James Taylor is a craftsman. Combining 1960s folk influences with a tender voice and confessional lyrics, Sweet Baby James has crafted a soft rock catalog of heartache and beauty. He’s one of the most successful singer/songwriters of the 1970s.
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Taylor is indeed easy listening. His casual sound sometimes buries the complexity of his work. A unique fingerstyle approach to the guitar often accompanies tortured lyrics. But the haunted soul with a sweet tenor can deliver beautiful love ballads, too.
“Shower the People,” from the album In the Pocket, is a universal love song rooted in Appalachia. Taylor’s guitar playing has the bluegrass DNA of his English and Scottish ancestors. Folk revivalism was strong in the ’60s and Taylor found its epicenter in Greenwich Village. He moved to California in 1970 and perfected the folk-rock sound on his second album, Sweet Baby James.
Meaning Behind the Song
In the Pocket arrived in 1976. He expanded his sound on this album, experimenting with diverse influences. Grounded in a familiar voice and steady songwriting, “Shower the People” is James Taylor using a singalong chorus as a plea for love. He focuses on the action of love.
Shower the people you love with love
Show them the way that you feel
Things are gonna work out fine
If you only will do as I say
Shower the people you love with love
Show them the way you feel
Things are gonna be much better
If you only will
Carly Simon harmonized with Taylor in the breezy chorus. Warm keyboard textures swell against Simon and Taylor like ocean waves. His vocal approach is interesting in how he emphasizes “the.” Shower thee people you love with love / Show them thee way that you feel. It sounds Shakespearean. Coincidentally, he uses an acting metaphor to addresses self-doubt:
You can play the game
You can act out the part
Though you know
It wasn’t written for you
Tell me how can you stand there
With your broken heart
Ashamed to playin’ a fool?
Taylor questions the judgement of pride when you’re all alone. He follows with the release of shared feelings.
You can run but you cannot hide
This is widely known
Now what you plan to do with your foolish pride
When you’re all by yourself alone
Once you tell somebody the way that you feel
You can feel it beginning to ease
Casting fear aside, the chorus repeats like a hymn. “Shower the People” was released in 1976, but Taylor didn’t leave ’60s peace and love behind. The message is clear. Taylor is a wise and trusted friend.
Looking back on the political and economic turbulence of the 1970s, James Taylor was the calm in the chaos. A counterbalance to unsteady times, which helped soft rock dominate the radio. He was joined by the Eagles, Neil Diamond, the Carpenters, and many others to create rock music with smooth edges.
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The Definition of Singer/Songwriter
“Shower the People” was written by James Taylor and produced by Russ Titelman and Lenny Waronker. Victor Feldman, an English jazz musician, added orchestral bells and vibes to the recording. Feldman’s contribution adds to the uplifting feel of the song.
In the Pocket was a polished record reminiscent of Steely Dan. Taylor experiments with new genres, surprising listeners accustomed to his folk sensibilities. His guitar, traditionally, had a natural quality. The acoustic guitar on “Shower the People” is doubled with Feldman’s orchestrations and studio effects. Taylor’s voice—known for its earthiness—is multi-tracked and layered like a choir.
His friends show up on the album. Guest appearances by Stevie Wonder, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Carly Simon, Art Garfunkel, and Bonnie Raitt round out an incredible collection of musicians.
Commercial Success
Taylor had an impressive run of hits in the 1970s. However, In the Pocket peaked at only No. 16 on the Billboard albums chart—the lowest position since his first album. Outshined by Taylor’s early-’70s work, “Shower the People” does stand out on the album and became Taylor’s third single to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. In the Pocket was Taylor’s final album of new material for Warner Bros. Following Greatest Hits in 1976, he signed to Columbia Records.
In 2004, American country singer Glen Campbell covered “Shower the People” on his album Love Is the Answer: 24 Songs of Faith, Hope and Love.
Recorded during a period of modest hits for Taylor, “Shower the People” has endured as a concert staple. It doesn’t sound out of place alongside timeless classics like “Fire and Rain,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” or “Sweet Baby James.”
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
