James McMurtry - Painting By Numbers

[@saltydog4759]

" Too Long In The Wasteland" Is one of the best Southern goth albums ever recorded.

[@tntblue61]

One of the best songwriters you've never heard of.

[@BrandXSports]

Isn't it crazy? There is a line in the Rodney Crowell song 'Eathbound'..."One man's lust for life brings world reknown ....And the next guy can't get two feet off the ground... he's earthbound" ...McMurtry got more than two feet of the ground but should have gone MUCH higher

[@bobprickett2223]

His father was a pretty good writer too.

[@olivei2484]

Uh ... My ex is a huge Mellencamp fan (!) So this lp was a standard in the house when it was released. Wish he re- mix it with out that drummer.

[@josephlemko3027]

Many moons ago this was the song that caught my attention & started my admiration of James McMurty's talent. Thanks for all the quality music you have put out over the years. PEACE!

[@johnduffy8532]

I miss the way they made videos in the 80s. Hell, I miss videos full stop.

[@danthebeachman]

The more I listen to James McMurtry....the more I appreciate him....great songwriter and artist.

[@TheSentientParadox]

Well. DUH. lol

[@JayAr709]

Take a flyer and read a few of “the old man,” his Dad, Larry McMurtry’s novels.

[@KoolT]

Choctaw Bingo

[@dougkoehlerfamilytimeline287]

Heard this song on WHFS and went out to purchase the album. But when I moved, I no longer heard his songs over the radio.

[@donwebster9292]

This is one of the best drum lines too.

[@nathanritzo2228]

I saw this video exactly once on MTV when it was still "Music Television" in 1989 and the lyric "You work from the neck down..." has stuck with me through 31 years. A great song and album.

[@chrisslooter]

I heard this song in a hotel continental breakfast buffet this morning eating a waffle I made poured from a paper cup. I thought it was from that Johnny Cash cover album or something. It's a really good tune. I'm glad I was able to find it.

[@Kissgirl2007]

chrisslooter I heard in a hotel I used to work. A Hampton inn.

[@chancemiller9340]

That was both poetically descriptive and depressing AF.

[@chrisslooter2825]

@@chancemiller9340lol

[@giuseppemollisi6689]

fabulous James on this album together with the great Cougar drummer

[@twray1835]

Just a damn good ballad with some patented McMurty clever lyrics and his great guitar. Thanks James!

[@dkgreek]

I'm mostly into death metal and hardcore rap, but McMurtry's song writing and guitar work has made me a new fan of him.

[@donwebster9292]

This song was so huge.

[@CBDM777]

this video should have many more millions of views

[@johnrandall125]

James McMurtry is talented, which is of little benefit in today's pop slop music industry. The Spice Girls only talents were their mammalry tissue but I bet they have sold a gazillion more records than McMurtry. At least some of appreciate good music when they hear it. Let us be happy, at least, in being in that band of brothers

[@redshaftedflicker]

McMurtry is the troubadour that has paid all of the dues. He is a living legend and continues to kick ass.

[@carllancaste239]

One of the most real songs you'll ever hear and can relate to.😎

[@user-cg7dg7uv8f]

James McMurtry is one of the most savage and brutally honest artists ever, which is very uncomfortable for a lot of people, but immensely satisfying to those with the nerve to hear what he is saying. He should be a household name, but that's not how this shit works......

[@oldfartatplay]

Talent and intelligence don't get you very far in country music😉

[@me37594]

Sad part of getting old is you forget more than you can remember. I haven't heard this since I can't remember. Some of best music ever made,not like the stuff today

[@blakegregory969]

A one of a kind.

[@luismanrique5859]

Beautiful

[@alexgramm5170]

Wore this album out when deployed for Gulf War...and later...great to hear it again.

[@mauricemcmurry6637]

Mr. McMurtry knows the Virtues Of Pastell Shades but has an uncanny knack for slipping in meaningfull, bold, and colorfull insights. His Guitar can go ahead and cover the earth with thick bright paint.

[@cyberties]

You work from the neck down; You don't call the shots. I LOVE IT!

[@abbynormal5849]

This album was recorded in John Mellencamp's studio in Bloomington, Indiana. You can hear his voice in the chorus.

[@saw1898]

“Abby Normal”, 👍🏻😂👍🏻😂

[@paulj6756]

And Kenny Aranoff's drums I believe.

[@artsmith103]

Mellencamp was a big fan

[@terrydanks]

Was going through some old videos I had recorded on VHS. Came across this song from an old Austin City Limits show. Dunn'o . . . 25-30 years ago? Had never heard of James McMurtry as I did not record the full episode. Love the song!

[@dennisgrubbs1929]

Great video - great tune you the man

[@marbleflat]

the man has insight into the human condition as it is right now in the western world and comments on it. good stuff.

[@sherrie4262]

Love this brave and talented artist !

[@domenickrosenbaum9286]

This song is so thought provoking

[@stecklein7]

Poignant lyrics.

[@johncuccini5009]

He's the son of the late great Larry McMurtry who wrote Lonesome Dove, it's no surprise James McMurtry is a master with words as well.

[@truckermre]

I never get sick of listening to this guy!! What a Legend!!!

[@mrmeathead2107]

Why is his music never played in England, this is the first time i have heard of his great music.

[@oboogie80]

That's why it's called "Americana"....lol. Other great artists are...Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jason Isbell, The Mavericks....check them out.

[@1hamshank]

Bob Harris does.

[@irenefraser6712]

@@oboogie80 And the late great Jimmy LaFave. Just got to know him when he died last year. Ray Wylie Hubbard is great too as is James McMurtry. Heard of these great musicians via Twitter.

[@098hamilton]

got lucky to hear on local station the dj played his copy of this so good yet so few have got to hear this kind of stuff.

[@urboyseth5922]

Found an unopened cassette of this from my Grandma, This is the first song on the album.

[@wesleytacy3935]

Takes me back when Grandma would get me Paint By Numbers and the lessons only she could teach. Takes me back to my time in the Army and how it enabled me. Takes me back to my time on the oil rigs and the skills it brings. Takes me back to the lessons in Lonesome Dove and the fact Gus didn't rent pigs. Great song James.

[@wayhip]

Red Desert here.

[@nievesreyes8533]

Funny you mention lonesome dove. His dad wrote that movie and james had a small part in it. Look for him

[@wesleytacy3935]

@@nievesreyes8533 I've the book! I will look for James' role. Tommy Lee is like a hawk in a country for old men...a space cowboy! YeeeHawww! Much Love! Thanks!

[@MrDrewlips]

"you work from the neck down as often as not"......just excellent.

[@RMichaelHimself]

A personal favorite of mine. I discovered this back in middle school and listened on my PSP (portable play station, which were actually really cool for their time, had internet, movies, photos, GTA games, etc). I’m now 30. Crazy how time flies

[@Bongofurry]

Pure blasting sound !

[@donaldjoy4023]

Two sides to the coin -- there is JOY in honest work as well as there's drudgery and tedium. James McMurtry manages to make me realize both....!

[@Stephaknees22771]

We were big fans in the 80s. Glad that we found him here on KZbin. We still know all the words!! It's like coming home.

[@souleater0815]

I've seen James play in Chicago at least 20 times since the late 90s. Can't wait for him to your again.

[@freddystone7584]

WXRT DID A GREAT JOB OF PROMOTING HIM AND HIS MUSIC. THEY WERE THE ONLY STATION THAT PLAYED HIS MUSIC!

[@paulelliott3220]

Brilliant as only James can be Early classic

[@btPapaGcf]

distinctive Kenny Aronoff drumming really propels the song!

[@jmancini1037]

brilliant!

[@milesmunson814]

One of my favorites. Thanks James!

[@tntblue61]

More great music from James McMurtry.

[@cyberties]

His Daddy is Larry McMurtry who wrote Lonesome Dove and North Dallas 40.

[@souleater0815]

RIP

[@thelastrebelshow1627]

You jump when they say jump and you don't ask how high.

[@monaghanbill]

You and whoever produced this video are geniouses. Love you guys.

[@generalzod7959]

good stuff!

[@Aljoshaaa]

great artist, mucho thnxxx for posting :)))

[@TekVahana]

This is from the LP 'Too Long In the Wasteland', which was produced by John Mellencamp.

[@paulj6756]

With Kenny Aranoff on dru m s

[@herknorth8691]

That Caprice looks almost exactly like my first car. Mine was a '74.

[@tiarara2011]

Really like James McMurtry "alot" and since I am a "Lyrics" kinda guy, more so than the music in general, I knew McMurtry was extremely gifted first time I heard him, in the 80's-early 90's. Became a big fan. However, this video I don't care for as much, because it puts almost a "specific" brand or sect of sheeple, whereas, I feel that this pertains to everyone, cept the "FatCats" watchin us paint by numbers.

[@spurcross]

Loved it. Thanks for doing it Jim.

[@clenimariaaccorsi2089]

Agradeço a Stephen King conhecer este artista. Sob a Redoma (p. 96). Adorei.⭐⭐⭐

[@Harrygreen111]

Really liked when the cow wagged its tail

[@lysergicdancing]

"you work from the neck down".....how appropriate these days.

[@sludge4125]

Egotistical, aren’t you?

[@CBDM777]

John Cougar Mellencamp on background vocals

[@drummer1965usa]

What also makes this such a brilliant song is that it's got John Mellencamp's fingerprints all over it. :)

[@nedpike2186]

As Miles Davis said, it's all in the notes you don't play.

[@Katzarr]

I don;t think I want to live "Painting" by numbers.. just be yourself, and think "outside" of the "BOX"; what a life, right?

[@drummer1965usa]

@BassPlayerSusan That's what I meant. Not only did he produce the album, but he and his band also play on the song. And I think John wrote "Painting By Numbers", too.

[@cheriduke625]

One of my best birthdays involved James at the Mucky Duck (Hou) - I got drunk enough to approach him when they were loading up & get a birthday kiss......My only groupie experience!

[@mauriceriddle6804]

Hey James,where in the heck I been? I'm from Premium KY and then grew up mostly in Michigan and have been a trucker most of my life. I gave up trucking 2 years ago as I'll soon be 74 years old and traffic everywhere is getting more insane by the day.I took a part time job in retail for a large super store in Coldwater MI in February of this year, and just quit last week. I was in a family owned Farm and home store in town today(they play mostly country as opposed to the mixes in the other places so as to "please everyone" and it's all about being politically correct and by doing so, get more of your money in their pockets. That is an honest fact!! I heard your song and I'm sure now that I was right. Any business is trying to earn a living for their families and employees sure, but "Big business" has destroyed small businesses as it's so hard to compete with pricing products. The corporate vips make huge salaries and pay workers a fraction of theirs. And as you sing about,they try to program you until you're a company robot !!! Just my southern opinion though... I'm single and have a daughter and one son who's mother died in '16 and I didn't get a big pension and wanted to work till I die for them and my two grandsons. My only son was killed in a robbery in Detroit by a man who assaulted him for his wallet and phone last month. Reckon I'll take the job at the farm store for less money and still count my blessings every day long as I live! Thank God for you and your music and God bless and keep you all safe in this insane world!!!

[@BassPlayerSusan]

@drummer1965usa And that's Kenny Aranoff (sp?) on drums I believe, Mellencamp's former drummer.

[@sundarmann6167]

when I connect the numbers with lines I get one big,fat politician staring down at me.

[@hooverdog1957]

sundar mann Look back up at him and tell him to f-off.

[@RMichaelHimself]

^ probably your best bet

[@PlanTonto]

@zhansen8 Thanks for your suggestions! Awesome tunes! Thanks!!!

[@sharebear918]

@JPStrikesBack - maybe you should listen again, with an open mind. it's not about whining....it's lamenting that so many people (sheeple!) spend their lives taking the safe road, painting by numbers....rather than being true to themselves & trying to live their dreams.

[@bryanmattila5067]

This century's Prine.

[@dougthompson9596]

Only singer songwriter record that features drums as the lead instrument. Kenny Aronoff!

[@cornemusa]

When the next American Revolution comes--sooner than the 1% could ever imagine--this tune will be the theme song. Hey, NSA, are you listening?

[@wesleytacy3935]

The gates of the school yard are padlocked and chained...

[@victorchacon838]

Good song to summarize mankind in the the United States

[@sludge4125]

Luke, so many egotistical, narcissistic prima donnas want to think the era they are living through is somehow more important, more depressing, more hateful than any other time. Tell that to an African-American living in the 1950s, or the Jewish person living in nazi Germany, or, any one of hundreds of other situations in world history.

[@BassPlayerSusan]

@drummer1965usa He produced the album.

[@willardhoward5141]

The imagery is fantastic. Welcome to the American menagerie. But, whoops! James McMurtry is a rather grim tour guide. Enjoy!

[@lancerudy9934]

Great song and this song hurts!😂

[@PlanTonto]

Can someone recomend other songs by this cat to listen to, please? I put him up there with John Prine and Jon Astley...Obscure, but great!

[@michaelvrooman5681]

PlanTonto several. are "song for a deckhands daughter' cheneys toy, we can't make it here any more

[@donaldjoy4023]

Outskirts, Stancliff's Lament, No More Buffalo, Out Here in the Middle, Song for a Deckhand's Daughter, Rachel's Song, Where's Johnny....

[@bvaughan3862]

Angeline, Choktaw Bingo, Holiday, Childish things, & many, many more. Start with the "Too Long in the Wasteland" album & work your way forward. You won't be sorry.

[@mikethornhill2481]

Sounds like it he reminds a lil of Bruce Cockburn

[@dr.g1214]

Pretty much

[@johnnyjohn2450]

You said it man

[@cliffhenderson5983]

Hunters new anthem

[@zhansen8]

@PlanTonto Choktaw bingo, lights of cheyene, hurricane party

[@edwardbackus9528]

Angeline

[@headlocal]

@drummer1965usa according to rhapsody.com, James wrote the song. "I enjoy his sketches, their weary women especially. But like so many singer-songwriters and so many local-colorists, he tends to a soft fatalism, especially when he tries a big statement: (like) the metametaphorical "Painting by Numbers," -- R. Christgau_Village Voice I concur, but his attitude is central to his style, so...

[@JPStrikesBack]

Something's fucked up with the way "Painting by Numbers" was loaded. It starts out with two different songs playing, then after a few seconds, the only song is Painting and it plays normally.

[@texsehn]

Great video and song. The guy needs to get a personality and get happy once in while. “you jump when they say jump, you don’t ask why. You paint by numbers....”

[@SteveSmith-kc8rn]

Mellencamp all over this including the vid

[@cityzen2717]

The gates of the schoolyard are padlocked and chained to keep all the children in out of the rain the art teacher's preaching the virtues of pastel shades you pay no attention but it won't hurt your grades 'cause you're painting by numbers connecting the dots they don't have to tell you you don't call the shots you jump when they say jump and you don't ask how high 'cause painting by numbers they know you'll get by painting by numbers they know you'll get by you take a position in the old man's firm he signs all the papers you agree to the terms they ley you run errands and you don't get days off you take off the garbage and hope it pays off 'cause you're painting by numbers connecting the dots you work from neck down you might be in grad school up ut M.I.T. you might be down in the canal zone being all that you can be you might get to thinking you're ahead of the game but when you break it all down it all comes out the same 'cause you're painting by numbers connecting the dots you work from neck down Source: LyricFind Songwriters: J Mcmurtry Painting by Numbers lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

[@nealliske7700]

Gee whiz golly Beev! Interrobang ⁉️

[@travlyte]

My Cat sits in my lap while yoou play

[@djdom675]

This song really explains every aspect of oppression

[@hooverdog1957]

Luke Brown It only hurts you if you don't comply. It will kill you if you don't. All of government is obey or else. What planet are you living on?

[@74belisle]

@jesus185517 some CEO

[@estabanfiesta3806]

looks like lennon!

[@chrisslooter]

sounds like cash!

[@terry5732]

Really something how james got the Obiden era ahead of its time

[@umrecs]

Whatever. Funny, I have all of Jimmy McMurtry's records, none of Johnny Cougar's.

[@sludge4125]

Mcmurtry’s other song that used to get airplay is about an almost middle aged burnout named johnny, who has decided to live his life unemployed, while mooching off his aging parents. White privilege.

[@sludge4125]

My comment is factual, “tippsy.” I finally met a village idiot. I could have waited. Let me guess, “tippsy,” you identify with Johnny. Chump.

[@milanalexich2116]

DAD JUST DIED.

[@GrannyTenderstone]

@JPStrikesBack Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie and others did their share of "whining" too JP. Without such artists, some people would never stop to think about anything that MATTERS, too busy with their electronic gadgets to connect to the real world. SHAME ON YOU. You've apparently missed the point of the message. Therefore you are borderline between getting it and not quite getting it, I hope you make it over that fence without any suffering, violation of your rights, or hardship involved. peace

[@Katzarr]

I hope you'al know how to "paint"; you might need to know how in order to servive in the "world" as we think we know "IT"!!! It is not what it appears to be on the surfice.; need to learn how to spell;; sorry, but, you get the "picture"...

[@JPStrikesBack]

I like the song, but damn, it's WHINY. Listen to the lyrics and think about them. All the singer is doing is complaining about not being in charge, not calling the shots. etc, Well, if you're in grad school up at MIT, who the hell do you think is supposed to be taking your orders?

[@hooverdog1957]

JPStrikesBack He is not whining, he is trying to open your eyes to look at the system in place that oppresses you and you bow down in submission. Think, use reason and logic and quit living inside the box. We're all indoctrinated, first by parents, religion, schools, and then the main stream media. Be free and quit accepting authority.