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…
Bret McCormick Many years ago, after you handed me a Texas Water cassette, I listened to it and this song was the first one that totally grabbed my attention.
CHAMELEON
She's a chameleon. "Been there. Done that."
She's a chameleon, if you know my Ilene
She's a chameleon
At first I thot that we were twins in spirit
Everything I'd touched, she'd been near it
Shaking her head, "Yes, I know…
The guitar is great on that song James...is it a vocoder or a phaser or wah or something like that..stereo vocoder maybe....makes it sound like an synthetic organ type sound...matches the theme...disguised...unreal..very clever.. Matthew
It’s a small town. Woodlake, California. East side of the San Joaquin Valley. 14 miles from where all those “Lindsey” olives you see on your grocery store shelves come from. The Woodlake Echo, says, “In the foothills of the Sequoias”.
FOOTHILLS…
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…
I have always loved this poem by Robert Frost.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
BY ROBERT FROST
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods…
If you don't like me, I understand
If you are tired of me, I understand
This won't be the first time
It won't be the last
Yes, you are sorry, I understand
Yes, you feel guilty. I understand
But don't say, "I love you,"
as you walk out…
I have always loved this poem by Robert Frost.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
BY ROBERT FROST
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods…
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…
I have always loved this poem by Robert Frost.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
BY ROBERT FROST
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods…
LANCASTER STREET - Em
James Michael Taylor
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…
I have always loved this poem by Robert Frost.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
BY ROBERT FROST
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods…
BETWEEN - 11-27/28-12
I step out of the car
I don't know where we are
Somewhere between a planet
A planet and a star
I never dreamed I'd end up
in a place like this
The Multnomah Falls is up the Columbia Gorge
Somewhere between Portland…
And ALL of that... I remember when my boys first came to CA. They were late teens, and early 20s. I took them to see Sunset cliffs. If you don't know it, it's easy to imagine: a sweeping vista of sky, sea and pelicans on a postcard. We got out, walked around... they said nothing, somber faces, withdrawn. "I step out of my car/ I don't know where we are..." It seemed the oddest thing at the time, but I knew this is what they were feeling. This song carries the magnificence of arrival in a beautiful new world. Or when my mother drove my sister & I from OK to CA to join my dad during the Korean War. Somewhere in New Mexico along Rt 66 we pulled over to sleep for a few hours. I woke up at dawn before anyone else, to discover the windshield of the car was filled with an enormous glowing ball. At age 6, I had never seen anything like this sun. I hardly knew what it was. This song was written for such moments. A beautiful, beautiful song. And those guitars in the middle are liquid light. Thank you for thinking of me in relation to this. I will always feel a tiny bit it belongs to me.
She danced in my eyes and to my surprise
Her intentions were clearly defined
She danced with the band and the pen in my hand
Danced with her as she danced in my eyes
Portland, Oregon. She was drunk. She thot I was James Taylor.
Flower…
...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…
LOVE this! Love all that's going on dramaticaly in the sound track. Love the use of text from the book. Love the driving rat-a-tat rhythm. Very creative. Almost like a movie! :)
HOME ON THE RANGE
Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day
Home, home on the range
Where the deer and the antelope play…
I HATE GOODBYES September 8, 2017 Capo 2 IN D
I go in the back door. Never in the front
All of that attention is the last thing that I want
You know what I’m talking ‘bout the kisses and the hugs
Climbing on the furniture, tripping…
GEEZUS, Jim, you keep freaking me out w these amazing songs!! So many styles, and this is my very favorite... until the next fav comes along!! Great lyrics, love the back up vocals, guitar solo, and hope you don't mind me sayin' a bit of a JJ Cale/ Tulsa Sound vibe by my ear. Mesmerizing. Gwyn Henry
Dad wanted me to write him some funeral music. This is it. He's still alive at 91 and sings this song to himself and tears come to his eyes. I have a video of Dad and me singing a duet of this song.
EULOGY
He grew up in Clinton, Oklahoma…
Love it that he lived (has lived?) so long, long enought to enjoy this song as much has he seems to have, and sing it in duets with you. What a joy. And I love to song, too. Our shared roots and Red Dirt!
LANCASTER STREET - Em
James Michael Taylor
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…
COLORS - A song for Donna...
Roses are red. Violets are blue
I could name a bunch of flowers and colors too
Roses are red. Tulips are too
But I could never name all the colors that look good on you
CHORUS
There was a time my world…
THE WALK
I drove 400 miles that night
East of Dallas to Abilene
And the hopes that I held in my headlights
Were hopes like I'd never seen
She called me from work that afternoon
She said she'd be off about 2 AM
Said it would be nice…
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…
Thanks for taking time to listen and comment, I'm sure you know how nice it is to get any kind of feed back. Once I got two comments on a song in one week, a song called THERE SHE WAS. A long story song. 6 minutes. Never dreamed I could actually commit it to memory, but I was so motivated by the feedback, I DID learn it and I've been singing it ever since. So, thanks, again.
THE WALK
I drove 400 miles that night
East of Dallas to Abilene
And the hopes that I held in my headlights
Were hopes like I'd never seen
She called me from work that afternoon
She said she'd be off about 2 AM
Said it would be nice…
Jim Farmer
I love that you let the quirky idea it's based on never take over your personal/conversational idea, yet you keep that quirky idea alive the entire song. You have a knack for writing very descriptive songs with twists like that.
THE WALK
I drove 400 miles that night
East of Dallas to Abilene
And the hopes that I held in my headlights
Were hopes like I'd never seen
She called me from work that afternoon
She said she'd be off about 2 AM
Said it would be nice…
THE WALK
I drove 400 miles that night
East of Dallas to Abilene
And the hopes that I held in my headlights
Were hopes like I'd never seen
She called me from work that afternoon
She said she'd be off about 2 AM
Said it would be nice…
Gramma's Shampoo
Gramma's shampoo is washing my hair
And I hope it will notice that gramma's not there
It's the kind that knows just what to do
Says it right there on the bottle, shampoo
"Automatically adjusts to your hair's cleansing needs…
Tim Tandy
Regarding that hair, I seem to recall a song where you're washing your hair with Mother's shampoo!
Tim Tandy
I stand corrected, it's Gramma. Great song!
Marian Brackney - My Favorite!
James Michael Taylor - MY FAVORITE was when you played violin with me.
Tim Tandy
Regarding that hair, I seem to recall a song where you're washing your hair with Mother's shampoo!Tim Tandy
I stand corrected, it's Gramma. Great song!
THE CHILD WITH THE BEAUTIFUL NAME
(The story is @ iburymydead.com)
What remains of an eagle that's fallen
The roots of an oak tree now claim
To draw sap for the shade for the cattle
O're the child with the beautiful name
The law, it…
CALIFORNIA
Capo @ 4 in C/Am
I’m (Am) going back to California
A little place in the San (E) Joaquin
(Am, stepping down A G F# F E)
Where the back pasture builds
To Sierra foothills
And Kaweah tumbles down cool and clean
I’m going back…
Key - G
Texas Water might be the only trio besides The Browns to do this song in the later part of the twentieth century. By Jacque Brel via the Browns.
Here it is by There Browns:
https://www.google.com/search?q=youtube+the+browns+three…
You are one of the most beautiful people I know. I love your soul. She was an amazing person too, and, yes, had a beautiful voice. Like Reply3m Active James Michael Taylor Lauryl Blossom Thank you for listening. When we sang together all the troubles of our life were forgotten. I love when people who weren't around back then listen to us sing. Our harmonies were as beautiful to us as they were to our listeners.
Key - G
Texas Water might be the only trio besides The Browns to do this song in the later part of the twentieth century. By Jacque Brel via the Browns.
Here it is by There Browns:
https://www.google.com/search?q=youtube+the+browns+three…
I wrote this one lonely afternoon in San Anselmo, California at my friend, Eric's house. Missing Peggy.
NIGHT TIME DREAMS
It's a long way to Texas. Further to Tennessee
I'm out here in California with nobody but me
So, I'm thinkin' about…
My daughter, Wyn, sings
a song I wrote in 1977
while I was doing a gig
at the Ramada Inn in
Laredo.
Harmonies are by her mother,
Barbara Anne Taylor and step
mother, Peggy Ann Mitchell.
The guitar solo and keys are
by my son, Rabyn…
(Remastered 22/10/2021)
I wasn't even sure the recording machine was still going to work after nearly five years... Certainly, bits of me don't work anymore... But, surprisingly, I got this done in 24 hours, start to finish... Strange old world…
After seeing a quick pick up at the Leather Ball Saloon in Dallas one 1974 evening. This is a song from the album, FEATHERS IN THE WING by Snow Geese/Barbara, Michael Jeffrey and me. 1976
(50 years later, I am stunned at the starkness of this…
Comments on James Michael Taylor's stuff
Bret McCormick Many years ago, after you handed me a Texas Water cassette, I listened to it and this song was the first one that totally grabbed my attention.
The guitar is great on that song James...is it a vocoder or a phaser or wah or something like that..stereo vocoder maybe....makes it sound like an synthetic organ type sound...matches the theme...disguised...unreal..very clever.. Matthew
OMG - you bring tears to my eyes and joy to my heart...I understand and identify with all the words you have written.
Listening to your songs evokes imagery of being a lonely and mysterious character stuck in an old dusty town.
Man this is beautiful!
Cool Song !
nicely done,james.the music suits the lyric perfectly
Cool feel to this one. Haunting
Beautiful song James!
fuckin awesome song but why didn't you sing the last 2 lines?
Lovely James. What a blessing to cheer up my down morning.
And ALL of that... I remember when my boys first came to CA. They were late teens, and early 20s. I took them to see Sunset cliffs. If you don't know it, it's easy to imagine: a sweeping vista of sky, sea and pelicans on a postcard. We got out, walked around... they said nothing, somber faces, withdrawn. "I step out of my car/ I don't know where we are..." It seemed the oddest thing at the time, but I knew this is what they were feeling. This song carries the magnificence of arrival in a beautiful new world. Or when my mother drove my sister & I from OK to CA to join my dad during the Korean War. Somewhere in New Mexico along Rt 66 we pulled over to sleep for a few hours. I woke up at dawn before anyone else, to discover the windshield of the car was filled with an enormous glowing ball. At age 6, I had never seen anything like this sun. I hardly knew what it was. This song was written for such moments. A beautiful, beautiful song. And those guitars in the middle are liquid light. Thank you for thinking of me in relation to this. I will always feel a tiny bit it belongs to me.
Delightul! Notes of honey on that guitar solo! Lyrics are a poem. The pipes coming back at the end, haunting. Something very Irish about this.
LOVE this! Love all that's going on dramaticaly in the sound track. Love the use of text from the book. Love the driving rat-a-tat rhythm. Very creative. Almost like a movie! :)
Good rendition I am sure Teddy Roosevelt would be proud. I sang this song every day at elementary school for 6 years.
GEEZUS, Jim, you keep freaking me out w these amazing songs!! So many styles, and this is my very favorite... until the next fav comes along!! Great lyrics, love the back up vocals, guitar solo, and hope you don't mind me sayin' a bit of a JJ Cale/ Tulsa Sound vibe by my ear. Mesmerizing. Gwyn Henry
everything is right on here. vox and mood. would love to hear more of this
Love it that he lived (has lived?) so long, long enought to enjoy this song as much has he seems to have, and sing it in duets with you. What a joy. And I love to song, too. Our shared roots and Red Dirt!
This brings tears to my eyes. The imagery couldn't be better for spreading empathy.
❤️i love this!
Comments made by James Michael Taylor
Robert White Beautiful Song James Michael Taylor! Like a Ballad! Thanks for Sharing!
Thanks for taking time to listen and comment, I'm sure you know how nice it is to get any kind of feed back. Once I got two comments on a song in one week, a song called THERE SHE WAS. A long story song. 6 minutes. Never dreamed I could actually commit it to memory, but I was so motivated by the feedback, I DID learn it and I've been singing it ever since. So, thanks, again.
Jim Farmer I love that you let the quirky idea it's based on never take over your personal/conversational idea, yet you keep that quirky idea alive the entire song. You have a knack for writing very descriptive songs with twists like that.
Oh it was my pleasure my talented insightful friend. Brent Wood
Love it - Brent Woods
Tim Tandy Regarding that hair, I seem to recall a song where you're washing your hair with Mother's shampoo! Tim Tandy I stand corrected, it's Gramma. Great song! Marian Brackney - My Favorite! James Michael Taylor - MY FAVORITE was when you played violin with me.
James Michael Taylor to Marion Brackney My favorite was when you played violin with me.
Tim Tandy Regarding that hair, I seem to recall a song where you're washing your hair with Mother's shampoo!Tim Tandy I stand corrected, it's Gramma. Great song!
Marian Brackney My Favorite!
Daniel Boling Such a heartbreaking and beautiful song. [FWIW, there's a fair bit of discrepancy between this recording and the accompanying text.]
Robert White Thanks James! I just sang that song with you! Easy Tune to Learn "California 3"
OH MY GOSH!!! That's really special!!! Isabelle Massimo
You are one of the most beautiful people I know. I love your soul. She was an amazing person too, and, yes, had a beautiful voice. Like Reply3m Active James Michael Taylor Lauryl Blossom Thank you for listening. When we sang together all the troubles of our life were forgotten. I love when people who weren't around back then listen to us sing. Our harmonies were as beautiful to us as they were to our listeners.
Lane Beauvais That's great! I was pleasantly surprised by the stealth modulation at the end!
Leslie Young James Michael Taylor Beautiful. I love the ladies that sound like bells.
Leslie Young James Michael Taylor Beautiful
Long time... Still great song. As snappy as it is funny.
FUCK! This rocks like a ton of granite. Long time since we exchanged comments. It's like old times.
Deanie Hamilton Berry James Michael Taylor, that was great and you may be right.
Fabulous James - Keith Hass