![]() ![]() What had happened to rock ’n’ roll?Īfter the eruption of the 1960s sound and politics, Taylor represented a return to basics. Kids were turning to nonelectrified instruments: banjos and acoustic guitars. He was the leader of a new musical revolution. In 1971, James Taylor’s stoic face was placed on the cover of Time magazine. They were quiet, introspective, writing their own tunes and playing their own instruments. In the early 1970s, sandwiched between mind-expanding psychedelic rock and the nose-bleeding punk bands, there was this unassuming musical movement of singer-songwriters. That’s because we’ve all been there we’ve seen the way the fog sets low over the Blue Ridge Parkway. And when you hear that unforgettable guitar opening, you know exactly what he was writing about: Even though he was signing a big record deal in London, he missed his boyhood home in North Carolina. The lyrics tell us that Taylor was in a dark place. ![]() It compares a sunset to a burning sky, while the narrator is immersed in the homesick feelings Carolinians get whenever we’re away. The beauty of this song lies in its simplicity. The version you’re probably more familiar with - the stripped down, no drums, acoustic rendition we all recognize - wasn’t created until 1976. Paul McCartney and George Harrison even joined in during the studio sessions. The original version of “Carolina in my Mind” was recorded in 1968 for the Beatles’ Apple Records. There are many legends about his having visited Asheville in the early 1970s to convalesce, staying in one of our more famous mental hospitals, but no real proof or photographs have emerged. James Taylor is Western North Carolina’s answer to the Sasquatch. In 2000, he was inducted into the both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. But Taylor’s still a rocker through and through. These days, you’re more likely to hear Taylor’s music played in the cereal aisle than on classic rock radio. So it’s time we came together and made “Carolina in my Mind” our state’s official rock song. Our state seal bears the motto “Esse quam videri,” a Latin phrase meaning “to be, rather than to seem.” I interpret that as an imperative to be genuine - and nothing’s more authentic than this James Taylor tune. (Sometimes it’s even misappropriated by South Carolina, which makes it even more important that we finally bring it home, where it belongs.) It casts a spell: You can’t hear its lyrics without being magically transported here, no matter where you are.ĭozens of famous musicians have covered the song, which continues to be lovingly sung at homecomings, football games and sundry other events in venues from the mountains to the coast. James Taylor’s “Carolina in my Mind” has been called North Carolina’s “unofficial song,” with good reason. Isn’t it time we designated a more modern tune? Not throw away our existing state song, mind you, but add to the mix by giving it a rock ’n’ roll buddy. But “The Old North State” has been North Carolina’s official song since 1927. Meanwhile, we do love our music, and we can prove it. And high on the list are romantic reminders of home: barbecue, sweet tea and James Taylor. We’re often told that our state is sharply divided, yet there are many things we North Carolinians seem to agree about. ![]()
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