The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Guest: James Taylor (Extended) | Rise And Whine

Release Date: February 6, 2026

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This episode blends Stephen Colbert’s trademark political humor and sharp monologue with an extended, revealing conversation with legendary singer-songwriter James Taylor. Colbert covers the week’s political happenings—including Trump's appearance at the National Prayer Breakfast—before engaging Taylor in a warm, funny, and insightful interview about love songs, musical theater, biopics, songwriting, and Taylor's enduring friendship with Carole King.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Monologue: Politics, Prayer, and Puns

(00:49 – 12:01)

• National Prayer Breakfast & Trump’s Appearance

  • Colbert jokes about the annual event, making light of the blending of church and politics.
  • He mocks how Paula White Cain introduced Trump as “the goat, the greatest of all time,” then quips, “as a Christian, I thought the greatest of all time was the guy named Jesus. Still holds the record for saves.” (02:36)
  • Trump’s own remarks at the breakfast are lampooned, with Colbert imagining him “pretending to pray” and focusing on bacon.

• Super Bowl Interview & Current Events

  • Colbert parodies Trump’s pre-Super Bowl interview, skewering his comments on law enforcement (“use a softer touch”) and his characteristic self-congratulation about cognitive tests.
  • Trump brags about naming a mysterious “discombobulator” weapon, with Colbert wryly suggesting, “Sir, is there any chance the discombobulator is on now? Because I would not describe your recent behavior as combobulated.” (07:27)

• Trump's Strange Fundraising Tactics

  • Colbert highlights the odd, desperate tone of Trump’s latest Valentine’s Day fundraising emails, mocking their urgency and personal appeals: “‘I hope you still love me, Chris. I didn't think you'd leave me hanging this close to Valentine's Day.’ It's kind of creepy, but not the first time a president has made this kind of plea…” (07:45)

• Epstein Files & Bizarre News

  • Discusses recently-released Jeffrey Epstein documents, lampooning their odd details such as Steve Bannon’s grooming advice and Epstein’s infamous bran muffins.
  • Pizza Hut’s closure of hundreds of locations leads to Colbert’s observation that “America’s favorite salad is Ultimate Hut Bundle.”

2. The Conversation: James Taylor (Interview)

(13:12 – End)

Love Songs & Broadway (13:41–18:46)

• Colbert & Taylor on Favorite Love Songs

  • Colbert asks Taylor about his favorite love song:

    “What’s James Taylor’s favorite love song?”
    Taylor: “‘The Way You Look Tonight.’”
    Colbert agrees, both praising Tony Bennett’s rendition. (13:59–14:09)

  • A playful detour into “Guys and Dolls” and the brilliance of classic musical theater.

• 25th Anniversary & Travel

  • Taylor discusses plans to celebrate his 25th anniversary with his wife Kim—opting for staying put versus traveling, ultimately choosing a Caribbean trip and joking about his awkwardness at tropical latitudes. (15:20–16:17)

• On Language Learning

  • Taylor shares he’s studying Spanish on Duolingo, prompting Colbert to joke about the app's random example sentences. (16:40–16:54)

Musical & Biopic Projects (16:56–21:50)

• ‘Fire and Rain’ Musical

  • Taylor details his “dream team” creative partners for the Tracy Letts-penned musical based on his songs. He describes the surreal experience of having such top talent involved and the lengthy, often years-long timeline for musical theater projects.
    • Notable quote:
      “I just feel, you know, I’m just waiting for the whole thing to fall to pieces and I wake up. But really, no, it’s a great…” (17:12–17:53)

• Biopics and Taylor’s Life

  • Colbert wonders why there isn’t a James Taylor biopic. Taylor, wry:

    “I will tell you why there’s no James Taylor biopic yet. And that’s because God is merciful.” (18:46)

  • Taylor expresses reluctance, citing the challenges of revisiting old memories — especially anything after 1970, “because those people are still walking around.” (18:59–19:29)
  • When it comes to potential actors, Taylor jokes about casting Moe and Curly of The Three Stooges as his younger and older selves, then warms to Colbert’s suggestion of the tall actor Jacob Elordi. Taylor reflects that biopics tend to “set who you are for history.”

Songwriting & Taylor’s Catalog (21:55–28:06)

• Top Five James Taylor Songs (per James Taylor)

  • Prompted by Colbert, Taylor lists:
    • “Mean Old Man” (“Paul McCartney bought the album because of it.”) (22:49–23:05)
    • “Millworker” (“Springsteen once performed it.”)
    • “Sweet Baby James”
    • “Frozen Man” (“Dylan commented on it.”)
    • “Carolina”
  • Colbert jokes that these will be “notarized and placed in a titanium chamber.” (24:27)

• Song Vaults and Writing Process

  • Taylor explains that nearly every finished song gets recorded:

    “Basically, if it doesn’t get finished. If it gets finished, it gets recorded.” (25:46)

  • He’s still writing, with “a mess of brand new starts on stuff,” admitting playfully they “sound just like the old stuff.” (26:02)

  • His creative process typically starts with guitar chords that “take me around in a circle and come back or else deliver me to a new place,” leading the melody and then the lyrics to follow. (26:44–27:44)

  • He remarks that he’s released an album in every decade since the 1960s and hints, “it’s time for a 20s album.” (27:40–28:06)

On Carole King, Classic Songs, and Friendship (28:53–32:51)

• ‘Mudslide Slim’ Anniversary and ‘You’ve Got a Friend’

  • Taylor shares how he first heard Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend”:

    • He and King were longtime collaborators, both supporting each other’s work.
    • King debuted the song at LA’s Troubadour, and Taylor recalls, “I literally ran to find my guitar so that I could play it.” (29:26–31:31)

  • He ended up recording it before King’s own version was released; King’s response when he told her:

    “She said, ‘That’s great.’ It was typically generous.” (32:06–32:10)

  • Carole King told Taylor his line in “Fire and Rain” (“I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend”) inspired her to write “You’ve Got a Friend”:

    “I’m going to tell him he does have a friend.” (32:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Colbert on Church-State Separation:
  “As American, I believe in the separation of church and breakfast. The mass, then brunch.” (01:07)

• Colbert on Presidential Cognitive Test Bragging:
  “Also, where is the head? It’s right here, okay? And not many people can handle the final question. Where is the head? Giraffe.” (06:27)

• James Taylor on a James Taylor Biopic:
  “I will tell you why there’s no James Taylor biopic yet. And that’s because God is merciful.” (18:46)

• On Carole King’s Songwriting Inspiration:
  “She said, you know that line in Fire and Rain, ‘I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend.’ She said that’s what inspired that song. ‘You’ve Got a Friend…’” (32:15)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:49–12:01: Monologue – Political humor, Trump at Prayer Breakfast, odd news.
• 13:12: Colbert introduces James Taylor.
• 13:41–14:30: Favorite love songs and the brilliance of “Guys and Dolls.”
• 15:20–16:17: Taylor on his 25th anniversary and a trip to the Caribbean.
• 16:40–16:54: Taylor learning Spanish on Duolingo.
• 16:56–18:05: “Fire and Rain” musical update.
• 18:46–21:17: Why there’s no James Taylor biopic and who could play him in one.
• 22:10–24:27: Taylor’s top five self-written songs.
• 25:07–27:44: Taylor’s songwriting process and vault.
• 27:40–28:06: New music potentially on the way – “it’s time for a 20s album.”
• 28:53–32:51: The story behind “You’ve Got a Friend,” Taylor and Carole King’s friendship.
• 32:15–32:42: King’s “You’ve Got a Friend” inspired by Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” lyric.

Tone & Language

Conversation is warm, wry, and peppered with Colbert’s quick-witted humor. Taylor matches the tone with gentle self-deprecation, dry asides, and inviting anecdotes about legendary peers.

In summary:
This episode offers classic Colbert blend—sharp current events satire, heartfelt celebrity conversation, and unique revelations. Taylor shares stories of music, friendship, and creativity, including the touching origin of “You’ve Got a Friend,” making this extended interview rich for fans of late night and singer-songwriter history alike.