“Sweet Baby James” is a song written by James Taylor, the title track of his 1970 album. Taylor wrote it for his infant nephew, the son of his older brother Alex, who had named the boy James after him.
Taylor described the song as a deliberate cross between a cowboy song and a lullaby. The verses picture a cowboy bedding down on the cold open range, and the chorus turns to the baby directly, wishing him sweet dreams and a good night; Taylor began writing it while driving south to meet the child for the first time.
The song crossed readily into bluegrass, where Taylor’s writing has often found a home.