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…
capo @ 4 Am - 3/4 time (starts on A)
Am G Am G Am
Last night I said Good bye to Rose but long ago I learned.
The things that last we seldom know and think a bridge is burned.
Bb…
I wrote this song after planting and fertalizing a crop of sudan grass just to have the sun shine down with no relief on it for 100 days and no rain. We, Texas Water, were heading home one night AFTER A GIG at Gringo's in Grapevine when the…
That’s a terrific tune, James! Good lyrics, playing, and vocals. I enjoyed that. It actually helped relax me. I’m so glad you sold it! Sweet song. I always like your music. It’s good you’re making some income with it. You deserve that! - Doreen Peri
I BUY GUITARS
Em
One man might buy cigarettes and waste it all in smoke
Another marijuana and share a friendly toke
Am
Another, with more money, might invest in antique cars
Em
I buy guitars
A man might buy a baseball card
Keep it…
Probably anyone who plays the guitar could write this song....
Someone asked if I was actually in Spain in 2003. Actually, 2000. Working on the movie, THE STONE RAFT with George Sluizer, from a book by Jose Saramago.
Inspired by something Jenni…
LULLABY
Key D
D4 D sus D, D4 D sus D
(D) Close your eyes and tell me. Tell me what you see. In the sleepy landscape of your reverie. (G) Can you count the blossoms in the (Em) garden (A) of your (D) mind? Think about the mountains and the…
This is, actually, the instrumental version of I Play C and THEN comes SNAPSHOTS, which was written one morning at a campground between Comfort and Welfare, Texas called OLD NUMBER NINE Depot. It was a weekend songwriter retreat with Liza Gilkyson…
STRICKEN - James Michael Taylor
Boy's Theme (River Phoenix) in River's last movie,
DARK BLOOD.
...none the less, in my broken mind,
some of the false hope leaks thru...
Key D capo @ 2 in C
I've been C stricken. I've been pierced…
SOMETHING ABOUT THE NIGHT TIME - no Capo or Capo @ 4
(Am)Something about the (Bm)night time makes me feel alive
Makes me want to sing a song. Think about my life
(C)Maybe light a (D)candle. I like lemon grass
(Am)Something about the (Bm…
Got to be one of my may favorites you have shared!!! Love love love this one.
First the rareified topic... loving the night time, the dark, what it does for me... as i said, "...u begin right there in the pitch dark of ur room to face the blooming moon knowing...u r of the darkness... a ghost haunting your own room & u move with delight that u are a wraith an invisible scrap of shadow..."
echos your more succinct, "Something about the night that makes me feel aware,,. All my inner voices speaking loud and clear" Gwen Henry
It hit me...I know so many sides of so many arguments it's all become useless.
TOO MUCH
With Jeff Prince...
I’ve heard too much. I’ve seen too much
Don’t ask me any questions because
I know too much
I’ve read too much. I’ve written…
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…
Refuge into the imagination:
Is it crazy?
Is it survival?
Is desire to survive crazy?
THERE SHE WAS Key - G 102811
G
She'd been gone for three years now so he'd been on the road
Playing every truck stop bar and every song he…
"Plays out like a movie for me. Nice storytelling 👌" Vicki
Me...Yes, but does the autism show?
Vicki...Not necessarily. But the talent for music and creative expression coupled with the line voice of the narrator yearning to connect with others is pretty tell-tale imho It’s a recurrent theme. Even your social justice stance of anti-war. The outsider. The outlier. High intelligence and love of literature…
Enter
Vicki-Lee
Peaceful nature
Enter
Vicki-Lee
Vicki-Lee Cayrouse
Not many other aspies have a handle on this too good. It would come down to sensory issues really. But if it’s not autism (Asperger’s syndrome) it’s probably something neurodivergent. And that could be ADHD (not always hyperactive presentation but more a neurology and the way you think) or bipolar (creatives) or something like sound synesthesia or dyslexia etc
If you don’t have Asperger’s syndrome or what is now known in the US as Autism Level 1 — I’ll eat my hat. It’s not to alarm or upset you, I just think we’re so like minded and you show so many traits. Your musical gift would then make you what’s called ‘twice exceptional.’ Look into it and see if it ‘vibes.’ Melbourne Vicki
Refuge into the imagination:
Is it crazy?
Is it survival?
Is desire to survive crazy?
THERE SHE WAS Key - G 102811
G
She'd been gone for three years now so he'd been on the road
Playing every truck stop bar and every song he…
Rafi Arkin said,
"Great story and song. I didn’t listen to it all as I’m trying to get through more songs on the list, but what I did hear I liked and enjoyed reading the rest of the lyrics too. Thought some of the verse melody notes were a little obvious and I could see them being stretched slightly but that shows I was into it. Wish I could write song stories like that!"
I just listened to this again (good thing about home office: you can listen to music all day long, if you want). Definitely one of my favorites of yours.
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…
Her real name isn't Luanne and she was so drunk when this all happened (tho she has a cd with this song on it) she has no idea it's about her.
Singing this song always makes me cry...
ABOUT LUANNE capo @ 2 in Am
Am G F E repeats
Luanne…
Capo @ 2 in D (E) Dropped D tuning
Actually, it was almost two years. 1965-67.
Leavenworth, Kansas U S Army prison. I played the organ at the daily Protestant chapel. Took dictation and typed letters for the Protestant chaplain. Wrote 2-page…
Jere Reiser
I can't imagine. I spent 3 days in the Federal prison in Brownsville for attempting to smuggle 100 biphetamines into the US. They made me shower by myself and when I stepped out there were 8 guys standing about 10 ft away observing and making comments. It went down hill from there. I was threatened and hassled for two nights but stayed awake as advised and was discharged without incident. Childsplay.
The lyrics of this song,
as they pertain to plot,
are my exact memory of the event.
I had spoken to the kid maybe a minute before the "action" started about how the pressure of the water was very strong. He was nestled down with his back…
The lyrics of this song,
as they pertain to plot,
are my exact memory of the event.
I had spoken to the kid maybe a minute before the "action" started about how the pressure of the water was very strong. He was nestled down with his back…
The lyrics of this song,
as they pertain to plot,
are my exact memory of the event.
I had spoken to the kid maybe a minute before the "action" started about how the pressure of the water was very strong. He was nestled down with his back…
Tim Tandy
Wow, it's still as powerful as the very first time I met you and heard it, at a Concert in the Attic, sitting next to Barbara, who was silently mouthing occasional lyrics with tears on her cheeks.
...after reading John Steinbeck's IN DUBIOUS BATTLE and watching the John Ford movie of GRAPES OF WRATH. The opening and closing statements are quotes from the Preacher in the movie.
A friend said he wanted to do a video of this track. I…
Born with my left arm over my head, a big blood blister covered my left elbow. I was extracted from my mother's body with forceps. Seems that caused a tumor on my right temple which was surgically removed when I was about three. The purple elbow…
But the Sun
I close the curtains
To shut out the darkness
I shut the window
To keep out the cold
But the Sun is shining
Somewhere, I know.
(C) 2020 Royal T Music
THE BURDEN OF SANITY - capo @ 5 in An
Am F
As I turned on to Calhoun I could hear the music from the street
Dm E
A dog pissed on a speaker as I found myself a seat
Now, Buster is a caveman all hunched over his bones
Hair matted like a…
The Interstate Highway system was started in the mid-50s at the height of the Baby Boom era. It was a virgin ribbon of highway stretching out in all directions. We couldn't wait to explore it.
(C) 2011 Royal T Music.
LET IT GO 032011 Key - G
I do a lot of walkin' so I find a lot of stuff
I fill my pockets up with bolts and nuts
Once upon a while I find a diamond in the ruff
But mostly dimes and nickels in the ruts…
I wrote this song with Lisa Aschmann. CAPO @ 3
Video - https://www.facebook.com/100001011201926/videos/1285714588695761/
HICKORY STIX
Dm Am
Billy Mac and Don McCray drive to work each dawn at six
Down the mountain to the factory, makes…
Greg West
James Michael Taylor , even though his political views were the exact opposite of mine, he played me a few songs on a cd that a guy in Tarrant Co. wrote. He said “this is what it’s all about.” The songs were Help, and Hickory Sticks. So, he occasionally made sense. (John DeFoore)
LANCASTER STREET
Midnight in Cowtown. 90 degrees
Too hot for a blanket. Too hot for a sheet
The trash on the sidewalk is trying to sleep
Breathing the bus fumes on Lancaster Street
Sunshine brings tacos. Sunshine brings beans.
Sunshine…
Lauryl Blossom
James, oh, I know. Walk those woods after dark, careful not to wake the sleeping souls. I lived in West Meadowbrook. I'm not sure if you remember, but you and I met through Sunshine.
I love your song.
Another song for the 2021 National Solo Album Month.
What do we think of this cat? I have an urge to get proggy right now and generally that requires a level of talent that I don't posses. I'm not putting myself down when I say that, it's…
Buddy Holly said he made songs out of things he'd heard his mother say all his life...
A E A D A
I'll always remember what mama said
I'll never forget what my mama said…
Buddy Holly said he made songs out of things he'd heard his mother say all his life...
A E A D A
I'll always remember what mama said
I'll never forget what my mama said…
Matthew F. Blowers III
Hey James...superbly creative and lively tribute to Buddy Holly and his Mother. The music is catchy and well played and the lyrics are quite touching g.very well done...Write on....Right on.. righteously
When I was a kid, my dad was the preacher at the Church of Christ in Tehachapi, California. We lived in Palmdale, so we'd get up early on Sunday mornings, pile the 5 of us into our 1950 Chevy coupe and head up thru Lancaster and Mojave, over the…
Comments on James Michael Taylor's stuff
Nice
Lazarus Knight James Michael Taylor I'm not altogether sure what Instagram is, but "Tonight I Said Goodbye to Rose" is my favorite from Namedropper.
That’s a terrific tune, James! Good lyrics, playing, and vocals. I enjoyed that. It actually helped relax me. I’m so glad you sold it! Sweet song. I always like your music. It’s good you’re making some income with it. You deserve that! - Doreen Peri
I name all my new guitars Britney, cause *Oops I Did it Again*! Great song, man!
Love that song my friend - Chris Harper
Jere Reiser Nice meditation James
Theo Carracino wrote, "Beautiful. Best moments of my day. Thank you, James Michael Taylor."
Do we have time to get a group of Xmas Carolers together.
Very good!
Love that!
Got to be one of my may favorites you have shared!!! Love love love this one. First the rareified topic... loving the night time, the dark, what it does for me... as i said, "...u begin right there in the pitch dark of ur room to face the blooming moon knowing...u r of the darkness... a ghost haunting your own room & u move with delight that u are a wraith an invisible scrap of shadow..." echos your more succinct, "Something about the night that makes me feel aware,,. All my inner voices speaking loud and clear" Gwen Henry
We've all heard too much and seen too much ... too much of many things. Theo Carracino haha ... i love that ending.
Jim Lamb Very well written, James Michael, great lyrics and story!!
Reads like a poem and sounds like a song. Jeff Prince
Listening to “My New Shorts” album. Good stuff my friend.
"Plays out like a movie for me. Nice storytelling 👌" Vicki Me...Yes, but does the autism show? Vicki...Not necessarily. But the talent for music and creative expression coupled with the line voice of the narrator yearning to connect with others is pretty tell-tale imho It’s a recurrent theme. Even your social justice stance of anti-war. The outsider. The outlier. High intelligence and love of literature… Enter Vicki-Lee Peaceful nature Enter Vicki-Lee Vicki-Lee Cayrouse Not many other aspies have a handle on this too good. It would come down to sensory issues really. But if it’s not autism (Asperger’s syndrome) it’s probably something neurodivergent. And that could be ADHD (not always hyperactive presentation but more a neurology and the way you think) or bipolar (creatives) or something like sound synesthesia or dyslexia etc
If you don’t have Asperger’s syndrome or what is now known in the US as Autism Level 1 — I’ll eat my hat. It’s not to alarm or upset you, I just think we’re so like minded and you show so many traits. Your musical gift would then make you what’s called ‘twice exceptional.’ Look into it and see if it ‘vibes.’ Melbourne Vicki
Rafi Arkin said, "Great story and song. I didn’t listen to it all as I’m trying to get through more songs on the list, but what I did hear I liked and enjoyed reading the rest of the lyrics too. Thought some of the verse melody notes were a little obvious and I could see them being stretched slightly but that shows I was into it. Wish I could write song stories like that!"
I just listened to this again (good thing about home office: you can listen to music all day long, if you want). Definitely one of my favorites of yours.
Rosemarie Kempton said, "This is a song I could happily listen to over and over again. Great music and lyrics!"
Comments made by James Michael Taylor
Marcie Brooks Lovingly sad yet hauntingly beautiful
Jere Reiser I can't imagine. I spent 3 days in the Federal prison in Brownsville for attempting to smuggle 100 biphetamines into the US. They made me shower by myself and when I stepped out there were 8 guys standing about 10 ft away observing and making comments. It went down hill from there. I was threatened and hassled for two nights but stayed awake as advised and was discharged without incident. Childsplay.
Marcie Brooks Whew! What a powerful song. Thank you for sharing James. Love you man
Lazarus Knight That will always be my favorite. No doubt the history plays a part.
Tim Tandy Wow, it's still as powerful as the very first time I met you and heard it, at a Concert in the Attic, sitting next to Barbara, who was silently mouthing occasional lyrics with tears on her cheeks.
very cool. I like the production. Ed Rogers
Candy Davis, "Another beautiful song, Jim."
Your tracks aren't working for me.
Love it, BUT THE SUN... is where my love for your sounds began. Freddy Molina
hey I love the track BURDEN OF SANITY, one you can hear over and over, so amazing! Heath Wolf
Sweet.
Yep! Me too. And don't forget that place that sold Pecan candy.
Great. Perfect for this week in Cowtown.
Ha! I like it Terry Kuntz
Greg West James Michael Taylor , even though his political views were the exact opposite of mine, he played me a few songs on a cd that a guy in Tarrant Co. wrote. He said “this is what it’s all about.” The songs were Help, and Hickory Sticks. So, he occasionally made sense. (John DeFoore)
Lauryl Blossom James, oh, I know. Walk those woods after dark, careful not to wake the sleeping souls. I lived in West Meadowbrook. I'm not sure if you remember, but you and I met through Sunshine. I love your song.
I really like this. It's got a lot going on but the voice is clear and there is a sense of space.
Kat Angel Most excellent, James.
Matthew F. Blowers III Hey James...superbly creative and lively tribute to Buddy Holly and his Mother. The music is catchy and well played and the lyrics are quite touching g.very well done...Write on....Right on.. righteously
Blaire Stroud Love the harmonica on that just beautiful!