Baby James
(dedicated to James Taylor:
may you find Him on
"That Lonesome Road")

Credits Notes

LYRICS

You don’t know me
and you may never see me
but I like to think I understand
the places that you’ve been
you don’t have to listen
if you don’t want to hear
but I’ll ask you anyway
just as if I were your friend

Come on home, Baby James
you could be a free man
you could be a free man
Let it go, Baby James
don’t walk away
when someone loves you
Baby James

Now I know talk is cheap
when I’ve not been in your shoes
and I don’t want to decieve you
like I never get the blues
but someone’s paid the cost
for all the guilt and pain we keep
so let’s take our hurts together
and let’s nail them to the tree

You don’t know me
and you may never see me
but I like to think I understand
exactly what you need
I have a friend
who is dying to meet you
He will be with you forever
if only you’ll believe

Come on home, Baby James
you could be a free man
you could be a free man
Let it go, Baby James
don’t walk away
don’t walk away Baby James
don’t walk away
when someone loves you
Baby James

CREDITS

Music and Lyrics: Mark Jeghers
Mix: Allan Fuss, Mark Jeghers

NOTES

Around 1981, I was keenly impressed by the rough times James Taylor was going through. He was continuing to struggle with ongoing depression, a heroin addiction, a medical crisis with one of his children, and, finally, his wife at the time, Carly Simon, was divorcing him. I was deeply affected by an album he released at the time, "Dad Loves His Work". The theme of the album was his plea for Carly to not leave him ... it was a dark melancholy departure from his prior work.

It occurred to me that James Taylor needed Jesus Christ. Obviously, we all do. And he still needs Christ today, just as we all do, many years later. But it seemed especially true at the time, with the hardships he was facing. Receiving Christ as Lord and Savior opens up entirely new resources by which we can receive emotional healing and deeper strength to face life's problems. This was exactly what he needed. It still is.

But, of course, I was just an unknown fan that he'd probably never meet. And that's the point of the song.