One night after three month of no rain, as we were driving home from singing at Gringos in Grapevine a splash of water hit the windshield.
I said to myself, "Sweet Rain."
I went home and wrote the song. It's on the soundtrack of a movie called…
I never sing this song the same two times in a row.
The lyric below is pretty close to how I sing it now.
Listening again, this is an awful version of this song...
I have my recording machine working again...I must redo this.
I PLAY C…
Like most or all of your songs, there is always something really stands out and pays off big time. That last verse (or is it the last two) is absolutely, powefully emotion packed. And it is somewhat Vonnegut like in that so much is conveyed so precisely and with elegant simplicity. "... in the dream we left behind" - my God man, it's pure genius. Not the first two times I heard the song, but the first time I "listened" to it, I thought WHAT WAS THAT! And the it sunk in.
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…
I have a new love
Of course she doesn’t know
How can a work of art
Know when lovers come and go
And when the artist is the art!
My eyes are the eyes of the beholder
And my eyes are the eyes of the world…
…when the artist is the art…
OUT THERE SOMEWHERE
Her eyes were blurry. Her face was painted
Her hair was dyed black. Her purse was heavy
She said something. I asked her to repeat it
She said, “Stop the car. I thot I could trust you.”
I pulled it over and I waited…
CATTAILS AND BUTTERFLIES capo @ 4 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…
"Somewhere between the stumbling and the falling..."
SOMEWHERE
G capo @ 2 - live @ 4
Somewhere between the summer and the winter
The leaves between the tree tops and the fall
Somewhere between my heart and circled letters
Somewhere…
"Somewhere between the stumbling and the falling..."
SOMEWHERE
G capo @ 2 - live @ 4
Somewhere between the summer and the winter
The leaves between the tree tops and the fall
Somewhere between my heart and circled letters
Somewhere…
"Somewhere between the stumbling and the falling..."
SOMEWHERE
G capo @ 2 - live @ 4
Somewhere between the summer and the winter
The leaves between the tree tops and the fall
Somewhere between my heart and circled letters
Somewhere…
"Somewhere between the stumbling and the falling..."
SOMEWHERE
G capo @ 2 - live @ 4
Somewhere between the summer and the winter
The leaves between the tree tops and the fall
Somewhere between my heart and circled letters
Somewhere…
OH JIMMY
capo @ 4 or 5 live
C Am F G
On page thirty of the yearbook he found a picture sweet
A girl named Marie Angel, in school right down the street
Dm walk down G
He didn’t notice…
I was trying to figure out the backstory here, at first I thought the girl might be the mom. But she doesn't seem to be even though she's standing beside the boy's father great with child. So the mind can come up with all sorts of interesting scenarios. You're probably right not to explain it, let the listener create their own story.
One night after three month of no rain, as we were driving home from singing at Gringos in Grapevine a splash of water hit the windshield.
I said to myself, "Sweet Rain."
I went home and wrote the song. It's on the soundtrack of a movie called…
I sent that link to my bff Misty. Remember her?
This was her response: I love the juxtaposition of the absurdity of the subject to the poignancy of the underlying message. Spoken like an English teacher. Michael Soto
Capo @ 5 in C
Back in 2008 I was the recording secretary for the Fort Worth Singer/Songwriter Association. I submitted this song at our annual contests and was awarded a plaque
for BEST COMEDY SONG, which I consider a serious misunderstanding…
A fun song you could play for the right crowds and really do well, and they say you don't write happy songs. :) This is a good change of pace song for you, if you feel a set getting too serious, throw this one in as palette cleanser.
One night after our gigs, Chris Zeller at the Hilton Hotel and me at Shananagans in Midland we met in his hotel room and decided we would both write a song called THE CHANGING OF THE WAYS. I wonder what ever happened to him.
THE CHANGING OF…
This is another upbeat, happyish song that you should think about doing a little more. It carries a message people can understand and had a nice beat that works well.
Tim Tandy said, "I enjoy the "play like" aspect of the Stockyards District today, but I KNOW what was real and what wasn't. When I grew up in East Fort Worth in the 50's thru the 70's, the Stockyards were a working affair. Everyone downwind got…
Another page from my "sketchbook". This is typical. Not much detail. But a real feeling or two emerges. Like a potters perfectly turned shard or the poet's beautiful line that she's never found more words to join with...
It's not unusual to chase your girl around with a dull axe, is it? Just kidding - This was 60 tracks and almost a year to finish. I had some help:
Guitars: Tony W
Fadeout Solo: Gnasty
Acoustic/Rhythm Guitars: Me
Phone Message: Tony W &…
Sam was a very articulate and kind friend; he spend way too much of his life in a wheel chair and yet demonstrated a lot of grace.
We lost him just over a year ago.
Among many other unexpected, Christ-like kindnesses, he realized at one point…
I had some lyrics describing a late nite cake baking experience kicking around. If I have a lot on my mind, dirtying every dish in the house seems like the right thing to do.
I stole some cool percussion from Norm and went to work. I also…
Deadlines, freeways, appointments, things to do lists, expectations, getting older, not enough hours in the day to get everything done? ..... make each day and moment count! Thanks to Dave Matthews for a lick I threw in there. Enjoy!
Several years ago I had a short lived duo with an oboe and English horn player named Nat. This is a demo from that period. It's an old old chord progression of mine that never really had a melody and Nat improvised this melody in the studio to…
This is big open prairie music. Out between Dodge City and Denver. I can see the buffalo grazing and the hawks slowly circling
somewhere between the bent grasses and a wisp of cloud.
Sunday aftnoon (11/09/08) took the reso down to the Fort Worth Modern Art Museum and recorded some doodling inside the Serra sculpture Vortex. No effects added, all natural reverb inside the structure.
It's cool for PLACE to be so "real" in a piece.
Funny I do a piece today called SUNDAY AFTERNOON and you post this with Sunday Afternoon as the first two words.
We must be following the same ChemTrails...
This is the finished version of Trance-Indental. the second half has come out very different to what I thought it would, but I like it. Give it time to build as it progresses.
Comments on James Michael Taylor's stuff
Cindy Grayson James Michael Taylor beautiful song
Pamela Steuber Anderson James Michael Taylor I love this song. Thank you.
Like most or all of your songs, there is always something really stands out and pays off big time. That last verse (or is it the last two) is absolutely, powefully emotion packed. And it is somewhat Vonnegut like in that so much is conveyed so precisely and with elegant simplicity. "... in the dream we left behind" - my God man, it's pure genius. Not the first two times I heard the song, but the first time I "listened" to it, I thought WHAT WAS THAT! And the it sunk in.
heartfelt, sincere. i dig the banjo and mouthharp
That is beautiful, James. Thank you. Rachel Eastman
Honking horn was exactly how I thought you would end this song
504 Hathaway, San Luis Obispo, California. 1954
Absolutely beautiful!
Lazarus Knight Absolutely one of your best.
Kat Angel Absolutely beautiful!
Roberta Hargrove Bitter sweet! I love this!
I was trying to figure out the backstory here, at first I thought the girl might be the mom. But she doesn't seem to be even though she's standing beside the boy's father great with child. So the mind can come up with all sorts of interesting scenarios. You're probably right not to explain it, let the listener create their own story.
Such a fantastic song, and timely for many of us right now.
I sent that link to my bff Misty. Remember her? This was her response: I love the juxtaposition of the absurdity of the subject to the poignancy of the underlying message. Spoken like an English teacher. Michael Soto
A fun song you could play for the right crowds and really do well, and they say you don't write happy songs. :) This is a good change of pace song for you, if you feel a set getting too serious, throw this one in as palette cleanser.
This is another upbeat, happyish song that you should think about doing a little more. It carries a message people can understand and had a nice beat that works well.
you got a beutiful voice...u should finish writing this one.
Terry Rasor James Michael Taylor btw love that tune my friend!
Linder Bassy Wow I love the song
Patty Brunson That is a great song.
Comments made by James Michael Taylor
What a sweet song. I bet your grand daughter loves this.
Love your imagery and harmonies...
Thanks for your comments. I like the way this bulds. Sort of Beatley. Sort of Pink Floyd.
Nice music for a rainy day....
Sounds like a musical rocking chair....or porch swing...has me swaying in my seat.
Sounds like something from Goldfinger...great movie music!
This is pretty wild. Like something from the 007 movies.
So glad you kept it simple...a touching tribute.
Very cool...
Good, chunky guitar sound. Groove.
That good old Beach Boys sound. Cool!
I can see the cows out there by that cactus stand. Nice twangy guitar.
That is a very cool groove. The sort of thing that keeps me going until I have a very cool new song.
This is big open prairie music. Out between Dodge City and Denver. I can see the buffalo grazing and the hawks slowly circling somewhere between the bent grasses and a wisp of cloud.
Hey, Kavin.! I figured I'd put up the songs from my new CD. Cool, doing a Doors song... j mt
It's cool for PLACE to be so "real" in a piece. Funny I do a piece today called SUNDAY AFTERNOON and you post this with Sunday Afternoon as the first two words. We must be following the same ChemTrails...
Nice left to right on the car pass.... Really makes pictures in my mind....