I regard this song as a beautiful and brilliant work of art, and helps cements James Taylor’s place as a musical legend and genius. \n\nI think many people - myself included - can connect to the raw emotion and despair in this song, as many of us have parents or grandparents who endured the daily drudgery of manual labor to ensure that we, their children, got better opportunities in life.\n\nSo when I hear this beautiful song, I am reminded of my parents, who raised me and put me through college by owning and operating a dry cleaning store. I spent many a summer at that store, pressing other people’s clothes in the boiling hot back room. It was, to quote Jennifer Warnes’ version of Millworker, “goddamn awful boring job”. My parents did that for 40 years to ensure that I would have a better life.\n\nSo yes, I do find personal meaning in this song. It’s a beautiful and haunting song that to me, is a classic.
I regard this song as a beautiful and brilliant work of art, and helps cements James Taylor’s place as a musical legend and genius. \n\nI think many people - myself included - can connect to the raw emotion and despair in this song, as many of us have parents or grandparents who endured the daily drudgery of manual labor to ensure that we, their children, got better opportunities in life.\n\nSo when I hear this beautiful song, I am reminded of my parents, who raised me and put me through college by owning and operating a dry cleaning store. I spent many a summer at that store, pressing other people’s clothes in the boiling hot back room. It was, to quote Jennifer Warnes’ version of Millworker, “goddamn awful boring job”. My parents did that for 40 years to ensure that I would have a better life.\n\nSo yes, I do find personal meaning in this song. It’s a beautiful and haunting song that to me, is a classic.