Musical Analysis #2
James Taylor is one of my husband’s favorite singers. His songs always bring a sense of calm to us both. A song that we each favor is “Fire and Rain”.
When listening to this song, I feel comforted by the guitar chords. Another comforting aspect of James Taylor's music is his voice. Even though the lyrics are melancholy, his voice makes me feel like everything is going to be fine. Taylor is naturally soft spoken so when he sings, his voice takes on a lilting affect.
It was interesting to research the meaning of the lyrics after listening to and singing this song hundreds of times. I realize, once again, that I didn’t really know what it was about. An NPR article about Fire and Rain states that the song has three verses. One is about a friend named Suzanne who he found out had committed suicide, another is about Taylor's addiction to heroin and he’s asking Jesus for help, the third refers to a mental hospital and a band Taylor started called The Flying Machine.
He was singing about what he’d been through and the pain he dealt with. He started writing this song in London and completed it when he was in a mental hospital in Massachusetts (third verse).
Its beautiful instrumentation consists acoustic guitar, piano, drum kit (played with brushes), and upright bass. The song begins with a beautiful guitar solo. Its tempo of 76 beats per minutes and a 4/4 meter. This song was written by Taylor in 1968 and is in the key of C Major. Its genre can be identified as Folk due to the chiming, ringing guitar hooks, coupled with clear vocal harmonies.
Adams, Noah. “'Fire and Rain'.” NPR, NPR, 26 June 2000, https://www.npr.org/2000/06/26/1075908/npr-100-fire-and-rain
Zollo, Paul. Behind the Song: “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor. https://americansongwriter.com/fire-and-rain-james-taylor-behind-the-song/
“Folk-Rock Music Genre Overview.” AllMusic, https://www.allmusic.com/style/folk-rock-ma0000002593.
Hi Doris! I love this song but had honestly forgotten about it until now! Thanks for reminding me ;) I understand the sense of calm it brings you; it has the same effect on me. Thanks so much for including your research on the lyrics; I never knew the stories behind them. I had never thought of this song as as a Folk song, though you make valid points. Thanks again for sharing!
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ReplyDeleteI don't personally listen to songs like this, other than from my grandfather's Creedence Clearwater Revival CD that he keeps in his truck. But this song is really nice and with the steady guitar playing in the background would be a hit out here in the villages. Without the explanation that you found for the lyrics, I wouldn't have guessed the deep meaning behind them! The tempo's nice, the interval he keeps in makes the song seem to have a "continue on" affect that wants me to keep listening. Overall, if I had this on a CD I definitely would keep it in my truck. That being said, have you or your husband given Creedence Clearwater a listen? Bad Moon Rising is a good one.
ReplyDeleteWe have listened to CC! And love them as well. Thank you for the comment.
DeleteHi! I don’t typically listen to this kind of music, but his voice is so chilling and the instruments are soothing that I did enjoy listening to this song. It is very interesting just listening to the lyrics and then reading what you had discovered in terms of what the song was written about. It’s cool to see how music can be interpreted in different ways, even if the author wrote it about specifics experiences, we as listeners can portray it differently. I found a video analyzing Taylor’s vocals, lyrics, and background in “Fire and Rain” that goes into a lot of detail. https://youtu.be/LU7tIrn_AZM
ReplyDeleteThis is a great link! Thanks for sharing.
DeleteI really enjoyed this song. It was very chill type of song. I. Would put this on as background music when I’m baking or cooking dinner. It is very cool you took the time to research the lyrics to get a deeper understanding of the song. I enjoyed learning some of the history of the song.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard a song like this before. Its really beutiful and deep. I like how its speaking to the listener in a way thats not extreamly specific that others can't relate to it, but when you know the story behind it you can apreciate it further. It reminds me of the song called The Day The Music Died. When I was young I didn't know what the song was about but I still knew all the lyrics which is similar to what you said happened to you with this song. If you haven't heard it you should check it out, and look into why it was written. https://youtu.be/QmyGZ64J9yg
ReplyDeleteYes, I've heard this song and love it as well. My kids really like it too. It's one of our go tos when driving a long ways.
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