Sweet Baby James (song)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2008) |
"Sweet Baby James" | ||||
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Warner Bros. Records | ||||
Songwriter(s) | James Taylor | |||
Producer(s) | Peter Asher | |||
James Taylor singles chronology | ||||
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"Sweet Baby James" is a song written and recorded by James Taylor that serves as the opening and title track from his 1970 breakthrough album Sweet Baby James. It was released as the first single from the album but did not chart.[2][3] Nonetheless, it is one of his best-known and most popular tunes.[4] Taylor considers it his best song.[5][6]
History
The song was written by Taylor for the son of his older brother Alex, who was also named James (and indeed was named after him).[5] Deliberately a cross between a cowboy song and a lullaby, it was first thought up by Taylor as he was driving through Carolina to meet his infant nephew for the first time.[7]
Taylor spent considerable effort on the lyrics, whose verses he later said used the most intricate
- Now the first of December was covered with snow
- And so was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston
- Lord, the Berkshires seemed dream-like on account of that frostin'
- With ten miles behind me and ten thousand more to go [10]
The song is composed as a waltz, in 3/4 time.[11] The chorus echoes the lullaby sentiment, with a reference to "Rock-a-bye Baby".
According to
Reviewing the single,
"Sweet Baby James" was included on Taylor's
Live performance history
"Sweet Baby James" has been played at almost every Taylor concert since its release. It is often saved for near or at the end of shows, where it serves as the emotional climax with Taylor performing it as the last encore coming back on stage without his band (as was the case for over a decade),[16] or perhaps with just a keyboard player accompanying his guitar.
Invariably, the second verse mentions of the
He performed the song as part of his set on the first episode of
In the "Four Together" benefit concert arranged by Harry Chapin in 1977, John Denver sang the harmony part of the chorus on this song.
A concert performance from 1992 was included on his 1993 album Live.
Jay Leno requested Taylor's live performance of the song on his final The Tonight Show (first stint) on May 29, 2009. He said he had listened to it on the car radio as he left Boston for Los Angeles in the early 1970s and that the "ten miles behind, ten thousand more to go" line resonated deeply with him.[18]
Taylor performed the song when campaigning for
Other versions
In popular culture
Taylor is often referred to in the press by the nickname "Sweet Baby James". On ABC's Good Morning America on September 15, 2008, Taylor acknowledged "there was that element" of being a "self lullaby" given the song's title and the "singing works just fine for me" lyric.[20]
The song is sung by
References
- ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
- ISBN 9780306822131.
- ISBN 9780857120069.
- ^ Boston Globe. p. 81. Archived from the originalon September 18, 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
- ^ a b Greene, Andy (August 13, 2015). "James Taylor: My Life in 15 Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 23, 2021 – via James Taylor Official Site.
- ^ White, T. (August 4, 2015). "James Taylor Looks Back on His Classics". Classic Oldies Wmid. Easy 93.1 FM. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
- ^ James Taylor talks about Sweet Baby James 2007. JamesTaylor.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ Boston Globe.
- ^ a b Berger, Joseph (August 24, 1999). "When the Face in the Crowd Is Grandmotherly". The New York Times.
- ^ "James Taylor - Sweet Baby James Lyrics". musiXmatch. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- ^ a b Janovitz, B. "Sweet Baby James". AllMusic. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
- ^ ISBN 9780313379062.
- ^ "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. May 9, 1970. p. 1. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. May 2, 1970. p. 86. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. May 2, 1970. p. 1. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Smith, Andy (August 27, 1992). "Sweet Baby James finds constituency". The Providence Journal. p. E3.[permanent dead link]
- ISBN 0-7119-9193-6.
- ^ Poniewozik, James (May 30, 2009). "Leno to America: Goodbye! I'm Not Going Anywhere!". Time.
- Boston Globe.
- ^ "Under the 'Covers' With James Taylor". Good Morning America. ABC. September 15, 2008.
- ^ Shoemaker, Allison (November 27, 2018). "The Heywoods meet Hemingway in a rambunctious, slightly scattered Legends Of Tomorrow". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (May 20, 2019). "Legends of Tomorrow Boss Confirms [Spoiler]'s Exit, Breaks Down Crossover Tease and Season 5's Big Bad". TVLine. Retrieved May 22, 2019.