1) Jeremy Taylor is … Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists named Jeremy Taylor.
1) Jeremy Taylor is a Wellington, New Zealand based singer-songwriter, and former founding member of 90s indie bands Throw and Cinematic. Jeremy's current album is entitled "Black Balloons".
2) Jeremy Taylor is a South African actor, singer and satirist whose career has flourished since the nineteen-sixties. He first came to fame with his hit single "Ag Pleez Daddy", but was banished from South Africa for ridiculing apartheid. Moving to England, he gained popularity for his pithy and catchy songs in the sixties and seventies. Apart from his successful theatre career, he has made fifteen solo albums, five shared albums, ten singles, four EP's, three CD's and one 78. In 1979 a change of government in South Africa allowed his readmittance to the country, but he currently resides in Europe. Mr Taylor continues to tour the USA and UK today despite his advanced age.
3) In the spring of 1981 a group of reggae studio musicians from Jamaica gathered in New York City under the direction of Jeremy Taylor, a music professor at NYU at that time. The result was this "Reggae Interpretation of Kind of Blue". Though he was primarily regarded as a world-class Jazz musician and educator, Taylor had taken several trips to Jamaica to study reggae music with some of the best performers in the world. In his 1979 book, “A Space Between” Taylor wrote, “My first trip to Jamaica (May 1977) was the most eye-opening musical experience of my life. I met so many incredible players who had been brushed off by the snobby musical establishment at institutions such as the ones I was affiliated with. They showed more musicality, taste, and rhythmic comprehension than some of the most revered musicians in the states. I knew that I had to find a way to showcase their unparalleled talent in a different medium in order for some of my colleagues to fully understand and learn from it.” This statement served as the basic concept behind this album. Taylor took the most loved, well-known modern jazz album of all time and put it in the hands of reggae musicians. It was in this context that he felt his contemporaries would be able to fully understand what it was he saw in these players.
Unfortunately, weeks after directing the sessions Taylor passed away in his Paris hotel room while on a speaking tour of Europe. A final mix of the album was never made and it was never released. Collectors have long spoken of this album and in the late 80's lo-fi cassette tapes of rough mixes circulated. No official release was ever issued until now.
In early 2009, Secret Stash Records began working with the Taylor estate to finally release this album. After creating final mixes, dub versions of all the songs were also made by Secret Stash producers. Now for the first time ever, this highly sought-after album is available. This vinyl-only release is a must have for any record collector.
Confession
Jeremy Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
God knows that I wouldn't hurt a fly and I never would do you wrong
But society keeps telling me, I simply don't fit in
I wasn't you see, cut out to be, a respectable citizen
At balls and dinner parties, I'm always the only one
Who is quite unable to make polite conversation
My questions are too simple to be misunderstood
Not to be sensible is a sin that's reprehensible
And that is why they say that I am not respectable
Mr. Jones, I'll make no bones, please listen to my plea
I love your daughter Sally and I'm sure that she loves me
And if you agree I think that we could very soon be wed
I promise to love and honour her until the day I'm dead
This marriage said he is a certainty, provided you can guarantee
To give your wife an easy life and lots of security
Now in truth I was unable to fulfill this demand
And straightway was the victim of a severe reprimand
And as he took his shotgun from off the kitchen wall
I quickly beat a swift retreat and vanished down the hall
The next night as I lay and cried, Sally came to my bedside
And now I'm guilty as you see, of immorality
Well, one fine day I'll make my way to 10 Downing Street
Good day, I'll say, I've come a long way, excuse my naked feet
But I lack you see, the energy to buy a pair of shoes
I lose my zest to look my best, when I read the daily news
'Cause it appears you've got an atom bomb
That'll blow us all to hell and gone
If I've got to die then why should I give a damn if my boots aren't on
Three cheers for the army and all the boys in blue
Three cheers for the scientists and politicians too
Three cheers for the future years, when we shall surely reap
All the joys of living on a nuclear rubbish heap
I would fight quite willingly in the forces of Her Majesty
But not to the price of sacrificing all of humanity
When Adam loved Eve they said that he was very much to blame
But if it had been me beneath that tree, I would have done the same
Psychiatrists always insist there's something wrong with me
My eyes won't rest on a woman's breast with equanimity
Forgive me madam, if I stare, but I love the colour of your hair
My soul is quite out of control, my heart beyond repair
Now the vicar and congregation of the local parish church
Show an inclination to leave me in the lurch
Ever since at Sunday School, I couldn't tell right from wrong
And rated higher than the book of Isaiah, the Song of Solomon
I know that I didn't oughta, fall in love with the vicar's daughter
Now that she has wounded me for all eternity
My song is done, there's only one more thing to say
Forgive me if I've bored you stiff, I'll soon be on my way
For bye and bye I'll have to die and leave the things I love
And in disgrace come face to face with the good Lord up above
Who knows if he won't punish me with a million years of purgatory
For blasphemy, impurity and general insanity
But when amongst the angels we come to take our place
I hope you will not think it too much of a disgrace
If I present to God on high a humble offering
Of twenty years of sweat and tears and the songs I love to sing
And if in heaven it should prove true that God likes the musicians too
We'll sing and play and dance all day and no-one there will say us nay
And all our troubles will melt away, we'll never again be blue
The lyrics to "Confession" by Jeremy Taylor depict the struggles and challenges faced by the singer who feels like an outsider in society. The song begins with the singer expressing his confusion over why he is sharing this song with everyone. He emphasizes that he would never harm anyone and never intends to do wrong. However, society continuously tells him that he doesn't fit in because he is not a respectable citizen.
The singer portrays instances where he fails to conform to societal norms. At social gatherings, he is unable to engage in polite conversation as his questions are considered too simple. The lyrics highlight the pressure to be sensible and the consequences of being deemed not respectable.
The narrative then shifts to a plea to Mr. Jones, as the singer confesses his love for Sally, Mr. Jones' daughter, and wishes to marry her. However, he acknowledges his inability to provide the easy life and security that Mr. Jones desires, leading to an unfavorable response. The singer escapes without confrontation but later reflects on the immorality of his actions.
In the final verses, the singer imagines himself addressing the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street, expressing his disdain for the daily news and the threat of an atomic bomb. He critiques the decisions made by the army, scientists, and politicians, who seem to disregard the potential consequences for humanity. The singer also comments on his own perspective on love, sexuality, and religion before ultimately concluding that his hope lies in the afterlife, where he hopes to offer his years of dedication to music as a humble offering to God.
Line by Line Meaning
Everyone, I just don't know why I'm singing you this song
I am expressing confusion about why I am sharing this song with all of you
God knows that I wouldn't hurt a fly and I never would do you wrong
I am assuring you that I am a harmless person who would never cause harm
But society keeps telling me, I simply don't fit in
I constantly face the pressure and criticism from society for not conforming to their standards
I wasn't you see, cut out to be, a respectable citizen
I realize that I am not meant to be a conventional and respected member of society
At balls and dinner parties, I'm always the only one
During social gatherings, I often find myself as the sole person who struggles to engage in polite conversation
Who is quite unable to make polite conversation
I lack the ability to have sophisticated and proper conversations
My questions are too simple to be misunderstood
I ask straightforward questions that cannot be misinterpreted
Like, what's your name, do you smoke a pipe or do you believe in God?
For example, I ask basic questions such as your name, smoking preferences, or religious beliefs
Not to be sensible is a sin that's reprehensible
According to society, it is seen as a terrible offense to lack common sense
And that is why they say that I am not respectable
Due to my unconventional behavior, society views me as lacking respectability
Mr. Jones, I'll make no bones, please listen to my plea
Mr. Jones, I want to express my plea to you without any hesitation
I love your daughter Sally and I'm sure that she loves me
I deeply love Sally, your daughter, and I strongly believe that she loves me in return
And if you agree I think that we could very soon be wed
If you give us your consent, I believe Sally and I can get married very soon
I promise to love and honour her until the day I'm dead
I make a sincere vow to love and respect Sally until the end of my life
This marriage said he is a certainty, provided you can guarantee
I assert that this marriage is definite if you can ensure
To give your wife an easy life and lots of security
that Sally will have a comfortable and secure life
Now in truth I was unable to fulfill this demand
However, I must confess that I was incapable of meeting this requirement
And straightway was the victim of a severe reprimand
As a consequence, I immediately faced a harsh rebuke
And as he took his shotgun from off the kitchen wall
The person angrily grabbed their shotgun from the kitchen wall
I quickly beat a swift retreat and vanished down the hall
I rapidly retreated and disappeared down the hallway to escape danger
The next night as I lay and cried, Sally came to my bedside
On the following night, while I was weeping, Sally visited me by my bedside
And now I'm guilty as you see, of immorality
As a result, I am now burdened with guilt and considered immoral
Well, one fine day I'll make my way to 10 Downing Street
Someday, I aspire to reach 10 Downing Street, the residence of the Prime Minister
Good day, I'll say, I've come a long way, excuse my naked feet
In a polite manner, I will greet them, acknowledging the journey I have taken while apologizing for my bare feet
But I lack you see, the energy to buy a pair of shoes
Unfortunately, I lack the resources and motivation to purchase footwear
I lose my zest to look my best, when I read the daily news
My enthusiasm to appear presentable diminishes when I read the distressing news each day
'Cause it appears you've got an atom bomb
This is because it seems that there is an atomic bomb in your possession
That'll blow us all to hell and gone
A bomb that has the potential to cause widespread destruction
If I've got to die then why should I give a damn if my boots aren't on
If I am destined to die, why should I care about the state of my footwear
Three cheers for the army and all the boys in blue
Let us cheer for the army and show appreciation for all the men in uniform
Three cheers for the scientists and politicians too
Let us also cheer for scientists and politicians
Three cheers for the future years, when we shall surely reap
Furthermore, let us celebrate the coming years when we will undoubtedly experience the consequences
All the joys of living on a nuclear rubbish heap
Such as the delights of dwelling in a world filled with nuclear waste and destruction
I would fight quite willingly in the forces of Her Majesty
I am willing to wholeheartedly fight for the armed forces of the Queen
But not to the price of sacrificing all of humanity
However, I refuse to sacrifice the well-being of all humanity for this cause
When Adam loved Eve they said that he was very much to blame
Referring to the story of Adam and Eve, society placed blame on Adam for his love towards Eve
But if it had been me beneath that tree, I would have done the same
However, if I were in Adam's position, I would have made the same choice
Psychiatrists always insist there's something wrong with me
Psychiatrists continually assert that something is mentally amiss with me
My eyes won't rest on a woman's breast with equanimity
I cannot help but gaze at a woman's breasts without losing composure
Forgive me madam, if I stare, but I love the colour of your hair
Please pardon me, madam, if I gaze intently, for I am captivated by the hue of your hair
My soul is quite out of control, my heart beyond repair
My soul is in a state of disarray, and my heart is irreparably damaged
Now the vicar and congregation of the local parish church
The vicar and the members of the local parish church
Show an inclination to leave me in the lurch
Demonstrate a tendency to abandon and betray me
Ever since at Sunday School, I couldn't tell right from wrong
Their alienation towards me began when I was unable to distinguish between right and wrong during Sunday School
And rated higher than the book of Isaiah, the Song of Solomon
Surprisingly, they regarded me as more significant than religious texts like the book of Isaiah and the Song of Solomon
I know that I didn't oughta, fall in love with the vicar's daughter
I am aware that I should not have fallen in love with the daughter of the vicar
Now that she has wounded me for all eternity
Now that she has inflicted permanent emotional pain upon me
My song is done, there's only one more thing to say
With this, my song comes to an end, and there is just one final message I need to convey
Forgive me if I've bored you stiff, I'll soon be on my way
Please pardon me if I have utterly bored you, as I will depart shortly
For bye and bye I'll have to die and leave the things I love
Eventually, I will have to face death and bid farewell to the things that bring me joy
And in disgrace come face to face with the good Lord up above
In a state of shame, I will confront the higher power, God, beyond
Who knows if he won't punish me with a million years of purgatory
I wonder if God might choose to punish me with an immeasurable duration of purgatory
For blasphemy, impurity and general insanity
As a form of retribution for my acts of blasphemy, impurity, and overall craziness
But when amongst the angels we come to take our place
However, when we join the angels in our designated positions
I hope you will not think it too much of a disgrace
I hope you will not consider it too shameful or embarrassing
If I present to God on high a humble offering
Should I offer to the mighty God above a modest gift
Of twenty years of sweat and tears and the songs I love to sing
Consisting of twenty years filled with hard work, tears, and the songs that I hold dear
And if in heaven it should prove true that God likes the musicians too
And if it turns out that God also has an appreciation for musicians in heaven
We'll sing and play and dance all day and no-one there will say us nay
We will joyfully sing, play music, and dance ceaselessly without anyone objecting
And all our troubles will melt away, we'll never again be blue
All our difficulties will vanish, and we will never experience sadness again
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JASEN RAUCH, ROB GRAVES, JASON MCARTHUR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind