I am a child of Judah and the mark of Cain is on me I am a fugitive in every place I go. and my name is Joseph Friedman and I tend the olive orchards on a hillside just a short walk from my home. There, the silver trunks are ancient and the olive branches fruitful but the breeze that shakes the leaves still low, "Where is God? Where is God?" I am a child of Esau. I am Ali Abed. I once lived...olives near my home. I would prune the trees in winter when the sap sinks deep in Gaza and the children won't be throwing their stones But the soldiers came at midnight with their power saws remarking and now the sap has nowhere left to go. Where is God/ Where is God? My name is Jimmy Taylor and I am a Future Farmer and my project is nine trees out by the road. and the trees have been neglected all these many years untended a home now for a solitary crow. So, I climb with my saw and clippers up into the brittle thicket busy choosing what will stay and what will go. And I note my meter progress and I wonder if I'll ever rid the olive trees of dead wood, I'm so slow. And I read the Sunday paper and I daily read my Bible and I see the scars of pruning down below. (c) 2002 Royal T Music

lovely ..

Had forgotten how good this was! (It is, and always was, a complicated song to sing).

Nice song. I hope that life in Colorado meets this family's expectations.

as usual james another haunting ballad,comes to life.

awwe, now i love the girl with the purple cheek,didn't finish listening you guys are so beautiful...love this!!!!

awwe i love this lil' boy with the purple elbow poor baby, love this song, so cool!

love that song brother God bless

riveting essay on the realities of this well known avenue

Yeah, very nice! Everything is given proper space to "breathe", so to speak. Really draws me in in that intangible sort of way that music sometimes does.

As Colleen Dillon said, haunting. Crying.

Hokey lyrics (every lab coat is contaminated)??? Music doesn't match the sstory. Run, HeLa Run?? Thumbs down

My friend, George Sluizer was making a film with River Phoenix and asked me to submit some music to possibly be used in the movie. He didn't end up sing this but he did use four other of my submissions.

Great lyrics, love the vocals and music Bravo James

Love this.

very nice sir!!

wonderfully quirky as usual... where u get these ideas ? lovely vocals as per ususal james

Red Dirt Music is a genre into itself. I was just in Stillwater and heard a lot of new, for me, Music.

I meant Tiger Lilies not Threepenny Opera, Lol

Love it! Shades of Leonard Cohen meets Threepenny Opera! Thanks JMT!

Talking about listening to "criticism:" A producer who lives down toward Houston called me one evening after he listened to , MY NEW SHORTS and he gave me advise on how I could and should "go ahead and finish," those songs. He had detailed suggestions for every one of them. I listened and thanked him for taking the time to listen and respond. Everything he said was sound advice about how to expand each of the short clips...one thing though, he missed the point of what I was doing. One GETS IT or one DOESN'T GET IT.

This Jack Hardy song is about one of Kerrvill's favorites. Gone now. Had a weekly song circle and spigetti feast at his apartment in New York for years. I nail his voice at a place or two. I also step a bit across the worshipful attitude line everyone had for him. He and I had an immediate connection. One night I was singing in some east Texas town and he was there, so, he got to hear my song before we lost him. Maybe the fact I was older than him allowed me a certain playfulness.

I kneel down on a calloused knee Hold my children close to me And I pray The Rich Man's Prayer It's not one that Jesus spoke That one turned into a joke So I pray The Rich Man's Prayer Not the prayer that Jesus said Not, "This day our daily bread." No, no, I pray The Rich Man's Prayer God only answers The Rich Man's Prayer I kneel down on a calloused knee Hold my children close to me And I pray The Rich Man's Prayer (C) 2011 Royal T Music

Nola Lloyd Griffiths Wolley A story in a song - loved this ❤️

Roland Brown That is beautifully done, Jim! Seriously vivid storytelling it with genuine pathos. ❤️ I’m sharing.

Linda Linder I really enjoyed this song. A story song. They are the best. You played and sang it Very nicely. Thank you.

Marion Flowering-Sun Great old couch tribute…old years of memories

Ken McIntyre Love this

Naad Kaur Khalsa OMG...you are way to cute! That was just so adorable and real....laughter and tears all at once

Shawnee Smith Ray James Michael Taylor Beautiful and sad at the same time.

Chris Harper Love all of the short songs! I think my favorite was The Recliner……..

As I wrote the verses, Lisa would guide me by saying, "No, that one is another song, a song about the depletion of the hickory forest." Like that. When we finished the 4th verse Lisa declared it done and we danced around and hugged each other...but later, I said, "Nothing has happened. We have just set the scene. So I wrote the next verse...and we danced and hugged each other again. On the last verse I was stumped for a meaningful rhyme with "trucks" and she came up with "deluxe." Then I said, "We really need a refrain/chorus. The next morning Lisa sang me three notes. Said that was the chorus. Instead of humming or "oooing" the notes I did the "aaaooo" and we knew that was right, so, we danced again and hugged each other. (Maybe not.)

Beautiful song. Theo Carracino

Belinda Stephens James, your song breaks my heart.

Paul Smith Fun song. There seems to be at least 5 comments on Alonetone. Some from way back too. Smith Yes. I just saw that. Don't know why I didn't see them earlier...

Naad Kaur Khalsa James Michael Taylor yup super cool Like

Cool song. Karen Mason

Leslie Young James Michael Taylor I like that a lot.

Tony Desmuke I just listened to the title cut. All I can say is WOW. You have an exceptional way with words. The music was really nice too. Loved the banjo in the last verse.

Leslie Young James Michael Taylor That is very pretty but sad.