Fire and Rain (song)

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox song "Fire and Rain" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, released in August 1970 by Warner Bros. Records as the second single from Taylor's second studio album, Sweet Baby James. The song follows Taylor's reaction to the suicide of Suzanne Schnerr, a childhood friend, and his experiences with drug addiction and fame. After its release, "Fire and Rain" peaked at number two on RPMTemplate:'s Canada Top Singles chart and at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.<ref name="BillboardHot100" />

Background and composition

On the VH1 series Storytellers, Taylor said the song was about several incidents during his early recording career. The second line, "Suzanne, the plans they made put an end to you", refers to Suzanne Schnerr, a childhood friend of his who died by suicide while he was in London, England, recording his first album.<ref>White, Timothy, and Mitchell Glazer. Long Ago and Far Away: James Taylor — His Life and Music. New York: Omnibus Press, 5th edition 2011, p. 141.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In that same account, Taylor said he had been in a deep depression after his new band, the Flying Machine, failed to coalesce (the lyric "Sweet dreams and Flying Machines in pieces on the ground"; the reference is to the name of the band rather than a fatal plane crash, as was long rumored). Taylor completed writing the song while in rehab.<ref>NPR: All Things Considered. "Fire and Rain." June 6, 2000</ref>

In 2005, during an interview on NPR, Taylor explained to host Scott Simon that the song was written in three parts:<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

• The first part was about Schnerr, who died while Taylor was in London working on his first album after being signed to Apple Records. Friends at home, concerned that it might distract Taylor from his big break, kept the news from him, and he found out six months later.
• The second part details Taylor's struggle to overcome drug addiction and depression.
• The third part deals with coming to grips with fame and fortune, looking back at the road that got him there. It includes a reference to James Taylor and the Flying Machine, a band he briefly worked with before his big break with Paul McCartney, Peter Asher, and Apple Records.

Carole King played piano on the song.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Drummer Russ Kunkel used brushes rather than sticks on his drum kit,<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> and Bobby West played double bass<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in place of a bass guitar to "underscore the melancholy on the song".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Reception

Record World said that the release of Taylor's version as a single after several cover versions had been released "was bound to come along. With so many versions out there is no reason the excellent original will not be THE one."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Cash Box similarly referred to Taylor releasing it as a single, saying: "Now, the fourth or fifth to release his own 'Fire & Rain,' Taylor may have found his sought after single hit the hard way. The 'original' comes in the wake of R. B. Greaves' sales and Johnny Rivers' current treatment (not to mention BS&T's album track getting further notice)."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Billboard described it as a "poignant ballad."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Broadcast Music, Inc. ranked "Fire and Rain" at number 82 on its "Top 100 Songs of the Century" list,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while voters for the National Endowment for the Arts and Recording Industry Association of America's Songs of the Century list, which comprises 365 songs of "historical significance" recorded from 1900 to 2000,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> placed "Fire and Rain" at number 85.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In April 2011, the song was named at number 227 on Rolling StoneTemplate:'s list of 500 greatest songs of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In September 2021, Rolling Stone updated their ranking of the 500 greatest songs of all time, moving the song up to number 146.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In 1998, the 1970 recording of "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor on Warner Bros. Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Template:SinglechartTemplate:SinglechartTemplate:SinglechartTemplate:Singlechart

James Taylor

Chart (1970)	Peak position
Australia KMR<ref name="austchartbook1970">Template:Cite web</ref>	6
US Cashbox Top 100<ref>Downey, Albert, and Hoffmann, p. 343</ref>	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}

Year-end charts

James Taylor

Chart (1970)	Rank
Australia<ref name="austchartbook1970"/>	87
Canada<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	26
U.S. Billboard Hot 100<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	67
U.S. Cash Box<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	85

Other versions

Template:SinglechartTemplate:Singlechart

R. B. Greaves

Chart (1970)	Peak position
US Cashbox Top 100<ref>Downey, Albert, and Hoffmann, p. 145</ref>	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Australia (Kent Music Report)<ref name=aus>Template:Cite book</ref>	82
Canada (RPM)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	74

Johnny Rivers

Chart (1970)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100<ref name=rivers>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
US Cashbox Top 100<ref>Downey, Albert, and Hoffmann, p. 289</ref>	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}

Marcia Hines

Chart (1975)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)<ref name="Kent 1993"/>	17

Template:Singlechart

Willie Nelson

Chart (1976)	Peak position
US Hot Country Singles (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}

Cover versions

R. B. Greaves and Johnny Rivers first released singles of "Fire and Rain" in 1970. Warner Brothers released Taylor's original as a single later that year, in August 1970.<ref>Billboard, August 29, 1970, page 7</ref> Greaves' and Rivers' versions peaked at numbers 82 and 94 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.<ref name=rivers/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Billboard predicted that Greaves' version would be a hit and said that "The James Taylor song is a natural and the production matches the song in merit."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Record World also predicted it to be a hit and said that Taylor and Greaves "are perfect together."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Record World called Rivers' version "top quality stuff."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Cash Box said of Rivers' version that "the tang of country pop and a top forty arrangement make this the most commercial single yet on 'Fire & Rain.'"<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Marcia Hines covered "Fire and Rain" on her 1975 debut LP, Marcia Shines. Her version reached No. 17 in Australia.<ref name="Kent 1993">Template:Cite book</ref> At the 1975 Australian Record Awards, the song won Hines Female Vocal Single of the Year.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

References in other works

Carole King has stated that her song "You've Got a Friend", which Taylor recorded, was a response to the line in the refrain, "I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend."<ref name="15songs">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In a live performance in New York City Madison Square Garden, Taylor Swift tells of her love for "Fire and Rain", relays how she found out that she was named after James Taylor and sings it with him on stage.

Parodies

Taylor performs "Fire and Rain" on The Simpsons in the episode "Deep Space Homer". While singing the song for the crew of a Space Shuttle (including Homer Simpson and Buzz Aldrin), he changes the line "Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" to "Sweet dreams and flying machines, flying safely through the air" when he realizes that the original lyrics might upset the astronauts, who are in danger of crashing their shuttle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2015, Taylor appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he sang a version including numerous references to post-1970 popular culture.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

References

Bibliography

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:Cite web Transcript of Kerry O'Brien interview with Taylor about "Fire and Rain"