my new friend
Poem - May 13, 2024
she is the namesake
of maybe the most famous
of all the rock n roll muses
fitting,
as she inspires me
with her compassion and strength
though she carries herself more like
the rebel rock star than the passive muse
her strength does not compromise
her tenderness
somehow she brings bold style, confidence, and swagger
to an inner vulnerability and innocence
proving these things do in fact co-exist
her laughter is healing
and her voice is familiar
I feel I’ve been connected to her
for centuries
and have adored her spirit for just as long
Don't Answer Me
May 6, 2024
Hello amazing supporters from all over the world (as I am happy to discover when I check my website stats). Today I want to feature the lyrics from a song written by someone else - Two someone elses to be exact - Eric Woolfson (lyricist & vocalist / on left in photo) and Alan Parsons (music composer & producer, on the right). I've always loved this song, and I've always had an idea about the meaning behind it, but the most recent relationship I have experienced has given new meaning to this song for me and boosted its relatability tenfold. Here are the lyrics (RIP Eric Woolfson - what a lyricist & what a voice):
Don't Answer Me (Parsons / Woolfson)
If you believe in the power of magic
I can change your mind
And if you need to believe in someone
Turn and look behind
When we were living in a dream world
Clouds got in the way
We gave it up in a moment of madness
And threw it all away
Don't answer me
Don't break the silence, don't let me win
Don't answer me
Stay on your island, don't let me in
Run away and hide from everyone
Can you change the things we've said and done?
If you believe in the power of magic
It's all a fantasy
So if you need to believe in someone
Just pretend it's me
It ain't enough that we meet as strangers
I can't set you free
So will you turn your back forever
On what you mean to me?
Don't answer me
Don't break the silence, don't let me win
Don't answer me
Stay on your island, don't let me in
Run away and hide from everyone
Can you change the things we've said and done?
Talking of Michelangelo
April 21, 2024
In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo.
(from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot)
Well I can certainly relate to the women coming and going, at least in terms of the muses from which I derive inspiration for my songs and art. I probably shouldn't inform them that they are muses at the time that they are.
This all sounds rather nebulous and abstract.
What I'm trying to convey is that just as one door closes and another door opens, one muse drifts away and another one enters Stage Left. It's a perpetual wheel of chance and intrigue, despite my full conviction to any muse of the moment (and sometimes those moments last several years).
Love is the one thing in Life that rejects any who attempt to label it or even describe a single tenet of it. And that is what makes it so mysterious, beautiful, challenging, and inimitable.
In summary, it was a rough transition period, but presently, once again, I am excited about life and the Ever Elusive Muse.
Thanks for checking in, dear reader.
Yours Always,
Jamesy The True
New Song: "Ships"
April 6, 2024
SHIPS
(Words & Music: Jamesy the True)
A touch of your hand, meeting your eyes
I see who I am, I see star-lit skies
Hearing your voice, like centuries ago
Holding on softly to the little we know
And just like that lighthouse a mile from my old house
You show me the way home, in the storm in the dark
Your smile is a beacon
To ships that pass in the night
And I don’t need another reason
To feel alright
Making no plans, one with the wind
Holding on gently, letting me in
Breaking the old ways, building again
You are the one that I want when the ships come in
And just like that lighthouse down by my old house
You show me the way home, in the storm in the dark
Your smile is a beacon
To ships that pass in the night
And I don’t need another reason
To feel alright
Making no plans, one with the wind
Holding on softly, letting you in
Breaking the old ways, building again
You are the one that I want when the ships come in
You are the one that I want when the ships come in
A Muse Blossoms
April 1, 2024
Note: This is a real journal entry, not an April Fool's joke :)
In March, I stumbled upon a Beautiful Muse, and my life has not been the same since. For thousands of years artists have had this intriguing relationship with their muses. And in my own small speck-in-time way, I get to be a part of that ongoing journey.
This particular muse is complex. She finds herself in a transitional time of her life. Her spirit toggles between a caring, tender, passionate soul and a fierce force of nature protecting herself from ghosts of her past.
Her beauty is captivating and it pulls me in like a magnet. She soothes me with her voice and she cares with her touch, provoking words of strange romance to percolate on my tongue, then leap onto the page before me.
I know this woman. I have known her for millennia. Though she manifested only a fortnight ago, she has always been here. I don't know how I know this, I just do.
This Muse - when she is in her element and a soft glow fills her eyes - she tells me, without saying a word, that she feels this same unusual rush of warmth and light and movement. But she surrounds her discovery with a steel fortress, and the armed guards - out in full force - circle the castle.
She gives of herself only so much, reminding me of her season of change. In the interim, I allow the creative spirits to take over, and I am grateful for their visit. And for hers.
.
Accompanying image: "The Birth of Venus" (1482 - 83) by Sandro Boticelli .
Origin of the Name
January 11 2024
Hi, me again. How is your 2024 going so far?
I mentioned in my previous post that I would explain the origin of the new name Jamesy the True.
So firstly, "Jamesy" is the variation of my name that some of my favorite people have called me over the years.
I've always liked the word "true" - the sound of the word and the importance of truth in my life. In 1983, even though I was just a kid, I loved the song "True" by UK band Spandau Ballet. (and still love it). Also, years ago I fronted a band with the word "True" in its name.
And then a few months ago I stumbled on a quote by Ryan Holiday paraphrasing the Stoic philosopher (not to mention Roman Emperor) Marcus Aurelius:
"They'll cut you with knives, they'll stab you in the back, they'll shower you with curses, they'll argue in bad faith. But does that cut your mind off from clarity and sanity and self-control and justice? No. To the Stoics, it doesn't matter what other people do. It doesn't matter if you're recognized or rewarded for doing the right thing Stay on the path that you know is true and good anyway."
Studying stoicism has given me strength these past few challenging years. And so, in summary, the name Jamesy the True is symbolic of where I find myself now, in terms of spiritual strength. And of course, every day we strive to be better than we were the day before.
- Jamesy the True.
The Only Constant is change
January 5 2024
Hey there, thanks for stopping by my site. I appreciate your interest in my art & music. Thanks for being patient through the recent name change from Ether and Bones to Jamesy the True. I'll explain the orihgin of the new name in a future journal entry. Things are changing in my life, and I'm going to use this journal page to keep you in the loop on my art, music, and life happenings. So I hope you'll check in semi-regularly. Quick site update: the Art Card page has been revamped, and the new site-wide track is my harmonica reel, which spans 23 years of my harp playing in under 4 minutes.
All the best to you and your loved ones in 2024.
I am grateful for your support.
- Jamesy the True