James Taylor and Stephen Colbert sing 'Fire and Rain,' plus everything Taylor has seen since 1970

James Taylor, Stephen Colbert sing &quot;Fire and Rain&quot;

(Image credit: Late Show)

published 19 November 2015

If the James Taylor song "Fire and Rain" has special meaning to you, maybe skip this one. Stephen Colbert noted on Wednesday's Late Show that Taylor keeps changing his lyrics, and Taylor said that it's true, up to and including "Fire and Rain." Colbert protested that the song is perfect as is, and then the bit started. "The thing is that I wrote that song in 1970, and I just hadn't seen that much back then," Taylor said, "mostly fire and rain." So he updated it with everything he has seen since, with an assist from Colbert. "I've seen man buns, MySpace, and the Baha Men," Taylor sings to end one verse, "but I never thought I'd see a new Star Wars again." There are some pretty funny moments, and if it won't ruin the original song for you, watch below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.