Lyric Analysis: James Taylor's "Fire And Rain"

"Fire And Rain" established James Taylor as a star, and has since become a classic rock staple. Taylor wrote the song upon learning of the suicide of a friend. I mention this because you've probably heard the song so much it has become a caricature. Look at the lyrics again, from the author's standpoint, as a struggle to put emotions to pen.

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,

The chorus has an ABBB rhyme scheme, while the verses (with slight variation) are ABAB.

A couple myths have surfaced about this song, due to misunderstanding of the lyrics:
In the first place, though the song was written as an emotional outpouring following the death of his friend, we should not read every line of the song as a reference to this death. The first verse and the rhyme refer to "Susanne," while other problems in Taylor's life take center stage in the second and third verses. Susanne is never far from the topic, though. Think of it this way: when one bad thing happens to you, it reminds you of everything else wrong in your life. You have no doubt experienced this many times yourself.
So then, the line about "flying machines on the ground" is not, as is commonly believed, a reference to her death (the rumor is that her plane crashed on the way to one of his concerts). "The Flying Machine" was the name of Taylor's band that had disbanded earlier, largely due to his drug problems. Susanne died of her own hand; a plane had nothing to do with it.
A related rumor is that Susanne was his girlfriend. "Girl friend," yes. "Girlfriend," no. But references to sweet dreams and flying machines on the ground are not wholly unrelated to his friend. He is thinking back to the conversations they used to have, and how he used to be able to tell his friend about his hopes and dreams, as well as his frustrations and failings. He is "walking my mind to an easy time," as he remembers the conversations they used to have, and how she made his burdens seem lighter. "Back towards the sun" could refer to his refusal to face this new day -- a day without his friend. The cold wind has made him turn away from this day, back to his "easy time" when he could spend "hours of time on the telephone" with his friend (I wonder if it would have been "the internet" if he'd written it in 2005, as opposed to 1969?).
"My body's aching and my time is at hand" from the second verse is a gem. He's been talking to Jesus, and of course the "my time is at hand" is borrowed from Christ. Taylor has said that he meant his time was at hand to deal with his problems (he'd already been through rehab several times) though the line also makes sense as a colorful way of saying "I feel like I could die, too," particularly since Christ's use of "my time is at hand" referred to his crucifixion.
Compare the poetry of the chorus to what most pop stars would churn out for a similar topic. I'd imagine most would write something like this:

Can't believe you're really gone
How can I face another day?
Still, in my heart, you will always live on,
So Susanne, just let me say,
That I miss you so much ... your warm gentle touch,
And all the kinds things you would say --
Goodbye. Goodbye, my friend.

Or some such nonsense. Songs like that come a dime a dozen, and are forgotten within a few years, even if they're sung by the current "it" girl or boy band. "Fire And Rain," because it uses colorful imagery and shuns cliche, is as poignant today as it was 46 years ago. And, as I often say of great songs, this one sings because of strong verbs, which do not need adverbs. For instance, "my body's aching" is better than "my body really hurts." Writers should read through their first drafts, circling all the adverbs. Then ask yourself if you need it -- most of the time you don't. It adds nothing. If it does add something, I'd bet it's because the verb itself is weak. Check it. Or ask James Taylor, who has a knack for such things ....


P.S. All you people who love good music, check out Nikki Tatom this Friday night in concert. Lorie King will be singing backup. For more info, check out Nikki's blog (from my links section) or visit www.nikkitatom.com