![]() The other players were Freddie Redd on organ, Joel “Bishop” O’Brien on drums, and Mick Wayne providing a second guitar alongside Taylor’s. Indeed, the recording of “Carolina in My Mind” includes a credited appearance by Paul McCartney on bass guitar and an uncredited one by George Harrison on backing vocals. The song’s lyric “holy host of others standing around me” makes reference to the Beatles, who were recording The Beatles in the same studio where Taylor was recording his album. The original recording of the song was done at London’s Trident Studios during the July to October 1968 period, and was produced by Asher. I think I might have heard the highway calling …Īnd signs that might be omens say I’m going, I’m going The song reflects Taylor’s homesickness at the time, as he was missing his family, his dog and his state. He started writing the song at producer Peter Asher’s London flat on Marylebone High Street, resumed work on it while on holiday on the Mediterranean island of Formentera, and then completed it while stranded on the nearby island of Ibiza with Karin, a Swedish girl he had just met. Taylor wrote it while overseas recording for the Beatles’ label Apple Records. The song references Taylor’s years growing up in North Carolina. It has become one of Taylor’s most critically praised songs and one that has great popularity and significance for his audience. The association of the song with the state is also made in written works of both fiction and non-fiction. It is also an unofficial song of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, being played at athletic events and pep rallies and sung by the graduating class at every university commencement. Strongly tied to a sense of geographic place, “Carolina in My Mind” has been called an unofficial state anthem for North Carolina. The song was a modest hit on the country charts in 1969 for North Carolinian singer George Hamilton IV, released as the first single from his 1970 album Back Where It’s At (see George Hamilton IV discography). ![]() It has been a staple of Taylor’s concert performances over the decades of his career. It was re-recorded for Taylor’s 1976 Greatest Hits album in the version that is most familiar to listeners. Released as a single, the song earned critical praise but not commercial success. Taylor wrote it while overseas recording for the Beatles’ label Apple Records, and the song’s themes reflect his homesickness at the time. Paul McCartney performs bass on this track. “ Carolina in My Mind” is a song written and performed by singer-songwriter James Taylor, which first appeared on his 1968 self-titled debut album. This entry was posted in Music and Media by bagwellsm. With “Carolina in My Mind”, James Taylor translates his sense of homesickness into a universally understandable representation of the Southern home that he remembers. Indeed, Taylor would later say that “Chapel Hill, the Piedmont, the outlying hills, were tranquil, rural, beautiful, but quiet”, owing to “the red soil, the seasons, the way things smelled down there.” That feeling of calmness and nostalgia is portrayed throughout this song. Taylor reminisces about “geese in flight and dogs that bite”, conjuring images of rural farm life and the natural world. Moonshine is also a stereotypical symbol of the rural South, and it clearly stands out in his memories of North Carolina.Īs we talked about in class, a connection to nature is also seen in many discussions of Southern culture, and “Carolina in My Mind” is no different. In the chorus, he questions “Ca n’t you see the sunshine? Now can’t you just feel the moonshine?” Taylor depicts the region as being hot and sunny, as is the case with many representations of the South. ![]() The lyrics of “Carolina in My Mind” immediately bring listeners into Taylor’s world, describing many aspects of his life growing up near Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In media representations, this sense of place is often seen in country songs, but Taylor portrays it in a different genre. The South is seen as very distinct, with characteristics th at make it feel like home to many who live in the region. There is a strong sense of place among many Southerners. This feeling of homesickness inspired him to write “Carolina in My Mind”, a song in which he reflects on his upbringing in the Southern state. Still, his home back in North Carolina was stuck in his head. In the late 1960s, James Taylor was traveling around the world, making stops in various Mediterranean islands and London.
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