Description
After moving to the mountains above Tehachapi and setting up the studio, I found I was in a writing fury. After I had written about twenty songs, I thought I should start recording them before they got away from me. Of those, here are an even dozen that made the cut.
As it happens, I was so far from LA, I ended up playing and singing everything except for my friend Rachel with whom I wrote Ripples On The Dance Floor. She joins me on background vocals and a wonderful counterpoint vocal. Love her voice.
The instruments are my Collings D2H, my Martin D-28H, my Taylor 810ce, Ibanez Bass, Various drums, shakers, tambourines, and EZ Drummer. Elixir Light Gauge Nanoweb Strings, James Demeter Tube Direct, AKG 414 (modified by Stephen Paul), Dayner 48 Channel Board, and Reaper Recording Program.
Twelve new songs from James Lee Stanley. Acoustic guitars, vocals and light production. Might be the best CD he’s ever made. But what do I know?
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Lyrics
Every highway’s going somewhere, they once said all roads lead to Rome
Now every byway’s been connected and I’ve never felt so far from home
Last night I sat around a campfire, the silver stars clear in the sky
And sang a song with fond companions. All our voices rising high
If you’re still you can hear it. Just behind the shadow of the wind
It whispers to you as you drift to sleep. A dream’s the way all things begin
Every highway … every highway
Acoustic routes across the heartland, like a melody so sweet
The sights and sounds they will surround you and
Mystery waits on every street
Cause every highway has acoustic routes that started with a siren’s song
See someplace that you have never seen or find somewhere you can belong
If you’re quiet you can hear it. Just beyond the shadow of the wind
A journey calls you as you drift to sleep, one step’s the way they all begin
Every highway … every highway
Now every highway has a warning,
Go back, you’re going the wrong way
Not a thru street, dead end one way,
Hey are you gonna believe all that they say
The path to follow is within you, it’s somewhere there inside your heart
And you can trace it if you have the will,
Believe your dreams, that’s how it starts
Every highway’s going somewhere, they once said all roads lead to rome
But every highway’s just another path, which one you choose might lead you home
Every highway … every highway
Words and music, james lee Stanley, @2008 the real james lee stanley music, sesac
21 may 2012 revision, revision March 12, 2018, revision June 13, 2018
Heading down a dark road
There’s no telling where we’re going
Something in those shadows
Doesn’t seem right to me
Heading down dark road
Dividing lines are all I see
One side or the other
lies between you and me
Taking a look around
Can’t believe what I think I see
Taking a look around
Is this the best, the best that we can be
Heading down a dark road
Need a spark to light the way
No sense of direction
Still we spend another day
Heading down a dark road
Seems we’ve got a lot to lose
Coming to a crossroads
Which way will we choose?
Taking a look around
Can’t believe what I think I see
Taking a look around
Is this the best, the best that we can be
Everybody knows …
We’re gonna reap, we’re gonna reap
We’re gonna reap what we sow.
Heading down a dark road …
From the CD, Without Susie, Beachwood Recordings @2019
Words and Music by James Lee Stanley and Wyatt Easterling
Redwood Landing, seven a.m. fogs rolling in, soon to be burned off
At the depot, waiting for you, I’ve been here a long time in Redwood Landing
And now I’m waiting just to see you come running off of that train
And thru the smoke and thunder, I wonder, “will things be the same?”
‘Cause nothing has changed in Redwood Landing
Redwood Landing you went away, you emptied the day into the city
Said you had to go, had to get out of this town before you burned the place down
This Redwood Landing
And now I’m waiting …
We were all alone, we were on our own, when the rocks were thrown
And seeds of hate were sown …
Redwood Landing, crosses still burn, what can we learn from one another
It’s hard to understand, but it’s all that they know and time moves so slow
In Redwood Landing
Still I’m waiting …
Words and Music by James Lee Stanley, @2019 the real james lee stanley music, sesac
Well come on in, I’m glad you’re back again
Where have you been?
Where’s that grin that we used to know?
I see your sad, feel you’ve been had again
By a world that’s gone mad It’s not just your heart that’s aching
When what we’ve held so dear may all just disappear
Swept away by fear into Valleys of Shadow
It’s been a while, and it’s not your style, I know
Too many miles and too many more to go
You may feel lost, a coin that’s tossed away
Feel double crossed if that’s the view that you’re taking.
But tell me what do we win If we give up, give in?
We’ve got to shine a bright light into these Valleys of Shadow
And don’t forget, it’s not over yet you know
Tomorrow’s a bet, It’s a chance for the taking
One we can win, we can begin again
A shining new day where the morning is waiting
Where the skies are clear, the storm has disappeared
And there’ll be no more fear of the Valleys of Shadow
Words and music by james lee stanley, @2018 the real james lee stanley music, sesac
We slip into life and there’s choices we make and the bed that we lie in’s our own
But in hindsight we know that nothing’s the same, see it differently now that we’re grown
Looking back on my life and the choices I made, my wife, my colleague’s, my mates
But the luckiest choice of all that came down was the one choice that I didn’t make
And we’re riding in the back of a black limousine laughing til we might explode
We’re riding the same super highway tho we travel on different roads
Growing up you were the hero so a hero I tried to be
I came after you yes I followed and you led the way here for me
On that path there were promises broken while others till looked good as new
But the one that remained ever constant the same is the brother that I have in you
And we’re riding in the back of a black limousine …
There’s no day that goes by that I don’t think of you, no day I’m alone cause I see
No matter where or what you are doing you’ve always been right here for me
On the rockaway parkway at two in the morn broke down nwith no help in view
Who suddenly shows up, trouble in hand? My brother the hero that’s who.
Words and music by James Lee Stanley, @2016 the real james lee stanley music, sesac
Everybody has a word or two to say to you
Everybody knows exactly What is best for you
let the boss men bray, doesn’t matter what they say
they will come around someday, sooner or later
Live it up now (3x) … you can live it down later
It’s a given that the days we get are numbered … still
It’s up to us to take them celebrate them how we will, And we will
Once the big night falls, It won’t matter then at all
So go and have yourself a ball, the sooner the better
(3x)Live it up now, you can live it down later
let the preachers preach salvation and the fires of hell
let the politician spew his lies, let him tweet and yell
time will tell …
everybody knows, he’s gonna reap just what he sows
and a fuse is bound to blow, sooner or later …
(3x)Live it up now, you can live it down later
Words and music by james lee stanley, @2018 the real james lee stanley music, sesac
You stare at the sun and you’ll prob’ly go blind
Race with the moon and you’ll soon fall behind
Playing with fire you’ll surely get burned
But I’ll take my chances, guess I’ll never learn
You walk thru the door and no one can deny
All eyes are upon you, no need to ask why
There’s something about you, I can’t look away
And no hesitation, I only can say
Hey look at you
Hey look at you
Hey look at you
You’re so fine
You’re out on the dance floor, I love how you move
You’re into the moment, you’re into the groove
You’re beckoning to me, your arms open wide
I smile as I rise and I’m here by your side
Hey look at you
Hey look at you
Hey look at you
You’re so fine
Words and music by james lee stanley,
@ july 2017 the real james lee stanley music, sesac
I remember when we first met
Something bout you so true
You had my heart, right from the start
Tell me what else could I do? Still crazy over you.
We got to talking all night long
Talked til the sun shown thru
I’d never known, I was so all alone
But somehow you knew Still crazy over you
Wonder why there’s some of us
connect so fast
While others in a lifetime never do
I only know you got inside me
It doesn’t matter why, It only matters who
Still crazy over you
Maybe someday, if things work out
I’ll hear you back at my door
I won’t ask why you said goodbye
I know just what I’ll do … still crazy over you
Words and music by james lee stanley@2016 the real james lee stanley music, sesac
O my my, ain’t no lie, never say never again
Learned my lesson well this time
Never say never again
I used to live in paradise, why I left it, I don’t know
Heard about the cold in New York City, I said that’s a place I’ll never go.
O my my …
Had me a girl in summertime, said, I’ll never let you down
The loving was good, I did all I could but she finally stopped coming around
O my my …
Someday I’m gonna go back home, someday but I don’t know when
But I’m doing just fine, and biding my time, til someday comes around again.
O my my …
Words and music by James Lee Stanley, @2019 the real james lee stanley music, sesac
Frost upon the window
Shadows on the wall
Nights are cold without you
Is it too late to call
Will you even answer
If you know it’s me
Don’t know why it took so long
For me to finally see
here I am, I’m all in this time
here I am all in love, all in love
I opened up your heart and
Then I closed the door
I know I hurt you badly
Like no one has before
I’ve made a big mistake
When I walked away
I know you’ve got no reason
To believe me when I say
Here I am
I’m all in this time
Here I am all in love … . with you
Words and music by james lee stanley and wyatt Easterling
@2019 the real james lee stanley music, sesac
You’re waiting in line, you hear the telephone ring
You talk all the time and you don’t say a thing
Who could get thru to you with that thing that you do
And your ear in that sling
Hang up and drive Hang up and drive
The choice is a simple one, it’s Dead or alive
There’s no call of the road that can’t be denied.
Hang up and drive, Hang up and drive Hang up and drive
That red light’s been green for a quite a while now
If you’re calling for lessons I’ll show you how
Put your phone in the case, Put your foot to the floor
and get back in the race
Hang up and drive Hang up and drive
The choice is a simple one, it’s Dead or alive
There’s no call of the road that can’t be denied.
Hang up and drive Hang up and drive Hang up and drive
You’re chatting away, so blind and so lame
And we’re all on our guard as you drift lane to lane
You’ll be texting your friends right up to the end
Of your dangerous game
Hang up and drive Hang up and drive
The choice is a simple one, it’s Dead or alive
There’s no call of the road that can’t be denied.
Hang up and drive Hang up and drive Hang up and drive .
Words and music by james lee stanley, @1998, 2015 the real james lee stanley music, sesac.
I see strange … ripples on the dance floor
I see strange … ripples on the dance floor
Something strange is going on
Like crop circles in the early morn
No one knows where it began
But strange ripples across the land.
I see strange … ripples on the dance floor
I see strange … ripples on the dance floor
Angels and demons o ah o Rush to the ceiling o ah o
Angels and demons o ah o Caught in the felling o ah o
Patterns of mystery, tolling bells
Angels dancing in the pits of hell
No one is safe, out on the on ledge
You don’t look down when you’re on the edge
I see strange … ripples in the dance floor
I see strange ripples on the dance floor
Angels and demons o ah o
Rush to the ceiling o ah o
Angels and demons o ah o
Caught in the feeling o o ah o
Walk thru the maze to get back home
Lost in the labrynth, chilled to the bone
The hazy sun is an amber chrome
Sinking with me, you’re not alone, not alone
I see strange ripples in the dance floor
I see strange ripples on the dance floor
Rush to the ceiling o ah o
Angels and demons
Caught in the feeling
On the dance floor
I see strange ripples in the dance floor
I see strange ripples on the dance floor
The sound is swirling I’m almost gone
I’m sonic circling so pull me close
You’re sinking with me into my zone
Sinking with me, you’re not alone, you’re not alone
Words and music by James Lee Stanley and Rachel Mills@2014 the real james lee stanley music sesac
Alternate Root Magazine –
The rich voice of a Folk singer journeyman resonates in the songs of Without Susie, the recent release from James Lee Stanley. Filling in the musical background for a man and his guitar, Without Susie sophisticates its Folk music, laying a light Latin Jazz tint over the percussive patters of “We’re Not Alone”, James Lee Stanley offering a public service announcement with “Hang Up and Drive”, traipsing after a hefty beat to cross “Redwood Landing”, dusting off rock’n’roll shoes for “Live It Up Now”, and following ‘acoustic roots across the heartland’ with “Every Highway”.
Life, love, and politics as well as the frustrations that come as a result of the living-life trinity are the backdrop for Without Susie. James Lee Stanley heads down “Dark Road” armed with an edge to his voice as he blends memories with his present state of mind to find a direct line between then and now in “Still Crazy Over You”. A cacophony of percussion vibrates throughout “Ripples on the Dance Floor” while Without Susie makes a mighty groove to James Lee Stanley’s hold on the claims of “Never Say Never Again”.
Team JLS –
Music Connection Magazine – Oct 2019
“Stanley is a seasoned singer-songwriter, with a career that goes back to the early ‘70s. One of the progenitors of independent re-cording, this veteran tunesmith has partnered with musical heavyweights like Peter Tork and John Batsdorf. His latest release is a versatile and refreshing mix of acoustic guitar-fueled socio-political commentary and love songs. Stanley has a rich and soothing voice that hypnotically draws you in, not unlike James Taylor or Bill Withers. And you can’t go wrong with little gems like an ode to one’s best self in ‘Live it Up Now’ or the modern age blues of ‘Hang Up and Drive.’ It’s an artful blend of clever lyricism and wry humor.”
− Eric Harabadian
Team JLS –
I am in love with your new album!
It is a masterpiece at every level of analysis 😍! You are a TRUE ARTIST.
I found so much beauty and meaning in each individual lyric, verse, and song, as well as the album as a whole piece.
The artwork (and what I know of you from FB :P) suggest an intended politcal/societal interpretation, but WOW…it works just as well on the personal and psychological levels. So impressive -I just love it.
I experienced the album, from start to finish, as a journey… which could perhaps be described as one from a naive “paradise” to a real paradise….or unconsciousness to consciousness; a discovery of one’s truest and highest self.
(..with a great ‘call-to-action’ for others to also wake up–before they kill us all!!– at the end with ‘Hang Up and Drive’ !)
The story, as I heard it, has been very encouraging and uplifting to me, as someone who is kind of in the lost/where-is-this-lifetrain-going!?, phase of life 😂!
I am reminded that the fear and suffering I experience is the cost of becoming more aware. I should not long for the home/paradise of yesterday, but allow my true self (the paradise within) to guide me in taking the wheel and manifesting a true paradise here on earth.
…And the tunes are so catchy, they stay stuck in my head. So thoughtfully done! So awesome! 😁Thank you 😍!
I am sure they understand the giant, glaring fist on the cover!!! (This cover, with the fist +your anonymity, screams, “We are the resistance and these stories are all of ours!”- it’s perfect.)
If ppl get past that and the pumpkin head and also somehow miss the more overt messages in ‘Dark Road’, ‘We’re Not Alone’, the last part of ‘Redwood Landing’, etc, all doubt should be removed by the time they get to ‘Live It Up Now’, where you literally talk about the tweets.
The resistance message is impossible to miss ..there is a 0% chance they don’t get it😂! Had I had any idea that people could possibly be missing those connections, I would have been clearer about how well I thought you delivered the message.
I think people are just not sharing their thoughts bc it is socially risky.
I was hesitant to share because I imagined you facepalming and thinking “wtf ..no, im not talking about your inner-orange tyrant, Paige; way to miss my point 😐” LOL 😂
But I am so impressed with your efforts to make the world a better place and how you are able to go all in on your vision, that I cannot help but risk the possible 5 minutes of looking foolish to let you know how I, a node in the network, have received and benefitted from your work!
You are making waves 🙂. And I can’t wait to share with my friends to help keep the ripples going ♡.
Thank you so very much for your super kind and thoughtful reply! I feel no anxiety for having sent you that now 😅! Whew!
Take your time filling me in with the song backgrounds…that’s a pretty lengthy request. You might even make periodic facebook posts about your songs as little extra nuggets for your fans – this will create more dialogue around your music and the cause 😍! I am sure everyone would love it.
No context is needed to feel and get the songs, but I just wonder how the feelings and understanding will evolve with the additional knowledge 🙂 (I.e. MY Redwood Landing is a time in the past that I am nostalgic for (with my rose-colored goggles on), but what is the REAL Redwood Landing?! Inquiring minds need to know!! Lol)
And thank you so much for my bonus CD: The Apocaloptimist !
‘Without Susie’ has totally taken residency in my CD player now, but I am so excited to listen to that and ‘Have You Had Enough Yet?’ when you are able to get it out too!!😁
Favorite song today: Hey Look at You😍
Favorite tone: The last 30 seconds of Ripples on the Dancefloor 🔥
Favorite lyric:
“No one is safe, out on the on ledge
You don’t look down when you’re on the edge”
Too true😰
Xx Paige
PS. Please consider sharing some background of each song! Id love to hear the artist’s intended interpretation of each. As of now, Im listening to ‘Sans Souci’, sans contexte, so I hope you dont mind my interpretations! 😁😂
PSS 😂.
Here are my favorites of the hour:
Favorite sound: Redwood Landing😍
Favorite experience: Never Say Never💪
Favorite lyrics: Never Say Never
Team JLS –
Without Susie – James Lee Stanley
by Tracy Newman
This clean, thought-provoking CD is all James Lee Stanley, all the time. With the exception of one song, (“Ripples on the Dance Floor,” which is a co-write with Rachel Mills, who also sings back up on it,) Jim is the only writer, singer, musician and engineer of this entire project, which he created over a period of two years. It’s a satisfying mixture of mostly love songs and protest songs.
I’ve listened to it everyday for a few weeks now, sometimes more than once a day. I like all the songs, but there are two that really stand out… that I wait for. One is “We’re Not Alone,” and the other is the aforementioned “Ripples on the Dance Floor.” The reason I look forward to “Ripples” is Rachel Mills voice, specifically when she sings “Angels and demons, o ah o, rush to the ceiling, o ah o.” I love this woman’s sound. It affects my mood. I hope James records again with her. I try to analyze lyrics and appear educated when it comes to music, but really, like anyone, I’m just a sucker for a great hook. Initially, this hypnotic song seems simple, but it’s lyrically quite deep and dark, as are several songs on this CD.
Something strange is going on
Like crop circles in the early morn
No one knows where it began
But strange ripples across the land
And my other favorite – “We’re Not Alone,” again it’s the music that has hooked me. In this case, the lyrics are clearly a call to arms. It’s more hopeful than another cut, “Dark Road,” which describes where we’re at in this country right now, and laments, “Is this the best, the best that we can be?” But in “We’re Not Alone” he is saying – yeah, it’s bad, but you can’t just give up.
You may feel lost, a coin that’s tossed away
Feel double-crossed if that’s the view that you’re taking.
But tell me what do we win if we give up, give in?
We’ve got to shine a bright light into these Valleys of Shadow
A few words about James Lee’s guitar work – It’s just so crisp! His bold attack is so striking, so appealing. What a joy it must be to have such command over the instrument! To write a song with all that ability at and in your finger tips! I must also mention that James Lee Stanley is the only singer/songwriter I know of, who, without having a hit record or being a ‘name’, has made a living his entire adult life by traveling around the country doing gigs and selling CDs – forty years or so. If you want to know more about James, read his up-to-date blog. He’s a true renaissance man.
Back to WITHOUT SUSIE. In a departure from political protest, “Burt’s Tune” is a joyful, relatable tribute to his older brother. This song will bring you back to your own times with your siblings – And we’re riding in the back of a black limousine laughing til we might explode. And it talks about how no matter where you are, you’ve got each other’s backs.
In “Live it Up Now,” he says “live it up now, you can live it down later.” Everyone thinks they know what you should or shouldn’t do, and this song says throw caution to the wind. We’re all gonna die so go for it while you can. Then he throws this verse in:
Let the preachers preach salvation and the fires of hell
Let the politician spew his lies, let him tweet and yell
time will tell …
Everybody knows, we’re gonna reap just what we sow
and a fuse is bound to blow, sooner or later
Something about this song is going over my head. I love it, but am not sure I totally get it. That’s okay, I’ll still sing along and bounce around to it. Here he is at Egan’s Jam House in Seattle last year, with the audience joining him on the chorus.
After trying unsuccessfully to figure out the meaning of the album title, WITHOUT SUSIE, I finally emailed James Lee to ask him, and also ask about the fist on the cover. Here is his response: “The title comes from the French expression “sans souci”. Which roughly translates to “no problem” or “without care” “no worries”. The fist is a drawing i found on the Internet and wanted to convey the resistance i am putting up to the dismantling of our republic by a treasonous gop. Together it means (at least to me) @no problem resisting this, we will triumph”.
Every song on this CD is a winner. The opener, “Every Highway,” urging us to follow our dreams. The energetic “Hey, Look at You,” the gentle “Still Crazy Over You,” the bluesy, ironic “Never Say Never Again.” The regretful “I’m All In,” about commitment coming too late, with its lonely pictures – “Here I am… all in love… all alone.” And another song of lost love– “Redwood Landing,” but the backdrop of this one is a town that hasn’t changed – “crosses still burn.” His love ran away, something scared her off, now she’s coming back, and he’s wondering if things will still be the same, presumably between them.
In “Hang Up and Drive,” he warns:
The choice is a simple one
It’s dead or alive
There’s no call on the road that cannot be denied
Hang up and drive
All in all, a terrific album. Going on a road trip? Don’t go WITHOUT SUSIE. (Sorry.) You’ll love it. If you’ve never heard James Lee Stanley, he’s worth looking into. I’ve known and loved his work for many years. He has about 17 CDs out there. I own 5 of them, including his first one in vinyl. Oh, and hey – be sure to listen to him singing his favorite song, the great Tommy Edward’s hit, “It’s All in the Game.” It’s on James Lee’s CD called “The Eternal Contradiction.” And here it is on YouTube, at Vicki Abelson’s Women Who Write… jump to 2:40 minutes in for the song, if you don’t want the patter, which is pretty funny.
You won’t regret adding James Lee Stanley to your music collection.
FYI – On Jim’s website, it says: The instruments used on this CD are my Collings D2H, my Martin D-28H, my Taylor 810ce, Ibanez Bass, Various drums, shakers, tambourines, and EZ Drummer. Elixir Light Gauge Nanoweb Strings, James Demeter Tube Direct, AKG 414 (modified by Stephen Paul,) Dayner 48 Channel Board, and Reaper Recording Program.