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.
just once
Maria Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A countless reeling
Talk comes easy with confidence
Can taste the season
Of easy loving
When there's no reason to celebrate
We caught it spinning
The evil's winning
Our thoughts are blurring
The drinks we sharing
I'll never drown in the grab
'Cause it was just one night
It was on the first sight
And I can't get it out of my mind
This car has CD
It makes me greedy
Forgetting is easy with eloquence
The talk is fluent
The truth is ruined
And jukebox sings my sentiment
The car is moving
The night is proving
A tricky way to medicate
It caught me scheming
I was believing
I'd never drown in the grab
'Cause it was just one night
It was on the first sight
And I can't get it out of my mind
'Cause it was just one night
In the red light
And I can't get it out of my mind
And take advise
See it back in the night
Or just right now
'Cause it was just one night
It was on the first sight
And I can't get it out of my mind
'Cause it was just one night
In the red light
And I can't get it out of my mind
The lyrics of Maria Taylor's song "Just Once" convey a sense of reckless abandon and the consequences that come with it. The first verse sets the tone with lines like "Unconscious bleeding" and "A countless reeling," suggesting a lack of control and the aftermath of a wild night. The singer recognizes the ease with which they engage in meaningless conversations and indulge in temporary pleasures, such as drinking. There is a sense of disillusionment as they acknowledge the absence of a reason to celebrate.
As the song progresses, the second verse continues to explore the consequences of their actions. The singer references a car with a CD, which serves as a metaphor for the distractions they seek to forget their experiences. The talk is fluent but lacks truth, emphasizing the superficiality of their interactions. The night itself is portrayed as deceptive, offering temporary relief but ultimately leading to a realization that they have fallen into a destructive pattern of behavior.
The repeated lines "'Cause it was just one night, it was on the first sight, and I can't get it out of my mind" suggest that despite being aware of the negative consequences, the singer is unable to let go of the memories and emotions associated with that one night. The mention of the "red light" in the final chorus adds a sense of urgency and danger, further emphasizing the reckless nature of their actions.
Overall, "Just Once" speaks to the allure of temporary pleasures, the consequences that follow, and the internal struggle to move on from a fleeting moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Unconscious bleeding
Feeling emotionally wounded without realizing it
A countless reeling
Being overwhelmed and unable to think clearly
Talk comes easy with confidence
Speaking confidently without hesitation
Can taste the season
Being able to experience the essence of a particular time or feeling
Of easy loving
A time of effortless and simple love
When there's no reason to celebrate
Even in the absence of a specific occasion or cause for joy
We caught it spinning
We realized that things were getting out of control
The evil's winning
Negativity and destructive forces are prevailing
Walking strong and seize the day
Showing resilience and taking every opportunity to make the most of life
Our thoughts are blurring
Our thinking is becoming unclear
The drinks we sharing
Drinking together, possibly to numb the pain or escape reality
I'll never drown in the grab
I will never fully succumb to the negative influences or temptations
'Cause it was just one night
Because it was only a fleeting moment
It was on the first sight
It happened immediately upon seeing each other
And I can't get it out of my mind
I cannot stop thinking about it
This car has CD
This car has a CD player
It makes me greedy
It instills in me a strong desire for more
Forgetting is easy with eloquence
Being able to easily forget by speaking persuasively
The talk is fluent
Speaking smoothly and effortlessly
The truth is ruined
The honesty and authenticity have been destroyed
And jukebox sings my sentiment
The jukebox plays a song that expresses my feelings
The car is moving
The car is in motion
The night is proving
The night is confirming or displaying something
A tricky way to medicate
A deceptive or dangerous method to numb pain or cope
It caught me scheming
It exposed my plans or intentions
I was believing
I was convinced or holding strong beliefs
'Cause it was just one night
Because it was only a fleeting moment
In the red light
In a situation of danger, warning, or vulnerability
And I can't get it out of my mind
I cannot stop thinking about it
And take advise
Listen to advice
See it back in the night
Reflect on it during the night
Or just right now
Or immediately, at this very moment
'Cause it was just one night
Because it was only a fleeting moment
It was on the first sight
It happened immediately upon seeing each other
And I can't get it out of my mind
I cannot stop thinking about it
'Cause it was just one night
Because it was only a fleeting moment
In the red light
In a situation of danger, warning, or vulnerability
And I can't get it out of my mind
I cannot stop thinking about it
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP
Written by: MARK HOCKINGS, RICHARD JAMES SILVERTHORN, NEIL TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind