I posted this song a few days ago and Bethan liked the music so much she wrote her own words. Here it is, a co-write across the Atlantic.
SITTING BY THE WINDOW, NOTHING TO DO
WAITING FOR THE TIME WHEN THE SUN SHINES THROUGH
THE SUN SHINES…
I found a picture in my mother's
high school yearbook that demanded
I explain my reaction to myself.
This is what i came up with.
OH, JIMMY Capo @ 3 Key C
(slow) C Em F…
I found a picture in my mother's
high school yearbook that demanded
I explain my reaction to myself.
This is what i came up with.
OH, JIMMY Capo @ 3 Key C
(slow) C Em F…
Just a silly song about a sad situation.
WHEN THE SUN SHINES THRU
The moon is a hole in a canopy blue
A hole in the sky where the sun shines thru
The sun shines thru, The sun shines thru
The scientist will tell you that I've got it all wrong…
Just a silly song about a sad situation.
WHEN THE SUN SHINES THRU
The moon is a hole in a canopy blue
A hole in the sky where the sun shines thru
The sun shines thru, The sun shines thru
The scientist will tell you that I've got it all wrong…
CHRISTMAS@#$%&
I don't want to seem obnoxious
I always try to be polite
But there are some things that bother me
That keep me up at night
And I ain't no damned atheist
and I ain't no Hebrew
And I ain't one to hold my tongue
when the thots…
The story is at www.iburymydead.com
THE CHILD WITH THE BEAUTIFUL NAME
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…
Sequoia Memories...Capo @ 5
C
Off the coast of California
Where the dolphins ride the waves
We stood and watched them from the cliffs above
Until the sunlight went away
Then we slept in ancient shadows
Underneath the redwood trees…
I wrote this one day when Peggy went to the store. Had no idea it would ever be worse than that.
THE LAST TIME Am capo @ 3
The last we said goodbye I didn't even look her in the eye
The last time I kissed her mouth I didn't even think about…
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…
BAND AIDS
Words won't heal what's wrong with me
and I suspect it's true
all these band aids made of words
won't heal what's wrong with you.
(C) 2011 Royal T Music
400 BULLETS
400 guns. 400 bullets.
400 babies in the grave.
You got your New Pearl Harbor
Now it’s time for a new Passover.
400 guns
400 guns. 400 bullets.
400 babies in the grave.
Buy your $10,000 dog
One bad steak and he’s a…
Written one morning at OLD Number NINE weekend with Eliza Gilkyson.
SNAPSHOTS
Life's a million snapshots, all lined and flashing
It seem like a movie but it's the persistence of our vision
It all goes in circles, hashing and rehashing…
key of C - no capo
We listen for years for words to explain ourselves. "I'm good but not THAT good," was such a moment for me. Good enough to stay in the game but never good enough to win.
Last night I kissed somebody
I kissed somebody…
GROWL
In the middle of the night my stomachs growling’
The windows rattle and the coyotes howling’
Tip toe to the pantry to do a little prowling’
The cupboard’s empty and the well’s run dry
Not enough water to tear my eye
In the middle…
TEENAGERS ARE STUPID
Teenagers are stupid
At least I was
All the silly things we'd say
Silly, silly things
"Everyone is doing it."
It's a wonder we lived to be this old
Teenagers are stupid
Teenagers are stupid
What a hoot
How can…
FALSE FLAG
If you fall I will pick you up
If you're thirsty i will give you a drink
If you're hungry I will feed you
If you're lonely I will hold you
If you're slow I will slow down
If you're fast I will hurry
But I won't salute your…
Robin Trower cover. I make no excuses for the number of licks I learned from Robin Trower.
Be sure to listen carefully towards the end when some horney, white girls will sing you into their beds!!!!!
Always been a fan of John Prine and next to Sam Stone this was one of my favorites. Done with a slight hip hop beat to it.
All tracks played by me....in my studio....in my office....at home.
Yeah, I'm kinda low budget...
This is the first thing I recorded using the telecaster you can see in my profile pic. It's a one-take jam played over one of those guitar magazine backing tracks. Thanks for the listen :-)
Psychological consequences of war.....written and performed by Nick Plagakis.....Lyrics:
Sixty seven shots ringing
Across the desert, heads are spinning
Bang, Bang Bang; is all I hear
Bang, Bang, Bang;…
A little jazz-funk for your delectation. My homage to Jeff Beck's 1975 masterpiece album "Blow By Blow". The title is the name of a Lee Child book I was reading at the time I was writing the tune.
That's even cooler if you can program drums all by yourself. I just tap them out on my midi keyboard sometimes, or whack a snare drum, add some reverb and pull it back in the mix. About THE WINNOWING, I don't know if it's obvious but I sang all the parts.
A little jazz-funk for your delectation. My homage to Jeff Beck's 1975 masterpiece album "Blow By Blow". The title is the name of a Lee Child book I was reading at the time I was writing the tune.
This song's going on 32 years old...
Some 12 years older than I was when I wrote it!!
I borrowed the title from one of my favourite madrigals, The Silver Swan by Orlando Gibbons:
"The silver swan who living hath no note, when death approached…
I wasn't going to post this - it's the original demo that the finished version is based on. This is the same lead vocal and resonator part that's on the full version - no EQ or anything, just the naked tracks. There's two bars of silence before…
Comments on James Michael Taylor's stuff
Thanks so much JM. I had the best time! Love the music and your backing vocal.
I love the melody. The story had me riveted! Beautiful song writing. Interesting screech at the end there! :)
Odipus and the hollow world
wayne titsworth kool stuff man...
I can't get this song out of my head. I was singing it coming down in the car from Wales today. Yeah, ok, my lyrics were made up!
Love the lyric! Cute, perky amd melodic.
HA! Brilliant!
This is beautiful!
Beautiful chorus!
"Didn't know the time was sand" Great line!
Oh, Barbara is great! I love her voice! Really nice track, the music is wonderful.
Nice one mate and thanks for listening.
Woah, I missed this stuff! Damn, JMT... What can I say?? Keep rockin!
*Dig it!*
Ahh, this is lovely too.
I love this one. Such a tender and poignant song and the music is beautiful.
raw ass rock and roll
The chorus of spiders is so cool!
I love this, James! - Violet
Thank you, my friend, you're The Man. I have written some responses to your comments in the same place where my pieces are.
Comments made by James Michael Taylor
I really like this. Good solid beat with a lot of interesting strings and very clean vocal. Great mix.
Oh, Mamma...
Great the way you get your voice to shine thru all the music. Great production/mix.
Beautiful song very effectively sung.
Love your delivery.
Has a Townes Van Zandt sadness about it.
You need to get in touch with Jody Jones to get a slot at the songwriter showcase at the Magnolia in Fort Worth on Monday nights.
The new John Renborn.
Lost my mom a couple of years ago. I understand your playing with so much feeling. I try to hold on to my mom by singing in her clear sweet voice.
Great picking.
That's relaxing...
So well said.
That's even cooler if you can program drums all by yourself. I just tap them out on my midi keyboard sometimes, or whack a snare drum, add some reverb and pull it back in the mix. About THE WINNOWING, I don't know if it's obvious but I sang all the parts.
...and now you are going nashville on us. What range you have!
Could be the theme music for one of those007 movies. Very English.
Welcome to Alonetone. And thanx for listening to my songs. I like this. So sparse. So nimble when you go to the second guitar. Are those live drums?
This is very popie/r&B. Sounds like a fun one to sing. I might have posted LAYLA back when i first recorded it. Can't remember
Yeah, imaginary lovers are easier to keep around.
Martgueritaville II
I will miss his very specific and kind comments.