Secret O' Life
| "Secret O' Life" | |
|---|---|
| Song by James Taylor from the album JT | |
| Released | June 1977 |
| Recorded | 1977 |
| Genre | Folk rock |
| Length | 3:34 |
| Label | Columbia Records |
| Writer(s) | James Taylor |
| Producer(s) | Peter Asher |
"Secret O' Life" is a song written by James Taylor that first appeared on his 1977 album JT. It has since appeared on several of his live and compilation albums. It was also included in the Broadway musical Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life and has been covered by many other artists, including Art Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Nancy LaMott, Rosemary Clooney and Shirley Horn.
Although not released as a single, Allmusic critic William Ruhlmann considered "Secret O' Life" to be the key track on JT with its message that the secret of life is "enjoying the passage of time." Authors Don and Jeff Breithaupt deemed the theme of the song to be the importance of "living in the moment." Self-help book authors Pete Forantale and Bill Ayres regard the song as giving the listener permission to meditate, reflect and daydream. Taylor regards it as a spiritual song. He has said that he used the title "Secret O' Life" rather than "Secret of Life" because the latter seemed too presumptuous and preposterous. He felt that the "O" would make it seem a little more irreverent, evoking the names of Life Savers candy flavors such as "Pep O Mint" and "Wint O Green," and offset some of the presumptuousness of announcing the secret of life.
Taylor recalls having written the song at his home in Martha's Vineyard during the late spring with the sun shining in. He recalls that the song, or at least the first verse and the refrain, came to him quickly and he felt lucky to have been playing his guitar at the time. Despite the positive lyrics, "vivacious" music, and the fact that Taylor claims he felt "great" while writing the song, Taylor's father, Dr. Isaac M. Taylor heard a different message when he heard the song. Dr. Taylor heard a note of apprehension in the song, and felt that James Taylor was "wondering where his career was leading" when he wrote it. Taylor biographer Mark Robowsky similarly notes that although the lyrics are generally optimistic, the optimism is undercut by the line "Nobody knows how we got to the top of the hill/But since we're on our way down, we might as well enjoy the ride."
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