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.
Peter Pan
James McMurtry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ashtray on the floor
laundry on the sofa
need I say more
I walked out with my hair wet
I caught one awful cold
should have been more careful
should have done like I was told
how could it be
just like you said could happen
so it did to me
Just when I might have seen the light of day
I crossed my eyes 'til they stayed that way
(chorus)
I keep my distance
as best I can
living out my time here in Never Never land
I can't grow up
'cause I'm too old now
I guess I really did it this time mom
The boogie man came calling
I said I wasn't home
he didn't believe me
he wasn't alone
he had my number
he got my goat
he bought my ticket
he paid off my note
and he left in a hurry
said he couldn't stay
I guess he had his reasons
I'm not the one to say
(chorus)
Lets go chase tornadoes
just me and you
you don't often catch 'em
but man when you do
just take my catch rope
and crawl out on the wing
we won't come down 'till we own that thing
then we'll sit out on the front porch
quiet as a mouse
one last time before they close on the house
(chorus)
The lyrics are filled with evocative and bittersweet nostalgia, as they paint a picture of a man who is stuck in a state of arrested development, unable to fully mature and move on from his youthful habits and hangups. The opening stanza describes a messy and cluttered living space, indicative of a blasé attitude towards cleanliness and order. The singer is chastising himself for not heeding his mother's advice, as he is now sick from going outside with wet hair. The second stanza introduces the boogieman, a whimsical and childlike figure who is nevertheless imbued with a threatening quality. The singer tries to avoid him, but ultimately succumbs to his machinations, and is left feeling powerless and trapped. The final verse is a wistful daydream, envisioning a romanticized adventure with a lover, chasing storms and living life on the edge. The chorus acts as a refrain, highlighting the singer's inability to let go of his past and fully embrace adulthood, as he feels stuck in "Never Never Land".
Overall, the song seems to be about the struggle to grow up and move on from one's youthful follies and shortcomings. The imagery is vivid and nostalgic, evoking a sense of longing for simpler times, while also acknowledging the difficulties and challenges that come with adulthood. The singer is both sympathetic and flawed, struggling to reconcile his past with his present, and looking for a way to break free from the cycle of indecision and regret.
Line by Line Meaning
Beer cans to the ceiling
The room is littered with beer cans piled up high to the ceiling.
ashtray on the floor
The ashtray is betraying the smoker's presence by being carelessly thrown on the floor.
laundry on the sofa
The laundry is occupying the sofa and could indicate a person's laziness or untidiness.
need I say more
The situation is so bad that it doesn't require any further explanation.
I walked out with my hair wet
The person has walked out into the cold with wet hair and caught a cold.
I caught one awful cold
The cold caught by the person is too severe or extreme.
should have been more careful
The person could have avoided getting sick if they had taken more care.
should have done like I was told
If the person had followed advice given to them earlier, they could have avoided the current situation.
I can't believe it
The artist is shocked at what they've experienced.
how could it be
The artist is questioning how this incident happened to them.
just like you said could happen
Someone had warned the singer that something like this could happen.
so it did to me
The warning given to the artist turned out to be accurate.
Just when I might have seen the light of day
The possibility of a better situation was in sight for the singer.
I crossed my eyes 'til they stayed that way
The singer is implying that they missed out on the opportunity because of their own fault.
I keep my distance
The singer is consciously trying to avoid something or someone.
as best I can
The artist is trying their hardest to avoid what they fear or don't want.
living out my time here in Never Never land
The artist is living their life stuck in a place where time doesn't change and nothing progresses.
I can't grow up
The singer feels that they're stuck in a juvenile or immature state of being.
'cause I'm too old now
The singer thinks that they've missed their chance to mature or grow up because they feel it's too late now.
I guess I really did it this time mom
The artist has done something particularly wrong or bad and is acknowledging how their parent had warned them of consequences they didn't want to face.
The boogie man came calling
The artist feels that something or someone they greatly fear or worry about has come to meet them.
I said I wasn't home
The artist lied to the person who came to see or catch them.
he didn't believe me
The person who came to create trouble for the singer didn't believe the lie the singer told to avoid them.
he wasn't alone
The person who came to trouble the artist had someone with them who shared their purpose.
he had my number
The person who came to trouble the singer was familiar with them and their weaknesses.
he got my goat
The person who came to trouble the singer succeeded in making them angry or agitated.
he bought my ticket
The person who came to trouble the singer successfully caused them to have to leave or to miss out on something that was important to them.
he paid off my note
The person who came to trouble the artist paid their debt fully or allowed them to not face the debt they owed.
and he left in a hurry
The person who came to trouble the artist left quickly.
said he couldn't stay
The person who came to trouble the singer had other things to do and couldn't stay any longer.
I guess he had his reasons
The singer is guessing that the person who came to trouble them had their own reasons for their actions.
I'm not the one to say
The artist doesn't know enough to explain or comment more about the stranger's actions.
Lets go chase tornadoes
The artist is proposing a thrilling or risky activity.
just me and you
The artist is suggesting that only they and one other person should do this risky activity together.
you don't often catch 'em
The activity being proposed is relatively rare, and success is not guaranteed.
but man when you do
The activity being proposed would create an unforgettable experience if successful.
just take my catch rope
The singer is offering the rope that is necessary for the person to help catch the tornado.
and crawl out on the wing
The person would have to move further out on the airplane or airplane-like machine to get closer to the tornado and have a better chance at catching it.
we won't come down 'till we own that thing
The singer and the other person are so committed to catching the tornado that they won't give up until they're successful.
then we'll sit out on the front porch
The artist is describing a relaxing activity that they and the other person would enjoy after their thrilling and risky adventure.
quiet as a mouse
The artist and the other person would try to not talk and just enjoy the calm after the adrenaline rush of the chase.
one last time before they close on the house
The singer is implying that this would be the last time they would be relaxing like this because they were going to have to leave or move soon.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PATRICK SKY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind