masterwordsmith-unplugged

If I could live my life again, I would choose to be either a musician, singer, writer or artist. Somehow, a Bohemian-like lifestyle has always appealed to me and I have never been one who is drawn to the complexities of a materialistic modern day life.

I had a blast to my past yesterday afternoon going through my favorite songs from the 1960's to the 1980's, not that I don't like the songs of the '90's but it was more because my voice had turned hoarse from belting it at the top of my voice for more than two hours. No wonder my husband and son ran off to play basketball earlier than usual.

Music has always been an integral part of my life. I remember wanting to take music lessons when I was a little girl but my late mother disapproved for she wanted me to be a bookworm and top of the class. By the time she passed away when I was 10, I had grown roots in popular music and had grown up with the Beatles, Herman Hermits,Cliff Richard, Petula Clark, Lulu, Diana Ross and all the wonderful artistes of the 1960's. Strangely, I can still remember the lyrics to many of those songs I used to sing as a little girl, including 'Constantly', "Kiss Me Goodbye", "Mrs. Brown You've got a lovely daughter", "Young Girl" etc.

Three stars that I really admire are Bob Dylan, Barbara Streisand, Carole King and James Taylor. As for groups, most definitely, I love the Beatles, Hollies, Credence Clearwater Revival, Mungo Jerry, Queen, and a few other groups. One thing is fcr sure - those musicians/artistes who have survived the test of time seem to be better and finer in their more mature years.

In the past, I wrote about Bob Dylan. Today, I want to talk about one musician whom I admire greatly, not just because he passed the test of time, but also for the way in which he fought the many battles in his life and has come very far in this personal life and professionally and that man is none other than JAMES TAYLOR.

Many people know him because of the song "You've Got a Friend" but those who love JT would be well aware that it is "FIRE AND RAIN" which is most significant. To know more about his background and early career, please click THIS LINK. You will see that he had very brilliant parents and a varied musical background which can explain why his compositions are truly out of this world and can stand by themselves as a genre of its own. To me, James Taylor is exceptional not just because of his voice or musical skills or fantastic compositions, but more so because he writes from his heart - songs which resonate with so many, including yours truly, and if you were to listen to the lyrics of his songs, you can see that his lyrics are profound, deep and the average layman can relate to the salient messages in his timeless songs which I believe will live on for many generations to become classics one day! Besides, he is one man who overcame his mental health problems and achieved so much more than what an average person could ever dream of achieving in his entire lifetime. Yet, he remains humble and is aware of what he has gone through, never losing focus of that musical gift in him.

The following is taken from Wikipedia:

In December 1969, he held the recording sessions for his second album there. Entitled Sweet Baby James, and with the participation of Carole King, the album was released in February 1970 and was Taylor's critical and popular triumph, buoyed by the single "Fire and Rain," a song about Taylor's experience in psychiatric institutions and the suicide of his friend, Suzanne Schnerr. Both the album and the single reached #3 in the Billboard charts, and this success piqued interest in both Taylor's debut album as single, "Carolina in My Mind," back into the charts. Sweet Baby James was received at its time as a folk-rock masterpiece, an album that effectively showcased Taylor's talents to the mainstream public, marked the direction he would take in following years, and made Taylor one of the main forces of the nascent movement. It was nominated to a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and would be listed at #103 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time[44] in 2003. ("Fire and Rain" was also listed #227 Rolling Stone's list of the Greatest Songs of All Time).

Please CLICK THIS LINK to appreciate James Taylor's "FIRE AND RAIN" performed at Beacon Theatre, New York a few years ago. The arrangement is different from earlier recordings and the harmony of the guitar with the cello is most unusual and does something to your soul. There is a certain sadness in that song that stems from the tragic circumstances of his friend's death and this timeless masterpiece will touch you deeply if you think about the lyrics carefully. If you have ever lost someone you love, this song will strike a chord in your heart and more...

FIRE AND RAIN - words and music by James Taylor

Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone
Susanne 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

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

Oh, 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

Oh, 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

I guess we never know how much someone means to us until we lose that person...and so often, we take him/her for granted, thinking that we could see that person one more time again...and when that person is gone....it is too late. *sighs*

Somehow, the hours spent listening to Taylor and the other artistes that I love so much has done something to my soul. I have not been blogging for a few weeks now for various reasons and it was due to Antares' encouragement and that of my husband that I am writing again. I guess it is not too healthy to keep my emotions suppressed and indeed, the unresolved frustrations and disappointments with the current developments in my country have weakened my immune resistance for I have been down with sinusitis for a few weeks now and also hypertension. Music does something to calm the inner man and certainly I have been reminded of how I used to play lots of music, both on the guitar and the keyboard.

So, I guess it is time to return to my roots...to take out my guitars, play my piano, compose again and perhaps buy that twelve-string guitar which I had always wanted from the time I was a teenager....

Well, I am too old now to dream of making it big as a musician or composer but I truly hope and pray that my boys will continue to make beautiful music in their lives. My younger one just received his ABRSM Grade 6 exam results for piano and violin and he scored distinctions in both...while my older boy is also excelling in his university. Hopefully, they may make headlines one day and create beautiful music in their lives.....


Have a great day dear reader!
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Please click on the following links to enjoy other clips of the music of James Taylor.

1. James Taylor and Carole King - YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND

2. Yo Yo Ma and James Taylor

3. James Taylor - SOMETHING IN THE WAY SHE MOVES

4. James Taylor - SWEET BABY JAMES

For an article called "TAYLOR & FRIENDS PROVIDE SHELTER FROM STORM' in The Boston Globe, please CLICK HERE. He discussed how music can be used as a cure for teenage angst and clearly, it worked for him.