Fire and Rain ( song ) - wikipedia Fire and Rain ( song ) `` Fire and Rain '' Single by James Taylor from the album Sweet Baby James B - side `` Anywhere Like Heaven '' ( US ) `` Sunny Skies '' ( UK ) Released February 1970 Format 7 - inch vinyl single Recorded December 1969 Sunset Sound Genre Soft rock, rock, folk rock Length 3 : 23 Label Warner Bros. Songwriter ( s ) James Taylor Producer ( s ) Peter Asher James Taylor singles chronology `` Sweet Baby James '' ( 1970 ) `` Fire and Rain '' ( 1970 ) `` Carolina in My Mind '' ( 1970 ) `` Sweet Baby James '' ( 1970 ) `` Fire and Rain '' ( 1970 ) `` Carolina in My Mind '' ( re-release ) ( 1970 ) `` Fire and Rain '' is a folk rock song written and performed by James Taylor. Released on Warner Bros. Records as a single from his second album, Sweet Baby James, in February 1970, 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 RPM 's Canada Top Singles chart and at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Contents 1 Background and composition 2 Reception 3 Updated versions 4 Chart performance 4.1 Weekly charts 4.2 Year - end charts 5 Cover versions 6 References 6.1 Bibliography 7 External links Background and composition On the VH1 series Story Tellers, 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 committed suicide while he was in London, England, recording his first album. In that same account, Taylor said he had been in a deep depression after the failure of his new band The Flying Machine 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 ). In 2005, during an interview on NPR, Taylor explained to host Scott Simon that the song was written in three parts : The first part was about Taylor 's friend Suzanne, 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 tragic 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. Drummer Russ Kunkel used brushes rather than sticks on his drum kit, and Bobby West played double bass in place of a bass guitar to `` underscore the melancholy on the song ''. King has stated that her song `` You 've Got a Friend, '' that Taylor recorded, was a response to the line in the refrain that `` I 've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend. '' Reception Broadcast Music, Inc. ranked `` Fire and Rain '' at number 82 on its `` Top 100 Songs of the Century '' list, 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, placed `` Fire and Rain '' at number 85. In April 2011, the song was named at number 227 on Rolling Stone 's list of 500 greatest songs of all time. Updated versions In 2015, Taylor appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and told host Stephen Colbert that he had updated the song : `` The thing is, I wrote that song in 1970 ; I just had n't seen that much back then, mostly fire and rain. So that 's why I keep saying it over and over again since then. '' Taylor explained that, over the ensuing decades, he 's updated the song to include all the things he 's encountered, such as skinny jeans, Fifty Shades of Grey, Snakes on a Plane and especially calzones. Taylor and Colbert then performed a highly ironic version of `` Fire and Rain and Calzones '', packed with post-1970 pop - cultural references, functioning as a satire of superficial commercialism. Chart performance Weekly charts R.B. Greaves Chart ( 1970 ) Peak position US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) 37 US Billboard Hot 100 82 US Cashbox Top 100 65 Johnny Rivers Chart ( 1970 ) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100 94 US Cashbox Top 100 71 James Taylor Chart ( 1970 ) Peak position Australia KMR 6 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 42 US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) 7 US Billboard Hot 100 US Cashbox Top 100 Willie Nelson Chart ( 1976 ) Peak position Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) 44 US Hot Country Singles ( Billboard ) 29 Year - end charts James Taylor Chart ( 1970 ) Rank Australia 87 Canada 26 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 67 U.S. Cash Box 85 Cover versions Several singers covered the song shortly after it was released in 1970. These include versions by Andy Williams, Chris Connor, Lou Rawls, John Denver, Anita Bryant, Salena Jones. The song was the lead song and gave its name to The Gaylads 1970 album, Fire and Rain. The song has been covered numerous times since. Marcia Hines recorded a version of the track and released it as her debut single from her debut studio album, Marcia Shines ( 1975 ). More recently Babyface ( musician ) covered the song in his 2007 album Playlist. References ^ Jump up to : `` James Taylor Chart History ( Hot 100 ) '' Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2015. Jump up ^ 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. Jump up ^ White, Timothy ( 2001 ). Long Ago and Far Away : James Taylor -- His Life and Music. London : Omnibus. p. 5. ISBN 0 - 7119 - 8803 - X. Jump up ^ `` Songs that shaped Rock and Roll : `` Fire and Rain '' ``. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 4, 2015. Jump up ^ Mattingly, Rick ( 2003 ). `` Brush Playing ''. In John Shepherd, David Horn, Dave Laing, Paul Oliver, Peter Wicke. Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World. 2. A&C Black. p. 120. CS1 maint : Uses editors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2015 - 09 - 09. Retrieved 2015 - 06 - 04. Jump up ^ Browne, David ( 2012 ). Fire and Rain : The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and the Bittersweet Story Of 1970. Da Capo Press. p. 116. Jump up ^ `` James Taylor : My Life in 15 Songs ''. Rolling Stone. August 13, 2015. pp. 23 -- 25. Jump up ^ White, T. ( August 4, 2015 ). `` James Taylor Looks Back on His Classics ''. Easy 93.1 FM. Retrieved 2015 - 08 - 10. Jump up ^ `` BMI Announces Top 100 Songs of the Century ''. Broadcast Music, Inc. December 13, 1999. Jump up ^ `` RIAA, NEA Announce ' Songs of the Century ' ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Top 365 Songs ''. Quad - City Times. Lee Enterprises. AP. March 8, 2001. Archived from the original on June 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` 500 Greatest Songs of All Time : 227 : James Taylor, ' Fire and Rain ' ''. Rolling Stone. Wenner Media, LLC. Retrieved June 6, 2015. Jump up ^ Kreps, Daniel ( November 19, 2015 ). `` Watch James Taylor Sing ' Fire and Rain and Calzones ' With Stephen Colbert ''. rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2015 - 11 - 21. Jump up ^ `` R.B. Greaves Chart History ( Adult Contemporary ) '' Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` R.B. Greaves Chart History ( Hot 100 ) '' Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2015. Jump up ^ Downey, Albert, and Hoffmann, p. 145 Jump up ^ `` Billboard Hot 100 ''. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 82 ( 37 ) : 67. September 12, 1970. ISSN 0006 - 2510. Jump up ^ Downey, Albert, and Hoffmann, p. 289 ^ Jump up to : `` Australian Chart Book ''. Austchartbook.com.au. Archived from the original on 2016 - 03 - 05. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Singles : Issue 3718. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. November 21, 1970. Jump up ^ `` James Taylor : Artist Chart History ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 5, 2015. Jump up ^ `` James Taylor Chart History ( Adult Contemporary ) '' Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2015. Jump up ^ Downey, Albert, and Hoffmann, p. 343 Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Country Tracks : Issue 4080. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2005 ). Joel Whitburn 's Top Country Songs : 1944 -- 2005. Record Research. p. 267. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. collectionscanada.gc.ca. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits of 1970 / Top 100 Songs of 1970 ''. Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1970 ''. Tropicalglen.com. 1970 - 12 - 26. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ Whosampled : Fire and Rain by James Taylor Jump up ^ `` MARCIA HINES ''. ABC. 14 October 2004. Retrieved 8 February 2017. Bibliography Downey, Pat ; Albert, George ; Hoffmann, Frank W ( 1994 ). Cash Box pop singles charts, 1950 -- 1993. Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 978 - 1 - 56308 - 316 - 7. External links `` James Taylor reflects on his career ''. The 7.30 Report. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. March 3, 2010. Archived from the original on April 4, 2010. Transcript of Kerry O'Brien interview with Taylor about `` Fire and Rain '' `` Fire and Rain '' among artists James Taylor Studio albums James Taylor Sweet Baby James Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon One Man Dog Walking Man Gorilla In the Pocket JT Flag Dad Loves His Work That 's Why I 'm Here Never Die Young New Moon Shine Hourglass October Road Covers Before This World Live albums Live / Best Live One Man Band Amchitka Live at the Troubadour Holiday albums James Taylor : A Christmas Album James Taylor at Christmas Compilation albums Greatest Hits Classic Songs Greatest Hits Volume 2 The Best of James Taylor Video albums Live at the Beacon Theatre Extended plays Other Covers Singles `` Carolina in My Mind '' `` Knocking ' Round the Zoo '' `` Sweet Baby James '' `` Fire and Rain '' `` Country Road '' `` You 've Got a Friend '' `` Long Ago and Far Away '' `` Do n't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight '' `` One Man Parade '' `` Hymn '' `` Mockingbird ( with Carly Simon ) `` How Sweet It Is ( To Be Loved by You ) '' `` Mexico '' `` Shower the People '' `` Woman 's Gotta Have It '' `` Handy Man '' `` Your Smiling Face '' `` Honey Do n't Leave L.A. '' `` Devoted to You '' ( with Carly Simon ) `` Up on the Roof '' `` Her Town Too '' `` Hard Times `` Everyday '' `` It 's Growing '' Other songs `` Night Owl `` Something in the Way She Moves '' `` Sunny Skies '' `` Steamroller Blues '' `` You Can Close Your Eyes '' `` Highway Song '' `` Bartender 's Blues '' `` Secret O ' Life '' `` Millworker '' `` Summer 's Here '' Related articles Discography James Taylor and the Original Flying Machine Working Vote for Change Tour Troubadour Reunion Tour Carly Simon Ben Taylor Sally Taylor Kate Taylor Livingston Taylor Alex Taylor Isaac M. Taylor Two - Lane Blacktop Johnny Rivers Live albums At the Whisky à Go Go Here We à Go Go Again ! In Action Meanwhile Back at the Whisky à Go Go... And I Know You Wanna Dance Songs `` Memphis '' `` Maybellene '' `` Mountain of Love '' `` Midnight Special '' `` The Seventh Son '' `` Where Have All the Flowers Gone ? '' `` Secret Agent Man '' `` ( I Washed My Hands In ) Muddy Water '' `` Poor Side Of Town '' `` Baby I Need Your Lovin ' '' `` The Tracks of My Tears '' `` Summer Rain '' `` Into the Mystic '' `` Fire and Rain '' `` Sea Cruise '' `` Rockin ' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu '' `` Blue Suede Shoes '' `` Six Days on the Road '' `` Help Me, Rhonda '' `` Swayin ' to the Music ( Slow Dancing ) '' `` Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um '' Related articles Discography Marcia Hines Discography Studio albums Marcia Shines Shining Ladies and Gentlemen Ooh Child Take It from the Boys Jokers and Queens Love Sides Right Here and Now Time of Our Lives Hinesight Discothèque Life Marcia Sings Tapestry Amazing Live albums Marcia Hines Live Across Australia Compilation albums Greatest Hits Greatest Hits Volume 2 Queen of Pop Diva Marcia : Greatest Hits 1975 -- 1983 The Essential Marcia Hines Notable singles `` Fire and Rain '' `` From the Inside '' / `` Jumpin ' Jack Flash '' `` I Just Do n't Know What to Do with Myself '' `` ( Until ) Your Love Broke Through '' `` What I Did for Love '' `` You '' `` Music Is My Life '' `` Something 's Missing ( In My Life ) '' `` Your Love Still Brings Me to My Knees '' `` What a Bitch Is Love '' `` Many Rivers to Cross '' `` The Lord 's Prayer '' `` Rain ( Let the Children Play ) '' `` What a Feeling '' `` Ai n't Nobody '' `` Stomp ! '' Related articles Deni Hines Willie Nelson singles discography 1950s and 1960s 1957 `` No Place For Me '' / `` Lumberjack '' 1959 `` Man With the Blues '' / `` The Storm Has Just Begun '' 1960 `` What a Way to Live '' / `` Misery Mansion '' `` Nite Life '' / `` Rainy Day Blues '' 1961 `` The Part Where I Cry '' / `` Mr. Record Man '' 1962 `` Willingly '' / `` Chain of Love '' `` Touch Me '' / `` Where My House Lives '' `` Wake Me When It 's Over '' / `` There 's Gonna Be Love In My House '' `` You Dream About Me '' / `` Is This My Destiny '' 1963 `` Half a Man '' / `` The Last Letter '' `` Take My Word '' / `` Feed it a Memory '' 1964 `` How Long is Forever '' / `` You Took My Happy Away '' `` Am I Blue '' / `` There 'll Be No Teardrops Tonight '' `` River Boy '' / `` Opportunity to Cry '' `` I Never Cared For You '' / `` You Left Me ( A Long Time Ago ) '' `` Pretty Paper '' / `` What A Merry Christmas This Could Be '' 1965 `` She 's Not For You '' / `` Permanently Lonely '' `` Healing Hands of Time '' / `` One Day at the Time '' `` I Just Ca n't Let You Say Goodbye '' / `` And So Will You, My Love '' 1966 `` One In A Row '' / `` San Antonio Rose '' `` Colombus Stockade Blues '' / `` He Sits at my Table '' `` I 'm Still Not Over You '' / `` I Love You Because '' 1967 `` The Party 's Over '' / `` Make Way for a Better Man '' `` Blackjack County Chain '' / `` Some Other World '' `` San Antonio '' / `` To Make a Long Story Short '' 1968 `` Little Things '' / `` Sweet Memories '' `` Good Times '' / `` Where Do You Stand '' `` Johnny One Time '' / `` She 's Still Gone '' 1969 `` Bring Me Sunshine '' / `` Do n't Say Love or Nothing '' `` I Hope So '' / `` Right or Wrong '' 1970s 1970 `` Once More With Feeling '' / `` Who Do I Know in Dallas '' `` Laying My Burdens Down '' / `` Truth Number One '' 1971 `` I 'm a Memory '' / `` Fire and Rain '' `` Yesterday 's Wine '' / `` Me and Paul '' 1972 `` Words Do n't Fit the Picture '' / `` A Moment '' 1973 `` Shotgun Willie '' ( mono ) / `` Sad Songs and Waltzes '' `` Stay All Night ( Stay a Little Longer ) '' / `` Devil in a Sleepin ' Bag '' `` I Still Ca n't Believe You 're Gone '' / `` Heaven and Hell '' `` Bloody Mary Morning '' / `` After the Fire is Gone '' ( with Tracy Nelson ) `` Sister 's Comin ' Home '' ( mono ) / `` Pick Up The Tempo '' `` Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain '' / `` Bandera '' 1976 `` Remember Me ( When the Candle Lights Are Gleaming ) '' / `` Time of the Preacher '' `` I 'd Have to Be Crazy '' ( mono ) / `` Amazing Grace '' `` If You 've Got the Money I 've Got the Time '' / `` The Sound in Your Mind '' 1977 `` Uncloudy Day '' / `` Precious Memories '' `` I Love You A Thousand Ways '' / `` Mom and Dad 's Waltz '' 1978 `` Georgia on My Mind '' / `` On The Sunny Side Of The Street '' `` Blue Skies '' / `` Moonlight in Vermont '' `` All of Me '' / `` Unchained Melody '' 1979 `` Whiskey River '' / `` Under the Double Eagle '' `` September Song '' / `` Do n't Get Around Much Anymore '' `` White Christmas '' / `` Blue Christmas '' 1980s 1980 `` Help Me Make It Through the Night '' / `` The Pilgrim, Chapter 33 '' `` My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys '' / `` Rising Stars '' `` Midnight Rider '' / `` So You Think You 're A Cowboy '' `` On the Road Again '' / `` Jumpin ' Cotton Eyed Joe '' ( performed by Johnny Gimble ) 1981 `` Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground '' / `` I Guess I 've Come to Live Here in Your Eyes '' `` Mona Lisa '' / `` Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star '' `` I 'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter '' / `` Over the Rainbow '' `` Heartaches of a Fool '' / `` Uncloudy Day '' 1982 `` Always on My Mind '' / `` The Party 's Over '' `` Let It Be Me '' / `` Permanently Lonely '' `` Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning '' / `` Old Fords and a Natural Stone '' `` Little Old Fashioned Karma '' / `` Beer Barrel Polka '' `` Why Do I Have to Choose '' / `` Would You Lay with Me ( In a Field of Stone ) '' `` Take It to the Limit '' / `` Till I Gain Control Again '' `` Without a Song '' 1984 `` City of New Orleans ( Unedited version ) '' / `` Why Are You Pickin ' On Me '' 1985 `` Forgiving You Was Easy '' / `` You Would n't Cross the Street '' `` Me and Paul '' / `` I Let My Mind Wander '' 1986 `` Living in the Promiseland '' / `` Bach Minuet in G '' `` I 'm Not Trying to Forget You '' / `` I 've Got the Craziest Feeling '' `` Partners After All '' / `` Home Away From Home '' `` Heart of Gold '' / `` So Much Like My Dad '' `` Island in the Sea '' / `` There Is No Easy Way '' `` Nobody There But Me '' / `` Wake Me When It 's Over '' `` Spanish Eyes '' ( with Julio Iglesias ) / `` Ole Buttermilk Sky '' `` Twilight Time '' / `` Ac - Cent - Tchu - Ate the Positive '' `` Nothing I Can Do About It Now '' / `` If I Were a Painting '' `` There You Are '' / `` Spirit '' `` Is The Better Part Over '' / `` Mr. Record Man '' 1990s `` The Highway '' / `` Spirit '' `` Ai n't Necessarily So '' / `` I Never Cared For You '' ( `` Ai n't Necessarily So '' also on CD Single ) 1991 `` The Piper Came Today '' / `` ( I Do n't Have a Reason ) To Go To California Anymore '' ( `` The Piper Came Today '' also on CD Single ) `` Ten With a Two '' / `` You Decide '' `` Graceland '' `` Still is Still Moving to Me '' / `` Valentine '' 1995 `` Turn Me Loose and Let Me Swing '' 1998 `` I Never Cared for You '' 2000s and 2010s 2002 `` Mendocino County Line '' ( with Lee Ann Womack ) / `` Maria ( Shut Up and Kiss Me ) '' ( Both single tracks released on CD and 7 '' record ) 2003 `` Wurlitzer Prize '' ( with Norah Jones ) `` Beer for My Horses '' ( with Toby Keith ) 2005 `` I 'm a Worried Man '' ( with Toots Hibbert ) `` The Harder They Come '' 2006 `` You Do n't Know Me '' `` Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other '' 2008 `` Gravedigger '' `` You Do n't Think I 'm Funny Anymore '' 2011 `` The Scientist '' 2012 `` Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die '' `` Just Breathe '' `` Come On Back Jesus '' 2013 `` From Here to the Moon and Back '' ( with Dolly Parton ) `` Grandma 's Hands '' ( with Mavis Staples ) `` It Wo n't Be Long '' ( with The Secret Sisters ) `` Somewhere Between '' ( with Loretta Lynn ) 2014 `` The Wall '' `` Bring It On '' `` Laws of Nature '' `` Who 'll Buy My Memories '' 2015 `` It 's All Going to Pot '' Book : Willie Nelson Category : Willie Nelson Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fire_and_Rain_(song)&oldid=809899480 '' Categories : 1970 singles 1975 singles A&M Records singles Herb Alpert songs Atco Records singles CBS Records singles Georgie Fame songs Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients R.B. 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Question: who wrote i've seen fire and i've seen rain
Answer: James Taylor