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.
Off And Running
James McMurtry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What became of the life I knew
Tell me why I can't be free
Tell me what you expect of me
I'm so down about it
I can't sleep at night
I sit watching the bugs as they bounce off the light
Tell me what's all the noise about
Explain to me the rules of love
Tell me just what I'm guilty of
I somehow I must've missed it
I never knew I was blind
Repeat it real slow so I get it this time
(chorus)
I'm off and running to take what's mine
I'm off and running again
I 'm off and running
To take what's mine
I'm off and running
And I won't get caught this time
With my soul on empty and my face to the wind
I'm off and running
I'm off and running again
Answer me when I call your name
What'd you do with my ball and chain?
I'm out here in the open air
And I can't find it anywhere
And I'm so lost without it
It was such a part of me
I guess I'll get along
How hard can it be?
In James McMurtry's song "Off and Running," a speaker addresses an unknown figure, asking for answers about his current predicament. The singer is feeling lost and trapped, unable to understand the changes that have taken place in his life. He pleads for explanations and guidance as to what his future holds. The sense of confusion and frustration is captured in the line, "I'm so down about it, I can't sleep at night" and "Repeat it real slow so I get it this time."
The song also touches upon the theme of love and relationships, with the singer asking for clarification on the "rules of love" and what he might be guilty of. This can be interpreted as an indication of the singer feeling guilty or wronged in they eyes of a loved one, but he does not know the reason or the rule that he broke.
The chorus of the song serves as a declaration of the singer's intentions despite his confusion, "I'm off and running to take what's mine". The singer is determined to move forward and take control of his life, even though he feels lost and unsure. The ending of the song suggests that the singer is now ready to move on and accept things as they are, despite the hardships he has faced.
Line by Line Meaning
Answer me when I call to you
Please respond when I reach out to you
What became of the life I knew
What happened to the life that was familiar to me?
Tell me why I can't be free
Explain to me why I am not allowed to be free
Tell me what you expect of me
Provide me with information on what I am required to do
I'm so down about it
I feel very sad and discouraged about what is happening
I can't sleep at night
I am unable to fall asleep in the night
I sit watching the bugs as they bounce off the light
I spend the night looking at insects bouncing off the source of light
Answer me when I'm calling out
Please respond when I am being vocal
Tell me what's all the noise about
Elucidate to me what all the commotion is about
Explain to me the rules of love
Make clear to me the regulations of love
Tell me just what I'm guilty of
Inform me of the mistake I have made
I somehow I must've missed it
It seems like I missed something important
I never knew I was blind
I was unaware that I was unable to see the truth of the situation
Repeat it real slow so I get it this time
Say it again slowly so that I can understand it better
I'm off and running to take what's mine
I have set upon a journey to retrieve what I believe rightfully belongs to me
I'm off and running again
To continue my journey, I am starting to run once more
I'm off and running
I have begun the journey
And I won't get caught this time
I do not plan to be caught during this attempt
With my soul on empty and my face to the wind
Feeling emotionally drained but facing the challenge head-on
I'm off and running
I am continuing my journey
I'm off and running again
Once more, continuing on my journey
Answer me when I call your name
Please respond when I call out your name
What'd you do with my ball and chain?
What happened to the burden that had become a part of me?
I'm out here in the open air
I am outside and exposed to everything
And I can't find it anywhere
I am unable to locate it anywhere
And I'm so lost without it
I feel extremely lost and unsure without it
It was such a part of me
It had become such an integral part of my identity
I guess I'll get along
I suppose I will manage
How hard can it be?
It can't be that challenging, can it?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JAMES MC MURTRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
city zen
Answer me when I call to you
What became of the life I knew
Tell me why I can't be free
Tell me what you expect of me
I'm so down about it
I can't sleep at night
I sit watching the bugs as they bounce off the light
Answer me when I'm calling out
Tell me what's all the noise about
Explain to me the rules of love
Tell me just what I'm guilty of
I somehow I must've missed it
I never knew I was blind
Repeat it real slow so I get it this time
I'm off and running to take what's mine
I'm off and running again
I 'm off and running
To take what's mine
I'm off and running
And I won't get caught this time
With my soul on empty and my face to the wind
I'm off and running
I'm off and running again
Answer me when I call your name
What'd you do with my ball and chain?
I'm out here in the open air
And I can't find it anywhere
And I'm so lost without it
It was such a part of me
I guess I'll get along
How hard can it be?
Naor
Great song. Really like James's voice, sounds so true. In love with this song.
Brian Porras
One of my fav songs ever!!
city zen
Answer me when I call to you
What became of the life I knew
Tell me why I can't be free
Tell me what you expect of me
I'm so down about it
I can't sleep at night
I sit watching the bugs as they bounce off the light
Answer me when I'm calling out
Tell me what's all the noise about
Explain to me the rules of love
Tell me just what I'm guilty of
I somehow I must've missed it
I never knew I was blind
Repeat it real slow so I get it this time
I'm off and running to take what's mine
I'm off and running again
I 'm off and running
To take what's mine
I'm off and running
And I won't get caught this time
With my soul on empty and my face to the wind
I'm off and running
I'm off and running again
Answer me when I call your name
What'd you do with my ball and chain?
I'm out here in the open air
And I can't find it anywhere
And I'm so lost without it
It was such a part of me
I guess I'll get along
How hard can it be?
Bob Chisholm
This song really hit me when I got divorced after 40 years helped me bury my past to look forward to a brighter future .
Brooke Golden
1 of my favs....Off & Running🏃Story of my life!!! 💔
rustnvrsleeps
Thanks for the tunes James!
Mike Volpe
"repeat it real slow so I get it this time"....AWESOME
ILIKESCIFI
@stealthnc for me too. its so simple and so strong. helped me out a lot of times. this song will follow me all my life, i am sure. Thank you for such great music!
AmericanaMusicFan
always assumed this was a Lucy Kaplansky song -- while making an "ultimate Lucy
compilation CD saw on the liner notes that Jimmy Mac wrote it. A bg fan of both artists but mostly have James' more recent and live albums. He doesn't seem to play this one in concert (have seen him many times) but after hearing this version
I wish he would !! maybe have to shout it out next time we see him live!
Thanks for sharing this :-)
Check out my Lucy youtube videos !!
Brian Porras
I would LOVE to hear this song live when I see him in Asheville in Friday. This is an incredible song.