A YEAR IN JAIL 122814 - SHARDS

James Michael Taylor

Uploaded December 23, 2014 1:17pm.

174

Capo @ 2 in D (E) Dropped D tuning

Actually, it was almost two years. 1965-67.
Leavenworth, Kansas U S Army prison. I played the organ at the daily Protestant chapel. Took dictation and typed letters for the Protestant chaplain. Wrote 2-page letters in tiny tiny writing. Ended up moving out to the farm where I cared for hundreds of laying hens. Went home to a job at the Reynolds Aluminum reduction plant, in Troutdale, on the Columbia River. Married Barbara Bowles. Raised a family… Dreamed of being back at the prison farm.

D G Bb A
A year in jail can change man
You hang on to everything you can
Some things just bound to slip away
I’m stuck in a cell with I don’t know what
Can’t sleep a wink is all I got
One foot on the floor, ten cigarettes a day

The bang of the gate. The blink of the light
All locked up and safe at night
Singing in the choir and dreaming I’ll Fly Away
Breakfast is stale so I stay in bed
Thinkin’ about my mama and what she said
But my thots and mama are a thousand miles away

G D G Bb A
Can’t pull the shade. Can’t shut the door
Falling down the stairs from the seventh floor
I pump pig iron til I got no more
I’m so damn tired I can’t keep score

D
Weather? There’s no weather.
Time? I got plenty of time.
G D
Laying down tracks, trying to keep it all together
G Bb A
Soaking up the change…never dropping a dime

Some glad morning I will fly away, Some glad morning

A year in Jail or maybe two
Maybe three. What’s that to you?
I’m out of sight so I’ve been out of mind
But I’ll be headed home with brand new clothes
Shiny shoes and a cleaned up nose
Then I’ll take the first job I can find

Windows all so dirty and high
There’s nothing to look at so I don’t try
Cry and cry until my eyes are dry
And everything in here is a god damned lie…

A move to the farm with a custody bump.
A book I found at the prison dump
A thousand hens and a thousand eggs a day
A pint of blood for a piece of cake
A pat on the back for the belts I make…
No fence out here but I decide to stay

Weather? There’s no weather.
Time? I got plenty of time…

A Year In Jail 122814 Jim”

A year in jail can change man
You hang on to everything you can
Some things just bound to slip away
I’m stuck in a cell with I don’t know what
Can’t sleep a wink is all I got
One foot on the floor, ten cigarettes a day

Can’t pull the shade. Can’t shut the door
Falling down the stairs from the seventh floor
I pump pig iron til I got no more
I’m so damn tired I’m so damn sore

Weather? There’s no weather.
Time? I got plenty of time.
Laying down tracks, trying to keep it all together
Soaking up the change…never dropping a dime

Some glad morning I will fly away, Some glad morning

Can’t pull the shade. Can’t shut the door
Falling down the stairs from the seventh floor
I pump pig iron til I got no more
I’m so tired I’m so sore

Weather? There’s no weather.
Time? I got plenty of time…

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James Michael Taylor said March 18, 2024 2:19pm

I read the words 1st and expected a completely different musical framing for them. But this sorts rocks and works great. Kavin

James Michael Taylor said March 18, 2024 12:26pm

Molly Gator LOVE LOVE IT !!!!!!! Incredible...

James Michael Taylor said December 28, 2023 12:56pm

Bill Jones Hey James' Little long but guess you had nothing but Time...lol' Not bad~Not bad at all. Songwriter, myself I really Listen for the stories that make up an Artist, and his music...

James Michael Taylor said October 11, 2022 9:56am

That's the date I recorded it. My prison number was 41515. My army number was RA 19845014. Enter You sent RA stood for Regular Army. Enter You sent It interested me from the 1st that it started with 1984.

James Michael Taylor said October 11, 2022 9:54am

Hauntingly True Prison is exactly like that. Fantastic Song Another #1 Hit Enter Kat Love love love It! Enter Kat Kat Angel 112814 .. was that ur of number?

James Michael Taylor said October 10, 2022 7:24pm

Kat Angel James Michael Taylor please make your song shareable. It gave me chills....so good!

James Michael Taylor said October 7, 2022 8:07pm

Jme Kinser Oh sure, couple times

James Michael Taylor said April 18, 2022 5:58pm

Jere Reiser I can't imagine. I spent 3 days in the Federal prison in Brownsville for attempting to smuggle 100 biphetamines into the US. They made me shower by myself and when I stepped out there were 8 guys standing about 10 ft away observing and making comments. It went down hill from there. I was threatened and hassled for two nights but stayed awake as advised and was discharged without incident. Childsplay.