Carly Simon is offering a candid look at the emotional toll her divorce from James Taylor had on their two children, Sally and Ben, in a new song titled “Mother of Pearl.” The song is featured on her upcoming album, “Comes in Waves,” set to be released this Friday.
In the lyrics, Simon directly addresses her daughter, singing, “I can see you at 7, a child of divorce. How can it be that we gave you no choice? It was your job and Ben’s to drown out all the noise.” The song also acknowledges Sally’s resilience, with Simon singing, “But my girl, oh my girl. Even then you were shining, you were my mother of pearl.”
Simon, who married Taylor in 1972 and divorced in 1983, details the impact of their separation, which occurred amidst Taylor’s struggles with addiction and infidelity on both sides. The couple welcomed Sally in 1974 and Ben in 1977.
Another track on the album, “Maybe I Never Loved You,” appears to be a poignant reflection on her past relationship with Taylor. Simon explores themes of uncertain love and the complexities of their marriage, singing, “Maybe I never loved you / But anyway, I thought I did. I married you, we had a kid. That counts for something.” The song concludes with Simon contemplating reconciliation and the enduring nature of their connection.
Simon previously expressed her continued affection for Taylor, telling People magazine in 2015, “I still want to heal him, I still want to make him all right. And I love him so much.” In her 2015 memoir, “Boys in the Trees,” she described their marriage as “far from the idyllic one that the general public reads about.”
“Comes in Waves” marks Simon’s first collection of original songs in 18 years. She co-wrote and recorded the 12 tracks from her home in Martha’s Vineyard, collaborating with both Sally and Ben.
This new music comes as Simon recently revealed her diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease and skin cancer. She shared in a statement in July that the process of creating the album provided structure during a challenging time, stating, “Working on the music gave shape to days that did not always have much shape. It gave me somewhere to go without having to leave the room. It reminded me that illness can change your life without becoming the whole of your life.”
Simon was also previously married to James Hart from 1987 to 2007 and has had relationships with several notable figures, including Jack Nicholson, Mick Jagger, Cat Stevens, and Warren Beatty.