This California native picked up the guitar at eight years old and never looked back, eventually earning a UCLA ethnomusicology degree. Her recording career was jumpstarted in the late ‘90s when a legendary Apple Computer founder heard her playing a Bay Area coffeehouse and handed her a paper bag of cash to finance her first album, Life Between Two Worlds .
James was joined on her second CD, Shocking Pink Banana Seat by D.J. Bonebrake (X) on drums and Abby Travis on bass. Seeing her live show led Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman to invite James on the road, opening for Ratdog. She was hand-picked by Lindsay Buckingham as the opening act for his US tour. She also had the honor of opening for such acts as Richard Thompson, Daniel Lanois, Billy Bragg, Jim Carroll, and Rufus Wainright, among others. Musician friends like Tommy Stinson (Replacements) and the Wondermints are heard on her third release, the ambitious double-CD set Fantastic Voyage. Disc 1 allowed her multi-octave voice to soar, while her inventive tunings and fretwork are highlighted on the all-instrumental Disc 2. The CD set received much critical praise and led to tours in Europe and Canada.
James then met and moved to London to join her husband, sound engineer/producer Fulton Dingley, renown for his work with Stereolab and the High Llamas. After taking time off in the UK to become a mom, Susan relocated with her family to funky Topanga Canyon in LA, where her country lifestyle has certainly inspired the tone of her newest release,
Wandering
Susan James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Travel down roads we never seen
Let's go lay beneath the frozen stars
Down by the river and the broken bars
There's a thunderbird in the cloud above
The destination is a house called love
A hard stoney road or a bitter cup
Can't bring us down, so pack it up
The blue moon lights the way,
Wandering for days
The turqoise trail or the old grapevine
As long as we're together, I don't mind
I love to hear the hoot owl, calling from the tree
Old coyote sing for me
We'll go wandering for days, wandering for days
The blue moon lights the way,
wandering the days, wandering for days
Mountain rain come pouring down on me
I hear you softly calling from my sleep
And in my dreams we fly
Together blue and high, just you and me
I got a compass for a heart and a pick axe mind
We'll follow our dreams
While the black-top snake, unwinds
We'll go wandering for days, wandering for days
The blue moon lights the way,
Wandering for days
wandering for days, wandering for days
The blue moon lights the way,
We'll go wandering, wandering for days
wandering for days, wandering for days
wandering for days
The song "Wandering" by Susan James is a beautiful ode to wanderlust and the freedom of being on the open road. The lyrics describe a journey the singer is taking with a loved one, exploring new roads and sleeping under the stars. The destination is a place called love, and no hardship or obstacle can bring them down. The imagery in the song is vivid and evocative, painting pictures of landscapes, animals, and natural phenomena like the blue moon. The song captures the joy of being unplugged from the world, taking life one day at a time, and finding peace in the simple things.
The opening lines "Hey little honey, take a ride with me, travel down roads we never seen" invite the listener to imagine themselves in the car with the singer, ready for a journey of discovery. The metaphor of the "thunderbird in the cloud above" creates a sense of awe and wonder, as if anything is possible on this adventurous trip. The references to animals like the hoot owl and coyote serve to ground the song in the natural world, reminding the listener that there is beauty all around us if we take the time to notice it. When the singer describes having "a compass for a heart and a pick axe mind" they are suggesting that they are following their passion and their own path, regardless of where it takes them.
Overall, "Wandering" is a lovely, heartfelt song about the pleasures and challenges of the road, and the freedom that comes with being able to wander.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey little honey, take a ride with me
Come with me and let's explore new places together
Travel down roads we never seen
Let's embark on a journey filled with new experiences
Let's go lay beneath the frozen stars
Let's enjoy each other's company under the vastness of the starlit sky
Down by the river and the broken bars
We can escape reality and find solace by the river and the abandoned area
There's a thunderbird in the cloud above
There's a sense of metaphorical danger looming in the sky
The destination is a house called love
Our journey has an aim to embrace and cherish the love we share
A hard stoney road or a bitter cup
Challenges in our journey won't deter us from reaching our goal
Can't bring us down, so pack it up
We won't be stopped by anything, so let's continue our journey
We go wandering for days, wandering for days
We wander aimlessly for as long as we desire
The blue moon lights the way,
We are guided by a rare and unusual kind of light
The turqoise trail or the old grapevine
Our path won't be predetermined, but wherever it may lead, we'll enjoy it
As long as we're together, I don't mind
As long as we're with each other, everything will be alright
I love to hear the hoot owl, calling from the tree
The noises of nature add to the positive experience of our journey
Old coyote sing for me
The animals sing with us as we wander through their habitat
Mountain rain come pouring down on me
Nature doesn't bend for us, but we'll embrace it anyway
I hear you softly calling from my sleep
We miss each other while we're asleep and wish to be together again
And in my dreams we fly
Even in our dreams, we continue our journey together
Together blue and high, just you and me
We soar high in the sky as a couple
I got a compass for a heart and a pick axe mind
I'm passionate and driven towards our journey's goal
We'll follow our dreams
We'll keep pushing forward and accomplishing our goals
While the black-top snake, unwinds
We'll continue our journey as the road goes on endlessly
wandering for days, wandering for days
We wander together for as long as we can
wandering for days, wandering for days
We continue our aimless journey together
The blue moon lights the way,
The unique blue moon still guides us through our journey
We'll go wandering, wandering for days
Our journey will be aimless and without end
wandering for days, wandering for days
We relish the experiences our journey brings us
wandering for days
Our aimless journey will continue
Contributed by Luke E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.