The son of acclaimed author Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove, Terms of Endearment), James grew up on a steady diet of Johnny Cash and Roy Acuff records. His first album, Too Long in the Wasteland (released in 1989), was produced by John Mellencamp and marked the beginning of a series of acclaimed projects for Columbia and Sugar Hill. In 1996, McMurtry received a Grammy nomination for his Longform Music Video of Where'd You Hide The Body. 1997's It Had To Happen received the American Indie Award for Best Americana Album.
In 2004, McMurtry released the universally-lauded Live in Aught-Three on Compadre Records. 2005's Childish Things garnered some of the highest critical praise of McMurtry's career and spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Americana Music Radio Chart in 2005 and 2006. In September 2006, Childish Things and "We Can't Make It Here" won the Americana Music Awards for Album and Song of the Year, respectively. McMurtry received more Americana Music Award nominations for 2008's Just Us Kids. This album marked his highest Billboard 200 chart position in more than 19 years.
In 2009, Live in Europe was released, capturing The McMurtry Band's first European tour and extraordinary live set. Along with seasoned band members Ronnie Johnson, Daren Hess, and Tim Holt, the disc features special guests Ian McLagan and Jon Dee Graham. Also, for the first time ever, video of the James McMurtry Band's live performance is available on the included DVD.
The poignant lyrics of his immense catalog still ring true today. In 2011, "We Can't Make It Here" was cited among 'The Nation's' "Best Protest Songs Ever." Bob Lefsetz writes, "'We Can't Make It Here' has stood the test of time because of its unmitigated truth."
Never one to rest on his laurels, James McMurtry continues to tour constantly, and consistently puts on a "must-see" powerhouse performance. 'The Washington Post' noted McMurtry's live prowess: "Much attention is paid to James McMurtry's lyrics, and rightfully so: He creates a novel's worth of emotion and experience in four minutes of blisteringly stark couplets. What gets overlooked, however, is that he's an accomplished rock guitar player. At a sold-out Birchmere, the Austin-based artist was joined by drummer Daren Hess and bassist Ronnie Johnson in a set that demonstrated the raw power of wince-inducing imagery propelled by electric guitar. It was serious stuff, imparted by a singularly serious band."
JAMES McMURTRY LIVE IN EUROPE CD WITH BONUS DVD DOCUMENTS FIRST EURO TOUR WITH GUESTS IAN MCLAGAN AND JON DEE GRAHAM
On October 13, 2009, Lightning Rod Records released Live in Europe, a document of McMurtry's first European tour, on which, along with long-time band members Ronnie Johnson, Daren Hess, and Tim Holt, he was joined by keyboardist Ian McLagan and fellow Texas songwriting legend Jon Dee Graham. The set is available as a CD with a bonus DVD, or as a deluxe vinyl LP package with a CD and DVD insert. In early 2009, James McMurtry and his trio traveled overseas to play their first European tour. The guys played for enthusiastic crowds in Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, The Netherlands, Scotland and Belgium. Joining the band on keyboards for the tour was the legendary Ian McLagan (who also played on McMurtry's latest studio album, Just Us Kids). The best recordings from the Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Geislingen, Germany concerts were combined to create Live in Europe. The album includes a bonus DVD featuring performances from the Amsterdam show. This marks the first time fans will be able to purchase video footage of McMurtry live in concert. The deluxe vinyl version includes inserted copies of the CD and DVD. Fellow Austin-based songwriter Jon Dee Graham opened the shows and joins the band on a version of his tune "Laredo" on the bonus DVD.
JAMES McMURTRY ALBUMS REISSUED: 'CHILDISH THINGS' & 'LIVE IN AUGHT-THREE'
On February 1, 2011, two of James McMurtry's most popular albums, Childish Things and Live in Aught-Three were reissued by Lightning Rod Records. Live in Aught-Three has been remastered since its original 2004 release and will be available on vinyl for the first time. The deluxe double LP also includes a copy of the album on CD.
For All I Know
James McMurtry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
it could've been Christmas eve
it could've been someone's birthday
it could've been make believe for all I know
it could've been make believe
last time I saw you
you had the room upstairs
I never knew for certain
no I never did know
what went on up there
'course you had that boyfriend
with the Chevrolet
he never met Will Rogers
I'd be willing to say
yeah it's safe to say
he never met Will Rogers
I guess it must have been a thousand years
since I changed my number
does it mean a thing
when the phone don't ring
and I don't call back
can't help but wonder sometimesI never got to know you
like I wanted to
you never seemed to notice
how I looked at you for all I know
you never even noticednow that crowd's all scattered
to here and yon
everybody graduated
or they just moved onfor all I know
they just moved onI guess it must have been a thousand years
since I lost your number
gonna rest my soul
by this fishing hole
gonna watch that pole
'till that float goes underlast time I saw you
it could've been Christmas eve
it could've been someone's birthday
it could've been make believefor all I know
could've been make believe
The lyrics to James McMurtry's song "For All I Know" speak of reminiscences of the past, the uncertainties of the present, and the passing of time. The singer recalls the last time he saw the person he's singing to in vague terms, as it "could've been Christmas eve, someone's birthday, or make-believe." He never knew what went on in the room upstairs, where she had her last known address, but he had heard that she had a boyfriend with a Chevrolet who never met Will Rogers. The singer then reflects on how long it has been since he changed his number and last saw this person, noting that he never got to know her as "like I wanted to." The last verse speaks of how everyone has moved on and graduated, and the singer is left alone with his fishing pole; he will watch it until it goes under.
The song speaks to the theme of regret and missed opportunities, as the singer expresses feeling like he never got to know this person as well as he wished he could have. The sense of uncertainty and ambiguity in the lyrics hint at the idea that the singer may not have wanted to know this person, or it may have been a missed connection due to circumstances that were out of their control.
Line by Line Meaning
Last time I saw you
The most recent moment of encounter.
it could've been Christmas eve
A possible time of the year.
it could've been someone's birthday
A possible occasion or event.
it could've been make believe for all I know
The possibility that the encounter was imaginary.
it could've been make believe
An additional emphasis on the possibility that it was an illusion.
last time I saw you
The latest period of seeing each other.
you had the room upstairs
The location where one of the people stayed.
I never knew for certain
A lack of clear understanding or knowledge.
what went on up there
The activities or events that transpired in the room upstairs.
no I never did know
A repeated acknowledgement of ignorance.
course you had that boyfriend
Referring to the other person's romantic relationship.
with the Chevrolet
A specific car brand owned by the other person's partner.
he never met Will Rogers
The tendency for the boyfriend to not meet certain people.
I'd be willing to say
An expression of confidence in the singer's assumption.
yeah it's safe to say
An additional affirmation towards the previous statement.
he never met Will Rogers
A recapitulation or restatement of the knowledge gained.
I guess it must have been a thousand years
An exaggerated or figurative sense of time.
since I changed my number
The duration since the singer modified their contact information.
does it mean a thing
A rhetorical question regarding the significance of an event or a lack of it.
when the phone don't ring
The absence of contact from the other person.
and I don't call back
The inaction of the artist.
can't help but wonder sometimes
An admission of curiosity or contemplation.
I never got to know you
The singer not attaining a level of familiarity desired.
like I wanted to
An expression of desire or yearning.
you never seemed to notice
The other person possibly being oblivious to the singer's behavior or emotions.
how I looked at you for all I know
The possibility that the other person was not aware of how the singer regarded them.
you never even noticed
An additional emphasis on the other person's ignorance towards the singer's admiration.
now that crowd's all scattered
A group of people separated or dispersed.
to here and yon
A figurative expression to describe a wide range of places.
everybody graduated
Many people achieved an educational milestone.
or they just moved onfor all I know
The uncertainty of where people went after their time together ended.
they just moved on
The possibility that people left their past experiences behind and pursued new opportunities.
I guess it must have been a thousand years
An exaggerated or figurative sense of time (repeated).
since I lost your number
The duration since the artist misplaced or dropped the other person's contact information.
gonna rest my soul
The singer's decision to decompress or relax.
by this fishing hole
The location of the artist's fishing activity.
gonna watch that pole
Observing the fishing rod for activity.
till that float goes under
The action of waiting for fish to catch the bait (or 'float').
last time I saw you
The most recent period of time where the singer and the other person encountered each other (repeated).
it could've been Christmas eve
A potential date of the last encounter (repeated).
it could've been someone's birthday
A probable occasion where the two individuals might have crossed paths (repeated).
it could've been make believefor all I know
An acknowledgement of the possibility of the last encounter being an illusion.
could've been make believe
An additional emphasis on the possibility of the last encounter being fabricated.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JAMES MCMURTRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind