afraid,
But don't let that stand in your way, no.
'Cause anyone knows that love is the only road.
And since we're only here for a while yeah
Might as well show some style.”

"Secret O' Life"
Song lyrics, JT (1977)

“Shower the people you love with love.
Show them the way that you feel.
Things are gonna work out fine if you only will (do as I say, yeah).
Shower the people you love with love.
Show them the way that you feel.
Things are gonna be much better if you only will.”

"Shower the People"
Song lyrics, In the Pocket (1976)

James Taylor Quotes

“And as the moon rises he sits by his fire
Thinking about women and glasses of beer.
And closing his eyes as the dogies retire,
He sings out a song which is soft but it's clear,
As if maybe someone could hear.Goodnight you moonlight ladies.
Rockabye sweet baby James.
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose.
Won't you let me go down in my dreams?
And rockabye sweet baby James.”

"Sweet Baby James"
Song lyrics, Sweet Baby James (1970)

“Most everybody's got seed to sow
It ain't always easy for a weed to grow, oh no.
So he don't hoe the row for no one.
Oh for sure he's always missing.
And something is never quite right.
Ah, but who would want to listen to you
Kissing his existence good night.”

"Walking Man"
Song lyrics, Walking Man (1974)

“Do me wrong, do me right,
Tell me lies but hold me tight,
Save your goodbyes for the morning light,
But don't let me be lonely tonight.”

"Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight"
Song lyrics, One Man Dog (1972)

“Now, the smoke fills the air
In this honky-tonk bar.
And I'm thinking 'bout where I'd rather be.
But I burned all my bridges;
I sank all my ships.
And I'm stranded at the edge of the sea.”

"Bartender's Blues"
Song lyrics, JT (1977)

“First kiss ever I took
Like a page from a romance book.
The sky opened and the earth shook.”

"Copperline", written with Reynolds Price
Song lyrics, New Moon Shine (1991)

“I passed on the cocaine,
Said bye-bye to my methadone.
Put down the bottle for one more day.
Backing off of my Tobacco Jones.
Still I feel like a hopeless junkie,
Like a man who can't say no.
I look back and there's that monkey;
Rascal won't let go.”

"Little More Time With You"
Song lyrics, Hourglass (1997)

“Seems like even her old girlfriends
Might be talking her down.
She's got her name on the grapevine
Running up and down
The telephone line
Talking 'bout
Someone said, someone said
Something 'bout, something else
Someone might have said about her
She always figured that they were her friends
But maybe they can live without her.”

"Her Town Too", written with J. D. Souther & Waddy Wachtel
Song lyrics, Dad Love His Work (1981)

“In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina.
Can't you see the sunshine?
Can't you just feel the moonshine?
Ain't it just like a friend of mine
To hit me from behind?
Yes, I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind.”

"Carolina in My Mind" · BBC performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXmgkvIgc0w <br class="br">Song lyrics, James Taylor (1968)

“Oh, Mexico.
It sounds so sweet with the sun sinking low.
Moon's so bright like to light up the night,
Make everything all right.”

"Mexico"
Song lyrics, Gorilla (1975)

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