Susan Douglass Taylor
Susan Douglass Taylor
Singer/Songwriter Folk/Americana/Bluegrass Music
LISTEN TO THE MUSIC
LISTEN TO THE MUSIC
Great Falls Road includes thirteen original songs, followed by a reprise of the title song featuring the great vocals of my musical family...very special! Download from Apple iTunes, or
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Photo and artwork by Will Salley
Sample audio clips from Great Falls Road below
The Old Barndance
Susan Douglass Taylor/Great Falls Road
Song for a Wrangler
Susan Douglass Taylor/Great Falls Road
Time and Gasoline
Susan Douglass Taylor/Great Falls Road
The Ghost of an Old Guitar
Susan Douglass Taylor/Great Falls Road
The Weary Vagabond
Susan Douglass Taylor/Great Falls Road
Words and music by Susan Douglass Taylor © 2010 & 2011.
Published by Dixie Child Music (BMI) 2012. All rights reserved.
"It is a strange delight to hear an artist, with a wealth of time playing, finally release an album full of original material late in a career full of profound experience. Susan Douglass Taylor’s “Great Falls Road” is a foolproof mix of bluegrass and folk, with some country thrown in, making it perfectly pure Americana. Taylor’s guitar and banjo playing show deep proficiency and although there is plenty of amazing studio talent backing her up, this is clearly all her show.
Sean Knight, SC Music Guide
"There’s a touch of Western swing here, a dash of bluegrass there, and it’s all sung and performed with a gentle warmth that wraps around you like a fresh mound of hay in a hayloft....a great batch of original songs.
Mike Miller, Free-lance Music Writer/Author
LYRICS
LYRICS
Great Falls Road
Susan Douglass Taylor--Copyright 2010
Here in Carolina there’s a place I call my home
There's a full moon shining through the trees in the woods we used to roam
I wanna see it with my eyes, wanna feel it in my soul
That’s where I wanna be, out on the Great Falls Road.
Call all my pickin’ friends, tell Red to bring that old guitar
I wanna hear Lester’s mandolin, you know he plays it from the heart
Music lifts our spirits high; it lightens up our load,
Play one for George and Clyde out on the Great Falls Road
There’s an open window by my bed ‘cause I love to breathe this air
I think I hear Richard playin’ blues, he used to live right over there
Those people never had a dime, but they made that place a home
And they had themselves a time out on the Great Falls Road.
Daddy knew it in his heart when he built this house back then
That music would always fill these walls; we heard that banjo over and over again.
How could I ever dream my years would turn to gold,
Reliving all those memories out on the Great Falls Road.
Out on the Great Falls Road,
Out on the Great Falls Road,
Out on the Great Falls Road.
Weary Vagabond
Susan Douglass Taylor--Copyright 2010
I am a weary vagabond
I’ve traveled far to bring this song
In younger days this life I chose
An old man reaps what a young man sows.
With guitar as my closest friend
I’m passin' through this town again
I’ll play my songs for wages small
On smoke and gin I’ll spend it all.
I’ve seen this road from end to end
And know what lies around each bend
I’m never any place too long
And have nowhere to call my own.
The night is getting dark and cold
I’m growing tired of growing old
In weariness I write this song
God bless a weary vagabond.
Black Top
Susan Douglass Taylor--Copyright 2010
Driving down this highway, never knowing what’s ahead
Each new day’s a mystery, each night’s a lonely bed
Talkin' to the radio, it answers with a song
Feels like I’ve been traveling too long.
Living on the road is only for the travelin' kind
Taking all you’ve got to give, what’s left is left behind
Gotta move out early, still tired from yesterday
I wish it didn’t have to be this way.
Chorus
Black top winds through towns I’ve never seen
East and west and places in between
An endless stretch of highway rollin' on
Black top, won’t you ever take me home?
I get a lonesome feelin' when I think of where I’ve been
Moving past the white lines, I’m a gypsy in the wind
Thinking of a southern town, my heart begins to yearn
Something's tellin' me I must return.
(to chorus)
(to chorus)
......through towns I’ve never seen
East and west and places in between
An endless stretch of highway rollin' on
Black top won’t you ever take me home?
The Ghost of an Old Guitar
Susan Douglass Taylor--Copyright 2010
Spruce top is worn; I can see it’s been played
The case smells like smoke and shows signs of its age
Wish I could hear all the music you’ve made
Hangin’ around in this bar, the ghost of an old guitar.
Strings all in tune ring clear as a bell
I'd listen so close for the stories you’d tell
Now they’re a secret, you hide them so well
Wish I could know who you are, the ghost of an old guitar.
Chorus
An old guitar passed along through the years
From picker to singer, through laughter, through tears
I almost can hear your voice in these strings
Tellin’ me everything.
(to chorus)
Alone in a corner for tips did you play,
Late in the night after working all day,
Or some hobo who traveled out under the stars
Asleep in a cold box car, the ghost of an old guitar
The ghost of an old guitar.
Song for a Wrangler
Susan Douglass Taylor--Copyright 2010
Kick off your boots, old cowboy, you’ve had a long, hard day
I know a place where we can go and watch the big sun slip away
Sing a song for a wrangler, yippee-ti-yi-yay.
All day out on the prairie you’ve been feelin’ your oats
Now you’re growin' weary listenin’ to an old coyote
Howlin’ for spring, shedding his winter coat.
I’ve got a dream worth sharing, come along and ride with me
The moon is full, stars are dancin’, aren’t they a sight to see
Shootin’ over the canyon, make a wish for you and me.
I’ve got a dream worth sharing, come along and ride with me
The moon is full, stars are dancin’, aren’t they a sight to see
Shootin’ over the canyon, make a wish for you and me.
Well, you put a tune in my heart, I’ll sing it ‘til the cows come home
And when they do, I’ll still be with you, hummin’ that old trail song
Ridin' off in the sunset when our wranglin’ days are done.
Ridin' off in the sunset when our wranglin' days are done.
Ooooooo, ooooooooo.
Old Brick Tavern
Susan Douglass Taylor --Copyright 2011
What used to be her ceiling is now the open sky
Where once we came for laughter, we gather now to cry
A place that held our memories, the chapters of our past
It breaks my heart to see her now, among the blackened ash.
The last time that I saw her, the party lasted long
The room was filled with friends and kin, we sang to every song
I never thought that night would be the last with her I’d spend
Before the fire consumed her walls and brought her to an end.
We’ll find another spot to go to share a laugh or two
There’ll never be a place as dear as the one we knew
For all the times we treasure, I’ll raise the final toast
Our lovely old brick Tavern has given up her ghost.
Overland Drifter
Susan Douglass Taylor--Copyright 2010
Overland drifter, the wind at your side
Sun’s shining on you, there’s no place to hide
All that you have are the clothes that you wear
Moon and the stars and the clean desert air
You travel the back roads and alternate trails
Hikin’ and hitchin’ a ride on the rails
Choosing a life that could never be bound
You must have missed her when she came around
Chorus
Overland drifter, what are you hoping to find
You found your freedom, a highway to your peace of mind
When you’re alone somewhere under the sky
Do you ever wonder if love passed you by
The price you are payin' ‘cause you’re not the stayin' kind
Deep in the night, what’s that sound that you hear
A lonely heart aching for someone to care
Do you regret that you turned love away
With no one to hold at the end of the day
Where you are headed, does anyone know
You rise in the morning and follow the crow
That voice deep within you says you must be free
Drifter you are, and a drifter you’ll be.
(to chorus)
It's the price you are payin' 'cause you're not the stayin' kind.
Little Town
Susan Douglass Taylor--Copyright 2010
We live in a little town; the people here are kind
Some have come from far around, a little town to find.
Some like me chose to remain, and never sought to roam
Others soon returned to find that little town was home.
On Friday night our appetite finds us on this street
Enzo’s cooking something good; it’s where we love to eat
Linda’s painting pictures, Jeanie’s shining stones
Friends down at The 145 test the microphones.
Brother Sister work the trade their mama gave to them
Offering a friendly smile each time that we go in
A wooden bench reminds me Gordon loved this town
He’s on a street that’s paved with gold, and I know he’s looking down.
A smile on every face I see, whether friend or stranger be
Makes me think we all agree our little town does shine.
Jimmy’s at the mission now helping those in need
Opening the shelter for hungry mouths to feed
Town clock strikes the hour, church bell rings a chime
We’ll offer up a prayer of thanks for all this love we find.
We live in a little town; the people here are kind.
Two Dresses
Susan Douglass Taylor--Copyright 201
I found ‘em in a closet behind a winter coat
Just like the day she hung ‘em there
One was made of cotton, the other it was fine
Two dresses Mama used to wear.
One she wore in summer when she had a lot to do
Two pockets, some pink and yellow flowers
The same one she was wearing the day I started school
She kissed me bye and cried away the hours.
The other dress was emerald, and she wore it perfectly
She turned a lot of heads when she walked by
It wasn’t all that fancy, but it fit her to a tee
And always put a light in Daddy’s eyes.
Two dresses in my closet, they’re hanging there today
I wear them with the memories we made
One is made of cotton, the other it is fine
Like her dresses, Mama’s love will never fade.
Oooh.
Running Free
Susan Douglass Taylor--Copyright 2010
In a land without fences, a mustang’s gonna run
Cooled by the rainfall, warmed by the sun
Nature would have you make a refuge here
Nothing to bind you and no one to fear.
Chorus
Runnin' free, fast as your legs can fly
Free as an eagle soars across a turquoise sky
Taste the rain fallin' on your tongue
In open space, the place where you were young, runnin' free.
Move with the spirit of a westward wind
Any direction, freedom has no end
Graze in the valley by a riverbed
Rest in the evening, the stars overhead.
(to chorus)
Taste the rain fallin' on your tongue
In open space, the place where you were young, runnin' free.
Time & Gasoline
Susan Douglass Taylor--Copyright 2010
Wherever you are, it’s never really far from the one who cares
Hearts beat strong, and the rhythm of that song is in the air
When we’re together and when we’re apart
Think about the promises we keep within our heart.
Chorus
And go the distance; don’t worry about me
I keep a candle burning, and I’ll keep you in my dreams
You know I could get to you, I swear it’s true you got to me
And the only thing between is time and gasoline.
The trusting kind knows that love will bind two hearts as one
Doubts and fear are no longer welcome here, so lay down your gun
Think about the memories we’ve made along the way
Listen to that voice inside; hear what it has to say.
(to chorus)
(to chorus)
And the only thing between is time and gasoline.
Sweet Angel (Song for Ally)
Susan Douglass Taylor--Copyright 2010
Beautiful angel, ever in mind
All through the ages, hallowed in time
Sometimes unspoken, sometimes a rhyme
I take you wherever I go.
You’re in my heart when I’m travelin' alone,
I sing of you softly when I’m far from home
And when the night falls, I will dream of my own
Sweet angel, I treasure you so.
To find such beauty, I would not reach
For a star in the night sky, or a stone on the beach
I’d close my eyes tightly, and there you would be
Frozen in time with your smile.
I hear your laughter; I feel your love
I’d bring you home on the wings of a dove
But I know you’re our angel in Heaven above
Sweet angel, God’s beautiful child.
The Old Barndance
Susan Douglass Taylor--Copyright 2011
Cool wind’s blowin’ the stars around a moonlit desert sky
Pedal steel plays the sweetest sound, makes a weary soul feel high
Cowboy’s spinnin’ his favorite girl across the old dance floor
When I hear that song, gonna sing along, it leaves me wanting more.
Chorus
We’re gonna have a time at the old barn barndance, we’ve been waitin’ for this all year
A lonely heart finds a new romance when they hold a partner near
Everybody comes to have some fun, forget about your cares and woes
Out under the stars in old New Mexico.
Children play while the dancers sway, the old folks stay in the chairs
Talkin’ to friends ‘bout the way they’ve been, glad to see ‘em again this year
Smiles are showing, campfires glowin', and love is all around
Feeling the joy that the music brings, lovin' the friends we’ve found.
(to chorus)
We’re gonna have a time at the old barn barndance, we’ve been waitin’ for this all year
A lonely heart finds a new romance when they hold a partner near
Everybody comes to have some fun, forget about your cares and woes
Our place in the sun in old New Mexico
Out under the stars in old New Mexico.