James Taylor

From listener Brian: "My mother died from cancer 2.5 years ago. I really miss her and didn’t get to spend enough time before her passing. She was 74, and a great cook, grandmother, person. Can you play James Taylor's Fire and Rain for her, we are from Massachusetts and it reminds me of here."

I burned for her - www.youtube.com

From Bullwinkle to Laurie. Happy birthday!

Hey John, Today marks 26 years since my father passed and while I was too young to have had formed a real relationship with him I try to form a sense of connection to him on this day. One of the few memories I have of him is playing James Taylor on his guitar while sitting on our front porch. A love of music is something we share and music has been the one thing that has helped me to feel not so alone over the years. I think my dad would have loved KEXP as I do. If it fits for today's playlist, I would appreciate hearing James Taylor's Fire and Rain. Thank you for filling my heart with the joy that music brings even on tough days such as this one. Rachel from Astoria, NY ================ Thank you Rachel. You are not alone.

NPR wrote that James Taylor created "Fire and Rain" in 1968 with three verses: “One is about a friend who committed suicide, another is about Taylor's addiction to heroin, the third refers to a mental hospital and a band Taylor started called The Flying Machine. Each verse is followed by the same chorus, `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.'” Read about more about the song on NPR: www.npr.org

Lyrics for this song begin with, "Let us turn our thoughts today/To Martin Luther King/ And recognize that there are ties between us/All men and women/Living on the Earth/Ties of hope and love/ Sister and brotherhood/That we are bound together/In our desire to see the world become/A place in which our children/Can grow free and strong We are bound together/By the task that stands before us And the road that lies ahead/We are bound and we are bound" Read the full lyrics to the track here: songmeanings.com

"I just wanted to write a short note today to say thank you. Thank you for all that you (and thge incredible team at KEXP) do every day. For me, for my friends, for our community. I "tune in" and LISTEN every day, but today is special. The message is SO meaningful and is SO powerful. You have taught me that I am truly NOT alone." - Sending much love out to T.J.!