Taylor started her musical career at the age of fifteen in the band Little Red Rocket with Orenda Fink which released two albums on Geffen, Who Did You Pay (1997) and It's in the Sound (2000). The group disbanded during the merging of Geffen with Universal Music Group.
Taylor later moved to Athens, Georgia along with her musical collaborator, Fink where they formed the band Azure Ray.
Taylor released her first solo album 11:11 on Saddle Creek Records on May 24, 2005. The album features Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, Gretta Cohn of Cursive, Andy LeMaster and Mike Mogis as both musicians and producers. Grey's Anatomy named its March 31, 2011 episode Song Beneath the Song after a track from the album and also featured the song on the original soundtrack. Taylor later recorded a new song for Grey's Anatomy's 2005 Christmas episode entitled Christmas After All. Her second solo album, Lynn Teeter Flower, was released on March 6, 2007, also on Saddle Creek. A Good Start, the first track, was subsequently named one of NPR's 10 best songs of the year for 2007. The Ballad of Sean Foley was co-written with Conor Oberst. The following year she released an acoustic album titled Savannah Drive with Andy LeMaster which includes stripped-down versions of songs from her first two albums, plus one new track, Tell Me. On March 31, 2009 she released her third full length, LadyLuck via Nettwerk Music Group featuring the song Cartoons and Forever Plans, co-written by and including guest vocals from Michael Stipe of R.E.M.. LadyLuck reached number 48 on Billboard's "Heatseakers" charts.
Overlook, Maria's 4th solo album, was released August 16, 2011. After moving back to her hometown of Birmingham, Taylor was unable to write for nearly a year, eventually composing the entire album over two weeks during a break in touring with Azure Ray. This release marks the first time Taylor produced her own album. Paste called Overlook "her best, most animated collection in years." [19]
Maria Taylor released her fifth solo record, Something About Knowing on October 29, 2013 on Saddle Creek Records.
After moving back to Los Angeles, Taylor wrote and recorded In the Next Life, released December 9, 2016 on her own label, Flower Moon Records. The album features guest appearances from familiar collaborators Joshua Radin, Conor Oberst, among others. If Only (featuring Conor Oberst) was prominently featured in NBC's This Is Us. NPR, who premiered the full album stream, called it "her warmest and most affecting album... filled with gorgeous, touching songs about family, legacy, fear and the pursuit of contentment."
In November 2017, Taylor joined Ben Lee and an all star band of other musicians as Daniel Johnston's back band during the Los Angeles stop of his final tour.
In April 2018, Paste premiered Real Life (Trump Era) from the Friends and Family Vol. 1 compilation, put out on her label, Flower Moon Records. Released May 11, 2018, other contributors included Azure Ray bandmate Orenda Fink, Nik Freitas, Louis Schefano, Jake Bellows[/artist, and more. Flower Moon Records has since re-released Taylor's earlier albums, 11:11 and LadyLuck. On November 11, 2019, Taylor released her self-titled album, Maria Taylor.
Birmingham 1982
Maria Taylor Lyrics
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The sun step down for the moon
Story books, night lights
And I still remember songs
Pianos sing along
And the coloured sounds of spring
Its harmony
Do you still remember?
Finger painted skin
Where life was a reaction
And love was just laughing with a friend
Down out in the backyard stream
Make a wish for your dream
Maybe a kiss maybe a ring
And I still remember songs
The banjos sing along
And the crisp sound of fall
I still recall
Do you still remember?
Flashlights under covers
Raindrops on my tongue
When life had no distractions
And love wasn't hurting anyone
Fireflies, four-leaf clovers
Finger painted skin
We don't know where we're going
We'll get nowhere if we've forgotten where we've been
We'll get nowhere if we've forgotten where we've been
The song “Birmingham 1982” by Maria Taylor invokes nostalgia and reminiscence, taking the listener back to a simpler time in life where innocence, joy and love prevailed. The lyrics begin with a scene of a family gathering for dinner on a late afternoon with the sun giving way to the moon. Memories of bedtime stories, nightlights and the beautiful harmonies of pianos playing in the background are conjured up. The colloquial phrase “pianos sing along” effectively portrays the memories of how music was an integral part of this little girl’s childhood. The imagery of “colored sounds of spring” enhancing the already beautiful harmony brings out the joy of spring and its significance to the little girl, where she can vividly recall the sounds from her past.
The second verse is set in the backyard, by the stream where a young girl makes a wish for her dream, possibly pertaining to love. The lyrics capture the essence of country life, where the banjos were played, and the sounds of fall could be heard. The phrase “crisp sound of fall” gives the listener an insight into the vivid details of the memories of the past that remain etched in the little girl’s mind, even as an adult. The memory of raindrops on the tongue and flashlights hidden beneath the covers invoke a feeling of comfort, safety and warmth. The final line, “We'll get nowhere if we've forgotten where we've been” sums up the theme of the song, emphasizing the need to nurture childhood memories and not lose sight of where we have come from.
Line by Line Meaning
Dinner call in the late afternoon
Recalling a time when dinner was a special occasion in the late afternoon
The sun step down for the moon
Describing the transition from day to night
Story books, night lights
Remembering stories and night lights from childhood
And I still remember songs
Reminiscing about the music from that time
Pianos sing along
Memories of piano music
And the coloured sounds of spring
Sounds associated with the season of spring
Its harmony
The beauty of the sounds and the way they blend together
Do you still remember?
Asking if the listener also remembers these things
Fireflies, four-leaf clovers
Recalling specific things from childhood that were special
Finger painted skin
Remembering the sensory experience of finger painting
Where life was a reaction
Reflecting on a simpler time when life was less planned and more spontaneous
And love was just laughing with a friend
Thinking about the idea of love being innocent and carefree
Down out in the backyard stream
Recalling playing in a stream in the backyard
Make a wish for your dream
Describing the hopeful nature of childhood dreams
Maybe a kiss maybe a ring
Linking dreams to ideas of romance and love
The banjos sing along
More memories of music, this time with a banjo
And the crisp sound of fall
Sensory memories of the season of fall
I still recall
Emphasizing that the memories are still clear and vivid
Do you still remember?
Repeating the earlier question to the listener
Flashlights under covers
Recalling the fun tradition of reading with flashlights under covers
Raindrops on my tongue
Sensory memories of playing in the rain
When life had no distractions
Reflecting on a time when life was simple and not cluttered with distractions
And love wasn't hurting anyone
Remembering a time when love was not complicated or painful
We don't know where we're going
Acknowledging uncertainty about the future
We'll get nowhere if we've forgotten where we've been
Highlighting the importance of remembering the past and how it shapes the future
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind