M E L I S S A Key of G
G C G G D G
These are letters I like to say: M E L I S S A
These are notes I like to play: M E L I S S A
D C G
Letters that sparkle. Notes that jingle
D C G
Make…
I took this bus trip from Forth Worth, Texas to Wheeling, West Virginia and on the way home I jumped off in Cincinnati and bought a ticket to Nashville... Lots of stuff happen when you are on a bus and in bus stations for over 60 hours.
Here…
There is nothing like the presence of a horse. The quiet understanding. The gentle strength.
Woodlake, California...1961. I had a horse. She was my friend.
There were times in my teens when Babe was the only being that did not judge me…
REMEMBERING BABE: I had NOT heard this one! I'm glad I insisted!!! Gotta be among the best of... my favs... I don't have to tell you, this is poetry. And your delivery... refreshingly original. In "stand up" readings, or "slam" poetry, there is a "style" of cadence that hearkens back to the Beats, and most poets fall into it, and it always annoyed the hell out of me. This is DRAMATIC ACTING, folks, c'mon! I
like the slow, unhurried, thoughtful way you spoke as the poem's Voice; how you mixed up the rhythm, unexpected hesitations, and rapid rushes. And esp the long pauses in unexpected places, as tho the Voice was thinking about the exact right word to use next to express what he wanted to say.
I've been trying to work on my delivery for my planned re-entry (after covid) into the local poetry reading community. It is terrible... isolation in quarantine can do that! So I've been practicing w/ video and putting music behind me for good measure.Anyway, I found some good tips here. Thank you. 🙂 I really love R.BABE The ending works really well, something that's sometimes difficult. Gwyn Henry
I wrote this at my dad's urging. He likes it. We sing it together. I have YouTube Video of it up.
EULOGY
He grew up in Clinton, Oklahoma
Red dirt back yard, Gramma's place
Honey suckle in a dust bowl
Life as hard as limestone lace…
".. you had me right off the bat--"Red Dirt" for me, classic Ok City area!; plus "honeysuckle dustbowl" (so beautiful) and "limestone lace" --each image is 2 completly different things contrasted to make a third. Lovely. Oklahoma evocative! " Gwyn Henry
(I Almost Washed the ) DISHES
I almost washed the dishes
I almost ran the water
Maybe tomorrow
Maybe Saturday
What does it matter to me
I almost washed the dishes..
(C) 2020 Royal T Music
NO NEW LOVE
Ain't no new love like an old love in this town
Ain't no new love like an old love to take and turn my heart around
Stop it on a dime when you said that you'd be mine
Ain't no new love like an old love in my heart
Ain't no…
I had forgotten what a damn fine album this is! But... ??? 2005? Really? OMG... has it really been that long? Kinda makes the line... "Ain't no fool like an old fool" fit me even better than it did... sigh
FIREFLIES. capo @ 2
F walk down
We (C) spoke of them as (C/B) sweethearts
There (Am) in the Southern (F) sky
(C) Saturn, just a (G) twinkle, bold (F) Jupiter near (G) by
I (Am) guess we didn't (Am/G) notice
as they (Am/F)drifted a…
Pete Thompson on percussion and Angie Thompson on bass. Produced with Pete 123112
HAIRCUT
They sent me a letter. A ticket to ride
Portland to Frisco on that Big Overnight
Brand new clothes. New pants and new shirt
Brand new boots to kick…
Sweet, sweet, sweet, (except for the war and killing part). My fav lines: "...with those sulfurous clicks/
Little red rolls with black spots of bang" Never described better! That's exactly what they were. Gwyn Henry
capo @ 3
Am walk down...
When I was a child we'd drive 200 miles
to Grandma's in the Spring
I'd hop out of the car, run to the back yard.
Grandma had a swing
But the times have changed...
When I became a dad I took all the rope I had…
CATTAILS AND BUTTERFLIES capo @ 6 in C
C G repeat
There was a field around the corner
And a stream flowed cross the field
There were cat tails in the summer time
And monarch butterflies
And tadpoles sprouting wings
E…
DIRTY LAUNDRY Key C
I got a call from Russell. He had to move his junk
He’d filled his car. He’d filled his trunk
Big black bags of something. I said, “What’s with these?”
He said, “It’s dirty laundry.” I said, “That’s crazy.”
So, he…
HOME
(Am D) or (F C)
VERSE 1.
Where the (G) windmill sings to the mocking bird
And the (CM7) prairie wind, without a word
(Am) Whispers thru tall (D) grass, I’ll be (G) home
(F C G) or (Am D)
VERSE 2.
Where the butter cups and…
HOME
(Am D) or (F C)
VERSE 1.
Where the (G) windmill sings to the mocking bird
And the (CM7) prairie wind, without a word
(Am) Whispers thru tall (D) grass, I’ll be (G) home
(F C G) or (Am D)
VERSE 2.
Where the butter cups and…
DIRTY LAUNDRY Key C
I got a call from Russell. He had to move his junk
He’d filled his car. He’d filled his trunk
Big black bags of something. I said, “What’s with these?”
He said, “It’s dirty laundry.” I said, “That’s crazy.”
So, he…
HOME
(Am D) or (F C)
VERSE 1.
Where the (G) windmill sings to the mocking bird
And the (CM7) prairie wind, without a word
(Am) Whispers thru tall (D) grass, I’ll be (G) home
(F C G) or (Am D)
VERSE 2.
Where the butter cups and…
"Mending the web that the horsefly tore..." .what a line..what an image... I love that...really love that image...delicate and hopefull....and magical... Matthew
I wrote this at my dad's urging. He likes it. We sing it together. I have YouTube Video of it up.
EULOGY
He grew up in Clinton, Oklahoma
Red dirt back yard, Gramma's place
Honey suckle in a dust bowl
Life as hard as limestone lace…
HOME
(Am D) or (F C)
VERSE 1.
Where the (G) windmill sings to the mocking bird
And the (CM7) prairie wind, without a word
(Am) Whispers thru tall (D) grass, I’ll be (G) home
(F C G) or (Am D)
VERSE 2.
Where the butter cups and…
DIRTY LAUNDRY Key C
I got a call from Russell. He had to move his junk
He’d filled his car. He’d filled his trunk
Big black bags of something. I said, “What’s with these?”
He said, “It’s dirty laundry.” I said, “That’s crazy.”
So, he…
Well here's my contribution to the Pirate challenge from Robert Palomo. I think you'll agree it was time to call it a night on this one, but it was a lot of fun writing and recording it! Hope it gives you a chuckle or two.
Why Do Parrots…
Here's the second song I recently decided to do with a studio recording from one I wrote and posted here a while ago as a purely vocal version. It's one of my favorites.... I hope you'll enjoy it too
Singing In The Silence
Verse 1:
Singing…
Here's my last studio effort of the summer, as we roll into fall!
I wrote this one earlier in the year sipping mojito's at the proverbial beach bar and then posted it here.... I thought I'd give it a little sprucing up with the help from my…
I decided this was a good song to post on Thanksgiving as a way to say thanks to all the folks on AloneTone for listening to my music over these past few years. This is another song in the studio work I've been doing this year. We're still tinkering…
I was having my share of PESS (post election stress syndrome) and headed to northern MN to shake it off and wrote this one while watching a beautiful quiet snowfall happen. I recorded it finally today on my little TASCAM that we often use around…
This song was written after I had watched a documentary about Jonestown, which featured music from their choir. They were very talented and I couldn't help wondering if any of them had survived. I'd like to think that there were a couple of 'em…
Inspired by a gorgeous recording on a wax cylinder by the composer, Tanburi Cemil Bey (1873-1916).
Performed on politiki lyra (classic kemençe), a small bowed fiddle from Istanbul.
Recorded at The Banff Centre, November 2008.
Performed with National Baritone Guitar, Martin D-28, Morris Mandolin and Hohner EchoHarp.
______________________________________
D Down at the station Em waiting for a train,
G Try to find a brand new start D leave behind the A pain
D…
Been busy revising....but hey!! i passed.....
JUST LIKE THE 70’S
Everybody knows that the 70‘s rocked man
That rock stars where made of gold
Everybody knows everyone was plugged in
the music played with everyones soul
Everyone knows everything…
My light-hearted take on a serious issue.
Over- prescription of powerful and addictive drugs, and the unknown and (to some) worrying relationship between doctors and the drug companies.
Disclaimer: Dr. Kreviss is a fictional character, and any…
Here one of my original songs I made. I created my own backing track before adding my guitar track and vocals... Voici une de mes compos perso. J'ai tout créé moi-même...
I like the way you play the voices against eachother. Very strong melodies.
Also, Thanks for listening to my music and commenting. The song about Jack Hardy is a very "in" joke. I make gentle fun of an American legend. He's gone on since then. I played it once when I opened for him. We were friends and fans of eachother.
Lyrics:
Down by the riverside, autumn wind blows cold
The river just keeps rolling by with just a hint of snow
I continue standing here, where did you go
Ain’t no use to worry, some things I’ll never know
Last thing that you told me…
Something new here. Tilden Barger offered to arrange and produce this song. Tell me what you think.
Written by Greg Connor
Arranged and Produced by my friend Tilden Barger
Here is the latest Coffee Table Recording. We gave ourselves 2 1/2 hours to pick a topic, write the song, and record it. It was GREAT FUN!
I left the pre bantar in just so you could get a feel of the "mood of the room".
Brett - Flatop…
Love this. You guys really sound like the real thing. Makes me want to write something like that. Play my banjo and get out my Jew's harp. And thank you for checking out some of my videos.
An acoustic short song I just made up, I kept it very basic by only using my little Höhner guitar with nylon strings of which I recorded two layers. I hope you will enjoy my song ! Warm regards from Anna.
Comments on James Michael Taylor's stuff
😌🥰
Why did you puke? Sorry, in a song fully of details I guess I want another detail.
REMEMBERING BABE: I had NOT heard this one! I'm glad I insisted!!! Gotta be among the best of... my favs... I don't have to tell you, this is poetry. And your delivery... refreshingly original. In "stand up" readings, or "slam" poetry, there is a "style" of cadence that hearkens back to the Beats, and most poets fall into it, and it always annoyed the hell out of me. This is DRAMATIC ACTING, folks, c'mon! I like the slow, unhurried, thoughtful way you spoke as the poem's Voice; how you mixed up the rhythm, unexpected hesitations, and rapid rushes. And esp the long pauses in unexpected places, as tho the Voice was thinking about the exact right word to use next to express what he wanted to say. I've been trying to work on my delivery for my planned re-entry (after covid) into the local poetry reading community. It is terrible... isolation in quarantine can do that! So I've been practicing w/ video and putting music behind me for good measure.Anyway, I found some good tips here. Thank you. 🙂 I really love R.BABE The ending works really well, something that's sometimes difficult. Gwyn Henry
".. you had me right off the bat--"Red Dirt" for me, classic Ok City area!; plus "honeysuckle dustbowl" (so beautiful) and "limestone lace" --each image is 2 completly different things contrasted to make a third. Lovely. Oklahoma evocative! " Gwyn Henry
Love it. Always enjoy your work. Thank you.
I had forgotten what a damn fine album this is! But... ??? 2005? Really? OMG... has it really been that long? Kinda makes the line... "Ain't no fool like an old fool" fit me even better than it did... sigh
Beautiful - Laurie Calinan
Sweet, sweet, sweet, (except for the war and killing part). My fav lines: "...with those sulfurous clicks/ Little red rolls with black spots of bang" Never described better! That's exactly what they were. Gwyn Henry
beautiful, james
Yeah, cool track.
Beautiful - Laurie Callinan
Yep :)
I'll comment on this one :) ... mighty fine song.
Short and sweet!
Colleen Dillon (73.94.253.184) Love this entirely!
The harmonies on this are so awesome!
"Mending the web that the horsefly tore..." .what a line..what an image... I love that...really love that image...delicate and hopefull....and magical... Matthew
Beautiful beautiful song!! Kat Landrove
i like it, but i'd like to visualize a little more of this place. thanks, james for sharing these!!!
i thought i had commented on this one...i understand helping people move. i know a friend like this and his laundry...funny
Comments made by James Michael Taylor
What a lovely song. Perfect for a Broadway musical about an old parrot looking back on it's life. Or an old pirate, too, I guess.
What a fine lyric. You speak for all of us from the first line...
Pegging the Jimmy Buffet scenery with a country song. Love the steel and your solid lyric.
Great chorus.
Such a sweet song and message.
What an obvious subject for a fun song so many of us overlooked. Please include the lyric in your "about" section. I want to hear all the words.
Haunting. Music of the ages...
Nice trip down Memory Lane.
I can see it very clearly. This is your Early Morning Rain...
Rock On!
The mistakes we make... some more important than others. A very nice song.
Cool. Dig the irreverence. Smart ass attitude!
Such sadness...It's like we are hearing it thru a teardrop.
I like the way you play the voices against eachother. Very strong melodies. Also, Thanks for listening to my music and commenting. The song about Jack Hardy is a very "in" joke. I make gentle fun of an American legend. He's gone on since then. I played it once when I opened for him. We were friends and fans of eachother.
Great.
WoW! Like playing chainsaws. Transforms into a dream. Music from Transylvania.
"...just a hint of snow." Very interesting story.
Beautiful!
Love this. You guys really sound like the real thing. Makes me want to write something like that. Play my banjo and get out my Jew's harp. And thank you for checking out some of my videos.
...always all of those questions.I'm nine years alone and still, my mind is as king...