Songwriters You Should Know: James McMurtry (also, I'm livestreaming)
Another cheerful tune from Texas
Texas produces some good songwriters. Google it. It’s an impressive list.
One of my favorites, from Texas or anywhere, is James McMurtry.
The son of novelist/screenwriter, Larry McMurtry, he writes with a sardonic, sweet, and sometimes angry voice. I’m fond of saying, after playing one of his songs live, “This was just another cheerful tune from James McMurtry.”
His insight into the stark plight of humanity results is poetic lines that are both simple and genius.
Levelland
Years ago, before I knew this song, I was speaking at an educational publishing event in Midland, Texas. I’m hard-pressed to fully understand how we ended up in Midland but there we were.
As part of the event they scheduled me to speak to an auditorium of high school students bussed in from the area. As the students came in I was speaking to a group of them sitting in the front. I asked, “Where are you guys from?”
A young woman said, “We’re from Levelland.”
Me: “Levelland? How it get a name like that?”
Her: “Have you looked outside?”
Flatter than a table top
Makes you wonder why they stopped here
Wagon must have lost a wheel
Or they lacked ambition one
In the great migration West
Separated from the rest
Though they might have tried their best
They never caught the son
So they sunk some roots down in the dirt
To keep from blowing off the earth
Built a town right here
And when the dust had finally cleared
They called it Levelland
The pride of man. Levelland
- James McMurtryLacked ambition one
That’s quite a line.
I haven’t checked lately but if you check out the comments on his video, there are a number of citizens of Levelland who don’t find the song witty at all.
Look, I lived in Palmdale/Lancaster, in the Mojave Desert. Met a lot of nice folks out there. But it is still an ugly, dry, windy, dusty place.
I suspect it is McMurtry’s politics that bother them more.
I’m Livestreaming
I finally got things set up to do some decent sounding livestreams. I didn’t promote them much as I was still getting the kinks worked out.
However, last night, I included one of my favorite James McMurtry songs, Where’s Johnny. Below the video I’ll link a few other McMurtry songs. I hope the introduction to James gives you a little glimpse into my head.
If you want to catch me livestreaming, subscribe on YouTube. I will announce them here once in awhile but I don’t want to inundate your inbox.
Other McMurtry Tunes
Choctow Bingo (it’s long and brutal - but great!!)
That’s all for now. I’m working on music and just got an email today that a local restaurant wants me to play there in the next few weeks. I also have a house concert scheduled in… wait for it… Palmdale! Levelland will definitely make the set. ;-)
Thanks for joining me on this journey.
With love and gratitude,
Matthew Moran
May 22, 2024
Before I read the lyrics and heard the guy perform "Levelland," I groaned. My relations with Texas, to the extent they exist at all, are strained. A college roommate of mine, from Texas, celebrated her state because it had what she considered the distinct honor of killing JFK (He was Catholic, and her ethical compass said he should die.) Years later, I went to Texas to demonstrate, with ACT UP, at the GOP convention in 92, and I had the distinct honor of dying Houston's major fountains red to symbolize the blood of AIDS patients.
This song was really very good. The way he sang the song was intriguing. He sang the lyrics, which connote frustration and potential rage, with a certain disgusted resignation.
Some of the lyrics are a bit unclear, but good poetry and art usually gives your brain something to masticate on.
Also, the louder, rousing second half of the song was a great counterpoint to the quieter beginning which sets forth the bleak and boring facts of leveland. The second half of the song is a catharctic response to the facts set forth in the song's beginning.
I've always been a Larry McMurtry fan. Nice to know the son is also so talented. Be well.