Originally coming to fame in the mid-1960s singing orchestral pop ballads as the frontman of The Walker Brothers, Walker went on to a solo career balancing a light entertainment/MOR ballad approach with increasing artistic innovations in arrangement and writing. Despite a series of acclaimed albums, a disastrous drop in sales forced him back into straight Middle of the road recordings with little of his own artistic input. This in turn eventually led to a Walker Brothers reunion in the mid-1970s (although the latter eventually moved, by mutual consent, into more avant-garde areas).
From the mid-1980s, Walker revived his solo career while drastically reinventing his artistic and compositional methods, via a series of acclaimed and vividly avant-garde albums. These combined his iconic voice with an unsettling avant-garde approach which owed more to modernist and post-modernist classical composition than to his pop singer past. This change in approach has been compared to "Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen".
Walker has been a continuing influence on other artists, in particular The Last Shadow Puppets, Marc Almond, Goldfrapp, Douglas Pearce of the band Death in June, Billy MacKenzie of The Associates, David Sylvian, Julian Cope, Antony Hegarty, Thom Yorke, Steven Wilson, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Trey Spruance, Perry Blake, Radiohead, Noah Lennox, Mikael Åkerfeldt, and the Divine Comedy/Neil Hannon.
Walker continued to release solo material until his death, and was signed to 4AD Records. As a record producer or guest performer he worked with a number of artists including Pulp, Ute Lemper, Bat For Lashes and Sunn O))).
Thanks for Chicago Mr James
Scott Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I guess you saw the way before it all began
I've always been a changin' train
And when you think on this you might forgive me then
Thanks for Chicago Mr James
And all the shiny suits and all the shiny names
The things a country boy can't grace
Without the look of shame upon a city face
You picked me up on my way down
That dusty one horse town - I won't forget the jail
The mayor's wife and Cadillac
The sheriff on my back 'til you put up the bail
Thanks for Chicago Mr James
You got a lot of grace but you're an empty place
The dawn falls hard upon my face
I'll move as I began through fields without a plan
Thanks for Chicago Mr James
That world of grey and gold that watched you growing old
The things I never saw I see
To think that I'm still free and I'm not feeling cold
The lyrics "Thanks for Chicago Mr. James" by Scott Walker express gratitude to a man named Mr. James who helped the singer, a country boy who was never one for staying in the same place for too long. The lyrics paint a picture of a story in which the singer was down on his luck and in trouble with the law in a dusty, one-horse town. Enter Mr. James, who takes the singer under his wing and introduces him to the big city of Chicago, where he experiences things like shiny suits, shiny names, and fancy cars that he could never have seen in his small hometown.
The song is about the singer's journey from a small town to the big city, and how the experience changed him in ways that he couldn't have imagined. He acknowledges that he's not the same person he once was, and that Mr. James was instrumental in helping him see that there was more to life than just his small, provincial existence. Despite this, the singer also notes that there's a sense of emptiness in the big city, and that there are things he misses about his simpler, more rural life.
Overall, the lyrics are a meditation on the idea of change and how it can be both exhilarating and frightening, depending on your perspective. The singer is grateful to Mr. James for showing him a different world, but also acknowledges that he has lost something in the process. The song is a poignant reminder that life is full of trade-offs, and that every choice we make has consequences that we may not fully understand.
Line by Line Meaning
You always said I wouldn't stay
You predicted that I would not remain in one place for too long.
I guess you saw the way before it all began
You knew my tendency to keep moving even before I did.
I've always been a changin' train
I have always been someone who constantly moves and changes.
And when you think on this you might forgive me then
If you understand this aspect of me, you may be more willing to forgive me for my actions.
Thanks for Chicago Mr James
I am grateful for the experiences I had in Chicago, and I thank you for introducing me to it.
And all the shiny suits and all the shiny names
I saw the glitz and glamour of the city and all the important people there.
The things a country boy can't grace
There are certain things that a person from the country cannot handle or be a part of in the city.
Without the look of shame upon a city face
People in the city can easily recognize an outsider who is not comfortable in their surroundings.
And you needed more than the smile I wore
You required more from me than just a friendly face.
You picked me up on my way down
You helped me out when I was at my lowest point.
That dusty one horse town - I won't forget the jail
I will always remember the small, unimportant town I came from and the trouble I got into there.
The mayor's wife and Cadillac
I encountered important people in my hometown as well, but they were not quite the same as those in the city.
The sheriff on my back 'til you put up the bail
I got into legal trouble and you helped me out by paying my bail.
You got a lot of grace but you're an empty place
Chicago may look beautiful and impressive, but it does not have the heart and soul that a smaller town or city might have.
The dawn falls hard upon my face
I feel the weight of my decisions and actions each day as I wake up.
I'll move as I began through fields without a plan
I will continue to move and make changes without necessarily knowing where I am going next.
That world of grey and gold that watched you growing old
Chicago may have once been impressive and exciting, but now it has lost its luster with time.
The things I never saw I see
Through my experiences in Chicago, I have gained a new perspective and learned about things I never would have encountered in my small town.
To think that I'm still free and I'm not feeling cold
Despite the challenges I have faced and the changes I have gone through, I am still able to maintain my freedom and independence.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: ANDY SEMEL, SCOTT ENGEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bellinghammond
such strange lyrics:
You always said I wouldn't stay
I guess you saw the way before it all began
I've always been a changin' train
And when you think on this you might forgive me then
Thanks for Chicago Mr James
And all the shiny suits and all the shiny names
The things a country boy can't grace
Without the look of shame upon a city face
And you needed more than the smile I wore
You picked me up on my way down
That dusty one horse town - I won't forget the jail
The mayor's wife and Cadillac
The sheriff on my back 'til you put up the bail
Thanks for Chicago Mr James
You got a lot of grace but you're an empty place
The dawn falls hard upon my face
I'll move as I began through fields without a plan
Thanks for Chicago Mr James
That world of grey and gold that watched you growing old
The things I never saw I see
To think that I'm still free and I'm not feeling cold
Maria Henderson
I have loved this man for almost 53 years . I was 12 years old when I first saw Scott with John and Gary on a triple bill with Roy Orbison and Lulu . He has always been my dream. And he has a voice to die for . I think Scott is more than a legend . He has always been true to himself ...even in the face of adversity . He had a truth to live and that truth involved him seeking and performing the genres he preferred . He was never comfortable in the limelight . He preferred the music of Jacque Brel and old standard type songs . His voice could sing the phone book and make it sound good . I dont know if this is true fact or not , but a radio presenter friend of mine told me that Thanks For Chicago Mr James was in honour of one of the architects who has designed the city. Dont know if thats true . I think maybe Scott was paying homage to the grandeur of Chicago
Jack Geitz
This is so lovely..........my thoughts exactly.........
Linda Behnke
I Agree with you His voice is So Soothing and Relaxing and he's Good On The Eyes Too!!!
ebaylistentomusic
Wonderfully said. I could not agree me more. He is a towering giant. When I first heard and got obsessed with Scott 1,2 , 3, 4 what amazed me most is that the music stood outside of time. You can not pin it to any one era. It is timeless.
daubreyjaneweirdsley
I've been listening to Scott Walker since the mid - sixties, now over fifty years later whenever I feel blue and I play this song it breaks my heart, more now than when I was a young woman.
Cassie Copeland
Too beautiful for words...I love you, Scott Walker...May you rest in Peace...<3
backpages98
I've been listening to this album the past couple days and honestly, it's underrated. His self-penned tunes are all great.
colin warner
I have Scotts music from nearly the start, until nearly the end, there wont be another voice like that, or the arrangements either. R.I.P Scott.
SINGSTRESS100
Wonderful intro - in fact wonderfully crafted song. Gosh he has it all - voice, musical insight and he was even at the front of the queue when the looks were handed out
Glenn Alexander
Thank God Scott has given us so much material to listen to and appreciate. What a voice!