James Taylor

[fox69]

"The Frozen Man"

"The Frozen Man"



Last thing I remember is the freezing cold, water reaching up just to swallow me whole.
Ice in the rigging and howling wind, shock to my body as we tumbled in, mercy from God.
My brothers and the others are lost at sea, I alone am returned to tell thee.
Hidden in ice for a century to walk the world again, Lord have mercy on the frozen man.

Next words that were spoken to me, nurse asked me what my name might be.
She was all in white at the foot of my bed, I said angel of mercy I'm alive or am I dead?
My name is William James McPhee, I was born in 1843.
Raised in Liverpool by the sea but that ain't who I am, Lord have mercy on the frozen man.

It took a lot of money to start my heart, to peg my leg and to buy my eye.
The newspapers call me the state of the art, and the children, when they see me, cry.
I thought it would be nice just to visit my grave, see what kind of tombstone I might have.
I saw my wife and my daughter and it seemed so strange,
both of them dead and gone from extreme old age.
See here, when I die make sure I'm gone, don't leave 'em nothing to work on.
You can raise your arm, you can wiggle your hand, not unlike myself,
and you can wave goodbye to the frozen man.

I know what it means to freeze to death, to lose a little life with every breath.
To say goodbye to life on earth and come around again,
Lord have mercy on the frozen man, Lord have mercy on the frozen man.

 

[fox69]

"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"

"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"



When Liberty Valance came to town, the women folk would hide, they'd hide.
When Liberty Valance walked around, the men would step aside
because the point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood.
When it came to shooting straight and fast, he was mighty good.

From out of the east a stranger came, a law book in his hand.
A man, the kind of man the west would need to ease a troubled land.
because the point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood.
When it came to shooting straight and fast, he was mighty good.

Many a man would face his gun and many a man would fall.
The man who shot Liberty Valance, he shot Liberty Valance, he was the bravest of them all.

Now the love of a woman can make a man stay on when he should go, stay on.
just trying to build a peaceful life where love is free to go.
But the point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood.
When it came to shooting straight and fast, he was mighty good.

Alone and afraid she prayed that he'd return that fateful night, that night.
when nothing she said could keep her man from going out to fight.
But the point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood.
When it came to shooting straight and fast, he was mighty good.

Out in the sun, two shots rang out, the shots made Liberty fall.
The man who shot Liberty Valance, he shot Liberty Valance he was the bravest of them all.

 

[fox69]

"The Promised Land"

"The Promised Land"



Left my home in Norfolk, Virginia, California on my mind.
Straddled that Greyhound and rode it into Raleigh and on across Caroline.
We stopped in Charlotte but we bypassed Rockhill, we never was a minute late.
We were ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown rolling out of Georgia state.

Had some motor trouble that turned into a struggle half way across Alabam.
That hound broke and left us all stranded in downtown Birmingham.
So right away I bought me a through train ticket right across Mississippi clean,
And I was on that Special Flyer out of Birmingham smoking into New Orleans.

Someone's got to help me get out of Louisiana, just to help me get to Houston town.
There's an uncle there who cares a little about me and he won't let the poor boy down.
Sure as you're born, he bought me a silk suit, put some luggage in my hand.
And I woke up high over Albuquerque on a jet to the Promised Land.

Working on a T-Bone steak, a la carte, flying over to the Golden State.
When the pilot told us that in thirteen minutes he would have us at the terminal gate.
Swing down chariot, come down easy, taxi to the terminal dome.
Cut your engines and cool your wings and let me make it to the telephone.

Los Angeles give me Norfolk, Virginia, tidewater four-ten-O-nine.
Tell the folks back home this is the Promised Land calling,
and the poor boy is on the line.

 

[fox69]

"The Water Is Wide"

"The Water Is Wide"



The water is wide, I can't cross over, and neither have I wings to fly.
Build me a boat that can carry two and both shall row, my love and I.

There is a ship and she sails the sea. She's loaded deep, as deep can be.
But not so deep as the love I'm in, I know not how I sink or swim.

Oh love is handsome and love is fine, the sweetest flower when first it's new.
But love grows old and waxes cold and fades away like Summer dew.

Build me a boat that can carry two and both shall row, my love and I,
And both shall row, my love and I.

 

[fox69]

"There We Are"

"There We Are"



Listen to me and I'll sing you a song
and the time will go by till you never know where it's gone.
Talk to me and I'll tell you my life story.
Walk with me and I'll tell you my dreams of glory.
There we are walking hand in hand, somewhere on the sand
at the end of the land and the edge of the shining sea.

Drifting through time and space on the face of a little blue ball falling around the sun.
One in a million, billion twinkling lights shining out for no one in the middle of the night.
Here we are, sparks in the darkness, speaking of our love
burning down forever and forever.

Oh, I don't know if I told you, but you hold my heart in your hand.
And I found out something about you, baby, without you. I'm a lonely man.

So though I never say that I love you, I love you, darling I do, Carly, I do love you.
And though we are as nothing to the stars that shine above,
you are my universe, you are my love.
Here we are, like children forever, taking care of one another
while the world goes on without us, all around us.

 

[fox69]

"Traffic Jam"

"Traffic Jam"



Damn this traffic jam, how I hate to be late, it hurts my motor to go so slow.
Damn this traffic jam, time I get home my supper'll be cold, damn this traffic jam.

Well I left my job about 5 o'clock, it took fifteen minutes go three blocks,
Just in time to stand in line with a freeway looking like a parking lot.
Damn this traffic jam, how I hate to be late, it hurts my motor to go so slow.
Damn this traffic jam, time I get home my supper'll be cold, damn this traffic jam.

Now I almost had a heart attack, looking in my rear view mirror,
I saw myself the next car back, looking in the rear view mirror,
about to have a heart attack, I said,
damn this traffic jam, how I hate to be late, it hurts my motor to go so slow.
Damn this traffic jam, time I get home my supper'll be cold, damn this traffic jam.

Now when I die I don't want no coffin, I thought about it all too often.
Just strap me in behind the wheel and bury me with my automobile.
Damn this traffic jam, how I hate to be late, it hurts my motor to go so slow.
Damn this traffic jam, time I get home my supper'll be cold, damn this traffic jam. Damn.

Now I used to think that I was cool running around on fossil fuel,
Until I saw what I was doing was driving down the road to ruin.

 

[fox69]

"Turn Away"

"Turn Away"



I open my arms to hold you, you turn away you turn away.
I feel it just like I told you, how can you turn away?
The things that we said last Saturday night, you turn away you turn away,
now you want to throw that away, how can you turn away?
It was true love, it was you and me and the sliver moon and the shining sea.
It was new but it felt to me just like love was supposed to be finally.

And now your eyes won't meet mine, you turn away you turn away.
I never want to taste that sweet wine again, how can you turn away?
It was true love, it was you and me and the sliver moon and the shining sea.
It was new but it felt to me just like love was supposed to be finally.

And after this love I'm keeping for you, you turn away you turn away.
I never want to taste that sweet wine again, how can you turn away?
It was true love, it was you and me and the sliver moon and the shining sea.
It was new but it felt to me just like love was supposed to be finally.

And after this love I'm keeping for you, you turn away you turn away.
I'll dry these tears that I'm weeping for you and take my turn to turn away, yeah.

 

[fox69]

"Up Er Mei"

"Up Er Mei"



We were walking in paradise, never did notice. Blind in the Buddha land, looking for solace.
We had been told of a place, far beyond this vale of tears.
We could never have guessed, we were already blessed.
There we were, where we are in the garden.

Didn't we climb on up Er Mei, temple to temple?
Yes and all and all along the way, the day was simple.
Didn't we reach the top, didn't we gain our goal? Did we finally stop, surprised by the cold?

We were walking in paradise, never did tumble. Blind in the Buddha land, looking for trouble.
We had been told of a place far beyond this vale of tears.
We could never have guessed, we were already blessed.
There we were, where we are, in the garden, in the garden.

 

[fox69]

"Up From Your Life"

"Up From Your Life"



So much for your moment of prayer, God's not at home there is no there, there.
Lost in the stars, that's what you are, left here on your own.

You can only hope to live on this earth, this here is it, for all it's worth.
Nothing else awaits you, no second birth, no starry crown.

For an unbeliever like you, there's not much they can do that would turn you away.
Though I hate to see you surrender, you need to surrender, we must find you a way to
Look up from your life, up from your life, look on up from your life, look up from your life.

There's a river running under your feet, under this house, under this street.
Straight from the heart, ancient and sweet, on its way back home.
Even in the middle of your sadness, the everyday madness, the ongoing game.
Even when you can't find a reason, still there is a reason, you don't need to name it.
Look on up, look up from your life, look on up from your life, look up from your life.

Oh, even for a minute to find yourself in it, to wait by the stream to drop out of your dream,
Look on up, look up from your life, look on up from your life, look up from your life.
Look up from your life, up from your life, look on up from your life, look up from your life.

 

[fox69]

"Up On The Roof"
(performed with Carole King)

"Up On The Roof"
(performed with Carole King)



When this old world starts a getting me down,
and people are just too much for me to face.
I'll climb way up to the top of the stairs and all my cares just drift right into space.
On the roof, it's peaceful as can be and there the world below don't bother me, no, no.

So when I come home feeling tired and beat, I'll go up where the air is fresh and sweet.
I'll get far away from the hustling crowd and all the rat-race noise down in the street.
On the roof, that's the only place I know, look at the city, baby.
Where you just have to wish to make it so, let's go up on the roof.

And at night the stars, they put on a show for free.
And, darling, you can share it all with me, that's what I said, keep on telling you
That right smack dab in the middle of town , I found a paradise that's trouble-proof.
And if this old world starts a getting you down, there's room enough for two
up on the roof, up on the roof, up on the roof.
Everything is all right, every thing is all right.
You got the stars above and the city lights below, let's go up on the roof.