James Taylor: Fire and Rain Meaning

Song Released: 1970

Fire and Rain Lyrics

Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone

Suzanne 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...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Sep 27th 2011 !⃝

   Although Taylor's song is indeed autobiographical, it doesn't match the heart-wrenching line of someone close to him dying in a plane crash. The "Susan" mentioned in the lyrics "Fire and Rain" wasn't a love interest of Taylor's but merely an acquaintance he had met as a teenager in New York who, just as he, had an addiction problem. While in an institution for her addiction she committed suicide. The verse in the song about "flying machines and pieces on the ground" refers to a band he was in called "The Flying Machine" which disbanded in a not so friendly way
2. anonymous

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   May 6th 2017 !⃝

   its about a heroin addiction and found out the girl overdosed and died
3. anonymous

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   Jan 20th 2015 !⃝

   One of the most uplifting songs to hear that certaintly gave hope in the faith of believing in the power of JESUS CHRIST to be saved from our pain of sorrows of all kinds of addictions on drugs or without drugs as we lived our everyday lives in the temtation to our liberal freedoms of the times that became a little twisted to the extreem and perverted, especially back from the early 70's and on. i thank GOD for this song that James Taylor sang for us that i believed saved and still saves alot of lost souls in the name of JESUS with the physical and phycological pain that they went through.
4. anonymous

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   Apr 22nd 2013 !⃝

   The true meaning is above in other comments, not sure if Suzanne was a love interest or not but she died in a mental institution and JT was (maybe still is) a Heroin addict - the my body is aching refers to the Heroin withdrawrals.
5. novez

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   Aug 6th 2012 !⃝

   rumored to bw about James time in a mental institution....fire is electro shock therapy ...and rain is the cold showers they used to give patients after shock therapy
6. anonymous

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   Apr 15th 2011 !⃝

   this is a song about a man who has lost his love and cont get her back. "just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone" he just found out that the love of his life is gone. "the plans they had put an end to you" the people she left with are keeping her away. "i just cant remember who to send it to" suzanne is no longer the girl he fell in love with so now he doesnt know who she is.
   fire=love or strong emotions
   rain=sorrow or regret
   he has seen sunny days=the days he was with her
   ive seen lonely tines=when he was not with her he was unable to find someone to connect with
   but he never lost the hope of seeing her agen
7. anonymous

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   Jan 24th 2011 !⃝

   Song laments the lose of an institutionalized friend of the artist. "My body's aching" refers to Jones'n for the heroin rail. "The Flying Machine" was artist's first band"
8. anonymous

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   Jan 22nd 2011 !⃝

   In my opinion I think that this song means there are good things in life and bad. I also think that he lost the one he loved in a plane crash and that he feels he might never find love again.
9. anonymous

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   Sep 20th 2009 !⃝

   This song is about getting over a death
   (presumably the death of someone named Suzanne, because he says "Susanne the plans they made put an end to you." Taylor cries to Jesus ("Won't you look down upon me Jesus, you gotta help me make a stand") and laments all the things he could have done with "Susanne" ("Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground")

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