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…
Florencia - I would telll you the chords
but I don't know what they are...
The tide is going out in Avila
I can feel it in my blood
Here I am in South beach Florida
Just like you knew I would
Florencia, I've been waiting…
Florencia Di Concilio It’s not the first time someone writes me a song, though it is the very first time I actually like it. I love the song, to tell you the truth! You’re awesome James Michael Taylor! You made my day. ❤️
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…
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…
"This Balloon" was written for the Minnesota Homebrew Radio Show hosted by Carl Unbehaun. A March songwriting Challenge - Write a song about Balloons. Listen to Carl's radio show on the internet:
Pioneer Radio 90.1 Thief River Falls, MN…
You asked me who Jack Hardy was...He was a friend of mine, now gone. Beloved by many. This was a bit of teasing him, imitating how he sang. He and I shared a mutual respect. The first time I met him I was sitting under an awning at the Kerrville Folk Festival and he pulled up a chair and said, "Sing me a song." We were buddies from then on. The day he would arrive at Kerrville was always joyfully anticipated, not just because he made such great spigot. Here is a link to more about him:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Hardy_(singer-songwriter)
This song is a spin-off from "Hold On". Tez found the original music and wanted to use it for his own lyric, so we assembled a new band, and Gabro replaced my original piano track (while still using the original harmonies).
The new lead melody…
THE CIRCLE OF NO REGRETS Key C
Capo @ 3
VIDEO - https://www.facebook.com/reel/629088762494393
https://fb.watch/lQdzfYTriA/
https://www.facebook.com/100007692130538/videos/122358790913196/. With Martha - practice
C. F. C…
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…
Easing my way back into music production. This is a work in progress, but I have so many ideas floating I don't know how long it will take to make progress. I do like the way this turned out so far. Enjoy.
Mid-tempo, loud, and sans vocals. You want to sing (or play) on it? Drop me a line.
EDIT: I may have a taker on turning this into a proper song. If he does, this is "off-the-market", but if he doesn't, then I'll put it back on or do my…
This is such a solid track it could go a dozen ways.
Also, thank you for your comment. I had a 7th line clear up until my final mix when I realized how useless it was...your response verifies my thot. The song was start to finish this afternoon.Thanks again.
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 years can kill your spirit. The years you can’t explain
The years that simply melt away... like mascara in the rain."
Damn... what great words. JMT words.
Words that paint a picture... on the canvas of my spirit. `
Jon McCabe
SWEET AND FREE - Version B
Lyrics: Mohamed Ibrahim
Vocals, Vocal Melody: Kim Noble
Guitars: Frank Zax
Bass: Andy Gupta
Drums: Robert Cudmore
Original Music & Production: Steffen Offermann
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
Florencia Di Concilio It’s not the first time someone writes me a song, though it is the very first time I actually like it. I love the song, to tell you the truth! You’re awesome James Michael Taylor! You made my day. ❤️
Laurie Callinan - Its very beautiful. Love the line about the garbage trying to sleep.
Connie Pittman Ramsey Visually sorrowful and heartfelt.... Thank you James, once again, for going where most dare not go
First, the guitar sound is amazing. This friendly little project is is special in so many ways.
You asked me who Jack Hardy was...He was a friend of mine, now gone. Beloved by many. This was a bit of teasing him, imitating how he sang. He and I shared a mutual respect. The first time I met him I was sitting under an awning at the Kerrville Folk Festival and he pulled up a chair and said, "Sing me a song." We were buddies from then on. The day he would arrive at Kerrville was always joyfully anticipated, not just because he made such great spigot. Here is a link to more about him:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Hardy_(singer-songwriter)
That bass is awesome! Great build!
This is beautiful.
Wonderful, James. Thank you for singing the songs in your heart. This world needs them.Summer Loraine Russell
Mighty powerful feelings of aloneness and independence, songs and songwriting/singing a perfect fit! Keith Haas
This immediately puts me in a mythical meadow with fairies and crickets and lightning bugs at dusk...
This is such a solid track it could go a dozen ways. Also, thank you for your comment. I had a 7th line clear up until my final mix when I realized how useless it was...your response verifies my thot. The song was start to finish this afternoon.Thanks again.
"The years can kill your spirit. The years you can’t explain The years that simply melt away... like mascara in the rain." Damn... what great words. JMT words. Words that paint a picture... on the canvas of my spirit. ` Jon McCabe
Crisp and crystal clear!
Perfect for your voice. "aging Silverado..." "so, I don't say a word, my order is heard."
Love your voice on this. Like 50s American pop song.
So clean! Really rocks. Sounds like your first language is American English.
Great production! Is that all you playing everything?
So clean. Very interesting...I'm missing some of the words tho. What country are you from?
This really creates a world of it's own...
I like how you fit your voice and sentiment into this barren acoustic landscape.