Country Road

James Taylor

About Country Road

"Country Road" is a song written and performed by James Taylor. It appears on his 1970 second album, Sweet Baby James. The song was inspired by Somerset Street in Belmont, Massachusetts, a wooded road running adjacent to the land owned by McLean Hospital, where Taylor had committed himself in 1965 to receive treatment for depression. "Country Road" reached number 37 on the Billboard pop singles chart and number 9 Easy Listening in early 1971. On the Canadian charts, the song was a bigger hit on both the Pop (#19) and Adult Contemporary (#3) charts. "Country Road" is also featured on James Taylor's 1976 Greatest Hits record. The song has been played at most of his concerts since 1970. Randy Meisner, later of The Eagles, played bass on the album version. According to Taylor's friend Danny Kortchmar, "Country Road" captures the restless, anticipatory, vaguely hopeful feeling that plays a large part on James' character and appears in "Carolina in My Mind," "Blossom" and "Sweet Baby James." The road leads away from his ensnaring family: "Mama 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." It also takes him away from shattered affairs, prep schools, mental institutions — all manner of traps and bummers. At the end of the road lie freedom and ideal life in Carolina, and "a heavenly band of angels." 


Year:
1976
3:25
111 

 The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com

Take to the highway won't you lend me your name
Your way and my way seem to be one and the same

Mama 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 you know I could feel it
On a country road

Sail on home to Jesus won't you good girls and boys
I'm all in pieces, you can have your own choice
But I can hear a heavenly band full of angels
And they're coming to set me free
I don't know nothing 'bout the why or when
But I can tell that it's bound to be
Because I could feel it, child, yeah
On a country road

I guess my feet know where they want me to go
Walking on a country road

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

Walk on down, walk on down, walk on down
Walk on down, walk on down a country road
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Country road, oh, yeah
Walking on a country road

Country road, uh
Country road

 The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com


James Taylor

James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. more »

11 fans

Written by: JAMES TAYLOR, JAMES V TAYLOR

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Album Release
"Country Road" is a popular song from James Taylor's famous album “Sweet Baby James” which was released in 1970.
Chart Success
Upon its release, the song rapidly gained popularity and secured No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Song's Inspiration
The inspiration behind the song was the countryside in Massachusetts, where Taylor lived at the time. He claimed that the peaceful and quiet surroundings helped him recover from his drug issues, and this influence is reflected in the song.
Live Performances
"Country Road" is one of Taylor's most frequently performed live songs.
Notable Cover
The song has been covered by several artists, the most notable one being the cover by Garth Brooks for the 1991 tribute album, "Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin."
Song Features
The song features a classic folk and acoustic sound, a style James Taylor is highly known for.
Critical Acclaim
The song was praised by the critics and fans alike for its feel-good nature and tranquil melody.
Songwriting Prowess
"Country Road" is considered one of the best demonstrations of Taylor's unique songwriting style.
Use in Media
The song has been featured in various TV shows and movies such as "The West Wing" and “Running on Empty.”
Long standing Impression
More than half a century after its release, "Country Road" remains one of James Taylor's most loved and popular songs.

Discuss the Country Road Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Country Road Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/26427580/James+Taylor/Country+Road>.

    Missing lyrics by James Taylor?

    Know any other songs by James Taylor? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    Country Road

    900.9K
    12,651     1,819

    Top Hot 100 Songs 1971

    Billboard #37


    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    "Drop the pilot, try my balloon. Drop the monkey, smell my ________."
    A mushroom
    B kaboom
    C perfume
    D legroom

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    James Taylor tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!

    Movies soundtrack

    Country Road

    »
    • The Way