In 1951 I was eight years old but it's all like yesterday. The tumbleweeds and the horny toads. Flying kites so far into the desert air that I couldn't see them.
Palmdale, California, 1951
Pretty yellow chickens hating in the sun
Fertilizer…
Sometimes it might be best not to even think about what terrible things might happen. It might be part of setting those very terrible things in motion. How can one know?
I can't remember her name. I saw her at Kerrville back in 2005. A little blond that always wore a leather cowboy had, played keys and wrote music for movies. (Someone remind me.)
COULD SHE KNOW
Could she know I think about her
Thinking…
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…
CHERRY LAUREL - James Michael Taylor - 081111
Dm C B A
There’s nothing quite so slow to grow as a cherry laurel tree
A fingerling beneath an old oak canopy
Presented as a volunteer, that creek bank west of town
One hundred yards from our…
Something of Neil Young for sure, some essence of David Crosby. And that refrain does sound spookily like you got Graham Nash in the studio with you. Nice.
Today I got an email about a lyric contest and the title had to be I WONDER...so I wrote this!
I WONDER by James Michael Taylor
I wonder, I wonder out loud
Why I wander under a cloud
A cloud with it's rain
It's lightning and pain…
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…
Tesla...maybe the smartest man that ever lived.
TESLA
Who invented remote control? TESLA
Who invented the fluorescent light? TESLA
Who invented the radio? TESLA
And who died alone and forgotten in 1943? TESLA
So, you say now, “Don’t…
People are dying every day in the street
People are dying every day
People are dying every day in the street
Just for being people in the street
Peace, when's it coming, coming for the people in the street
Peace, you can sing it
Sing it for the…
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…
This song tells about a guy I know named Gene.
GENE
Gene had a girlfriend
The band would play and they would dance
She was tall and Gene was tall
A lovely late romance
They'd smile and hold each other
They'd sit and share a drink
Holding…
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…
Comments on James Michael Taylor's stuff
Wistful though not wishful. The drum is very effective. Doubling the tempo for the spoken parts - excellent!
Your speaking voice is really believable. I like that! Sounds great! A most clever song JM Who's your friend?
Yeah, sure you would! Oh, love it! What a cracking good song.
Yep.
Great fun!
Ah now, yes lovely lyrics! Oh, I knew I had heard part of it before, well, I love the expanded version. (smiley face)
Something of Neil Young for sure, some essence of David Crosby. And that refrain does sound spookily like you got Graham Nash in the studio with you. Nice.
Some classy changes in this, and a really nice lyric.
Raw and gritty and very good
I do like the sounds James, The book of JOB. If anyone really had a pure understanding of it Nothing more would be needed.
MMMMMMMMMMMM!.
Great job. Thanks.
Just to say: you're cool man, James!
Fabulous
Great flowing vocals and interplay of sounds and instruments!
Now that is one *beep* of a storytelling song :)
Well, you got that off your chest quickly,
Very, very clever. And excellent guitar & mandolin work. I love it! Totally pro!
Really like this. I like the tempo very much and the native American sounding backing singing too. great track.
This one is a little bizarre, but very clever and really well done.
Comments made by James Michael Taylor
Hey, Dude! You still out there?
Kat Angel Your dad sounds like a cool dude.
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.