James Taylor

James Taylor is one of my favorite singer, songwriters and performers.  I really want to attend one of his concerts in the near future.  Recently he and Carole King toured, and I so wished I could have attended one of those concerts.

He is performing in Maine on my birthday this summer in July.  I keep dropping hints to my family that it would make a great birthday present, but I'm not sure that is going to happen.

The first James Taylor album I owned was called "JT".  It was one of the purchases I received when I was a member of the Columbia Record Club while in Junior High and High School.  I knew every song by heart, and loved each and every song on the album.

Later, I purchased the album on CD.  One day I was listening to the album, and the song "Another Grey Morning" started playing.  It was as if I had a sort of epiphany.  The words to this song had a different meaning to me than they ever had before. 

From the time I was pregnant with my first daughter, until my youngest daughter was around two years old, I dealt with depression.  It was like the lyrics in this song said, I walked around in a gray fog.  My life at times seemed very repetitious as a stay at home mom with three kids.  I struggled quite a bit at times. 

Here are the lyrics to this song:

Another Grey Morning

Written by James Taylor

 

When I feel as though my love is sinking down
The sun doesn't want to shine
When it feels like she won't face another day
Life is unkind
She's frozen in time

And here comes another grey morning
A not so good morning after all
She says "well, what am I to do today
With too much time and so much sorrow"

She hears the baby waking up downstairs
She hears the foghorn calling out across the sound
Repetition in the morning air
Is just too much to bear
And no one seems to care
If another day goes creeping by
Empty and ashamed
Like an old unwanted memory
That no one will claim
The clouds with their heads on the ground
She's gonna have to come down

She said "move me, move me
I'm locked up inside"
Well, I didn't understand her
Though God knows I tried
She said "make me angry
Or just make me cry
But no more grey mornings
I think I'd rather die"

 

But I don't think I realized I was dealing with anything unusual until I heard the words to this song.  It was as if the grey clouds lifted and it helped me understand a little bit what I had been dealing with all those years.  The words of this song had a whole new meaning. 

 

If you would like, take some time and listen to the song yourself.