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.
Freeway View
James McMurtry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm only home at night
I ain't ever coming back to you
Or then again I might
Or then again I might get lonely
Then again I might not know I'm blind
Pays enough for me
I ain't ever coming back to you
Then again, then again we'll see
This time it just might take
This time it might just make it real
Can not keep my hands off you [Repeat: x 4]
Can not keep my hands off you [Repeat: x 4]
I got a room with a freeway view
I'm only home at night
I ain't ever coming back to you
Better off alone
I would rather keep my frozen heart
I love you but I chosen darkness
Can not keep me hands off you [Repeat: x 4]
The lyrics of James McMurtry's "Freeway View" express a feeling of detachment and ambivalence towards a past lover. The singer has moved on from the relationship and is now a survey crew worker with a room that overlooks the freeway. He declares that he will never go back to the ex-lover, but he leaves an ambiguity by adding the phrase "or then again I might." The singer sees the possibility of feeling lonely and returning, despite knowing that being alone might be better for him.
The chorus of the song, "Can not keep my hands off you," adds more complexity to the storyline. The singer is caught between wanting to distance himself from the ex-lover and the undeniable attraction he feels towards them. The last stanza shows a declaration of independence by the singer, who prefers to keep their heart "frozen" and allows darkness to consume them, rather than give in to the temptation of returning to the ex-lover.
Overall, "Freeway View" is a song that portrays a relatable struggle between the desire to move forward and the difficulty of letting go.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a room with a freeway view
I have a room with a view of the freeway where I can watch the cars go by
I'm only home at night
I'm only at home during the night when I'm not working or doing other things
I ain't ever coming back to you
I have no intention of returning to you
Or then again I might
But then again, I might change my mind
Or then again I might get lonely
I might get lonely and change my mind
Then again I might not know I'm blind
Or I might not even realize that I'm making a mistake
I got a job on a survey crew
I have a job working on a survey crew
Pays enough for me
It pays enough for me to live on
Then again, then again we'll see
But again, we'll just have to wait and see what the future holds
This time it just might take
Maybe this time my decision will be final
This time it might just make it real
This time it might be the real thing
Can not keep my hands off you [Repeat: x 4]
I am unable to control my desire for you
I ain't ever coming back to you
Again, I have no intention of returning to you
Better off alone
I am better off being alone
I would rather keep my frozen heart
I prefer keeping my heart cold and distant from people
I love you but I chosen darkness
I do love you, but I prefer living in darkness and isolation
Can not keep me hands off you [Repeat: x 4]
Again, I cannot control my physical attraction to you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JAMES MCMURTRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daryn Steed
This guy is awesome - quite the wordsmith..
kevinw7575
This guy is a hundred times better than anyone knows
SuperBuzz71
Your Dad is the MAN. I've seen him with James for years and he's a great player when he plays with the band but I got new respect for him a few months back. They came back to the Cincy to a brand new venue. The place is an old church and it's a sound man's nightmare. I'd seen a few shows there and the sound stunk. But your Dad worked the sound the first half of the show and showed the house guy how to do it. By the the 4th JM song it was great. Then he went up and kicked ass on guitar again!
SargentAnus
This set is one of my favorite things on all of YouTube land. Rock on.
LaJerseyGirl
Excellent performance by the James and the Heartless Bastards!
toterola451
Why, yes it is! The DVD that this is taken from is excellent, both visually and audibly. It and the CD are sold in a package for less than $15 on Amazon. What a deal!
Pedro2706
Just got into James McMurty after hearing a track on Planet rock Americana programme-loving it .Mac on keyboards-God Bless
Elaine Ferry
Best Damn Singer Songwriter Ever! Love the Heartless Bastards!
Steve Storms
Very nice!
comaradella
Looks and sounds like I could walk right into that place, get a drink, and make friends