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!

"Fireflies." has a stellar intro, and then you woot he listener in with your crooning and compelling vocals. I have always loved the topic of fireflies and your hook about chsing fireflies in the htickets of two hearts is Phenomenal. Lots of nostalgia in this one, especiually for the girl next door who played a game with me, a kiss for every firefly i caught for her. But man those bugs were elusive as hell. But when I got a few, I was enthralled by her gentle thank you on my lips. Matthew Blowers III

Now "Skinny Girls.' is a riotus collection of just plain fun and some great humor, I was so dissappointed when the track just cut out. But then I unbderstood you were giving folks just a taste. I was actually starting to visualize all the descriptive bean pole girls you were listing. A great bar song for sure, and I can see all the slightly inebriated guys rethinking and checking out all the skinny girls nursing their beers. LOL Matthew Blowers III

Matthew F. Blowers III I am really liking your song on California, I have a special love for that state. You captured all the reaons I miss it, with your superb storytelling in lyrics and with the smooth harmonies and extremely well played music. It has a catchy beat, and I listened to the very last note.

Very catchy! Too short, maybe. Gotta listen twice.

So today, for some reason I decided to read the words first.. Just the words. And found it an absolutely beautiful experience. The metaphors you use to describe great and cosmic plans and intentions of great societal achievement, contrasted with the lines that begin with, "BUT I dreamed we met for breakfast".... (the switch and the contrast is very powerful) what a tiny, common human thing: meeting over the sharing of food,. Then followed by, "I dreamed I held your hand"... human touch/connection, as though those two simple things are worth more than all the highest achievements of worldly fame, and material ladders climbed! Which they are. They so are. The rest of the lyrics continue to develop & express that idea beautifully. Then I listened to the sing, and although it is good as a song, For me, the words in themselves stand strong and impactful w/o anything else. Not to contrast them and say one is "better" than the other. Just that sometimes I see lyrics that stand alone, And just saying, these words do that very well. Gwyn Henry

This is cool. It gives me ideas.

WoW! Knocks me out. Really sizzles.

Makes me want to find a partner and do a little dance...very nice.

You had me at, "If I back off and shut my mouth..." Know exactly where you are. So afraid the answer is, "No."

Sounds like a 50s Buddy Holly era song. Very sweet sentiment. And, yes, I can dance to it.

Great characterization. Great kick drum sound.

WoW! Rock me, dude! Love the imagery.

Kim Triolo Feil James Michael Taylor that's a fantastic story and a very lovely song

Yes! A MONKEES song, for sure.

Interesting sounds. Cool chord shifts.

Aaah, if Love could only be forgotten... Nice.

Like it.

Very nice...

California has a chorus that camouflages the dramatic irony of the verse narrative. If it weren’t for the unusual intro, it’d seem zirconium. Christopher Youngblood

Circle of No Regrets sounds quaint. That’s what makes it hit. Unless you turn your ears on, it’s a boring song, but once you do, it’s hard to take. It’s almost like you’re giving the audience an option. Christopher Youngblood