SHAYFER JAMES
Red Room Vol. 1
NEWS
PURCHASE
OWLS & ELEPHANTS
RED ROOM VOL. 1
Hello Sinners,
I've recently finished my first full
length album entitled "The Owl & The Elephant". There is also a new site coming along with a new store and all the trimmings.
Check back frequently for updates
on this and that.
Sooner, Sj
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Shayfer James
I. The Interview
II. Red Room Vol. 1
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THE INTERVIEW
Shayfer James is seated across from me with his legs tightly crossed in a way that is as powerful as it is feminine. His hat is low, but his wild eyes are still visible. He hasn't shaved today, so his normally manicured beard is framed by stubble and shadow. He smokes Nat Sherman cigarettes and sips whiskey from an antique rocks glass. Shayfer wears a white 'v-neck' t-shirt and an interesting jacket. He is shoeless today. He hates the idea that people judge others based on the shoes they wear, so he walked on tiptoes from the car. That is today's code of living of course, tomorrow, I'm certain he'll be wearing his ancient boots again. Shayfer is quirky, charming, and confident, but he should never be mistaken as arrogant. He is as unimpressed with himself as any man should be.
Mr. James is the youngest of his father's seven children, of whom the oldest is six years younger than Shayfer's mother. Go ahead, read that sentence as many times as you need to. I agree the math doesn't work at first, but let it be said that Shayfer's father was twenty years older than two of his three wives. Despite the various landscapes and plot lines of his youth, Shayfer claims his home was 'never broken, it was just designed a bit differently'. 'My father was an elephant, he left me a legacy of wisdom, creativity, and strength, what more could a man hope for in life? And what more could a woman look for in her man?' With that, he smiles at me in a manner that makes me shiver, even after having seen it parade across his face thousands of times..
As for his songwriting; I love every breath, every pause and every word. Shayfer's music is as disquieting as it is relaxing. His hands waltz, meander, and dart over the black and white keys in a way that is imperfect and unschooled. He is clumsy at times, but always aware of his clumsiness. He makes imperfection his companion, not his enemy. His voice, well, it is his and no one else's, and in this writer's opinion it is magnificent.
His live performances are intimate and cool. I say this because cool is a timeless word that describes so many things at once. Women swoon, and men listen intently (some men swoon of course, which is no less flattering to Shayfer). 'I may have been gay in another life; I also may have been one of those fat men that jump into arctic water for fun.
I would rather have been gay than an idiot. No offense of course to those polar bear men, and I apologize to gay men everywhere for using that as an example, I generally make no sense when I speak'. I laugh, and he watches me.
At this moment, Shayfer abruptly decides that our meeting is getting too lengthy and we should leave. I joke that I need more information and he says he'll fax it to me. He signs the receipt in cat-scratch and cracks an inappropriate joke for the waitress. She smiles, I smack him, and we stand. He walks me to the car and opens the door for me. I blush and thank him. He walks around the car and sits down in the driver's seat. He fumbles with a stack of CDs, kisses me and says 'great meeting. He is Shayfer James. He is Brilliant. He is my husband. -Lucy James
ABOUT SHAYFER
Shayfer James is of the mindset that songs are stories; small capsules in time that capture the imagination with carefully painted images and quirky characters. His edgy folk and pop-infused music is reminiscent of influences from Aaron Copland to Johnny Cash. From the first smokey phrase and stinging piano progression, you will find yourself transported to a dark, dusty attic where truth is simultaneously hidden and preserved.
Mr. James is proud to announce the release of his first EP, ‘Red Room Vol. 1’. This raw, satirical, and witty collection of songs beautifully illustrates Shayfer’s obsession with melody and performance. His lyrics flirt with riddle and tell of epic love and evil deeds.
Shayfer began performing on stage at the age of nine. His fascination with all things noir and the art of cabaret naturally attracted him to the piano, which he describes as “an unforgiving beast one moment, and a seductive woman the next”. In person, Mr. James can be likened to a Cheshire Cat. Enigmatic and often inappropriate, Shayfer never fails to guide conversation and situation down unpredictable paths. Alongside him on each of those long walks will always be his adoring wife Lucy. Lucy is no less a character than Shayfer. Their moods and hi-jinks are unpredictable and their connection is steadfast. Lucy is Shayfer’s muse, photographer, and more often than not, the translator for his methodically esoteric ramblings.
Shayfer’s performances are unpredictable and brooding.
He plays with his own emotions and those of his audience in a masterful game that can derive total silence from a busy bar.
The stories behind songs like None of Thee Above, Tombstone Road, Room by Room, and Godspeed are intense and fascinating, but Shayfer has asked that everyone write their own story while they listen.” You are encouraged to do so, we are certain you’ll be pleased.
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Words
by Shayfer James
None Of Thee Above
Jealousy, you flatter me
with all your lovely jewelry
and custom tailored tragedy
it fits you like a glove
we knew, with all you've said
and all you've done
that you would be the lonely one
Hello, goodbye, we know
you're right where you belong
we hope, you burn and grow
to learn what you've done
Walk the line from A to D
but never mind the in between
the truth you find, ironically
is none of thee above
we knew, with all we've said
and all we've done
that we would be the lonely ones
We watched you fumble your way home, the backs and breakers snapped alone, we watched
the wounded, waiting,
calling out the call
to learn what you've done wrong
For every tear you've shed
I'd carve a smile into my skin
you have the unique ability
to damage me, tread carefully
You have seen to much
and in between from where you've been
but tonight, save your eyes
I can't guarantee I'll be
the one thing you need
but I won't make a promise
I can't keep
I can't guarantee that you won't
pick up and leave
but I swear, I'll make you smile
And with every kiss you make a
a better man of me
the safe disguise of accidental lies
won't hide us here, no more my dear
I would sacrifice the air
that makes my body breathe
if it keeps you safe
I was wrong about love, I was wrong all along, I was wrong about life . But I swear I'll make you smile, for every tear you've shed, I swear, I swear, I'll carve a smile
Carve A Smile
Tombstone Road
Oh the air is here is getting thick
from all the dirty ciga-rhetoric
oh I can feel my inside turning black
and if words were dollars
I'd want mine back
Ooooh, every body gather round
they better head for higher ground
Ooooh, ever body gather round
I'm gonna burn this building down
You know for every tombstone road they pave they're gonna throw a ticker tape parade, and every thousand years that trickle by, they'll find another prophet to crucify
I'm gonna burn this village down
And when they're warm and cozy
in their beds, we're gonna paint
ourselves in black and red
we're gonna batter down
the gilded doors
and put the writing on the walls
and the ceilings, and the floors
anywhere we fancy the truth belongs
We're gonna burn this city down
Room By Room
If the keys in my hand
turned a lock of your hair
I would walk through a glance
but I'd stop at the stare
Then I'd follow it down
to the very last step
and I'd wait by the room
where your secrets are kept
If you beckoned me in
I would hang my black hat
on a bottle of pain
by your hurricane lamp
then I'd search every shelf
with that flame as my guide
and I'd burn every book
with a villain inside
Then I'd march through the door
to your parlor of need
where the glass on the floor
would make weaker men bleed
but the weight of my words
would turn slivers to dust
and I'll pace for as long as I live if i must
Then I'd tip-toe outside
I'd admire the hedge
and I'd climb up your walls
to the very top ledge
then I'd pause for a time
and I'd look at your world
and I'd fashion a rhyme
for a lost little girl
Godspeed
Funny how it's easier to see
the forest for the trees
when winter steals the leaves
There's many way to hide a heart that bleeds, but I prefer the ease
of rolling up my sleeves
You've got some nerve
to be coming around
with a smile on your face
and your feet on the ground
oh I used to be someone that you could believe, but it's been a while
been a while
You've got some nerve to be coming around with a card up your sleeve
and those thorns in your crown
oh I used to be someone that you could believe, been a while, been a while
Good luck, Godspeed, I know I'll see you again.
Funny how the night is not as long, when you depend upon
the dark before the dawn
There's many ways to write a thing that's wrong, you smile and move along, but I prefer a song.
Let me not make mazes with words
let me be perfectly clear
let me not make mazes with words
now get yourself, get the hell, get the fuck out of here.
Good luck, Godspeed, I'll always call you a friend, indeed.
Ghost Town
One day we will fall like soldiers
some day we will cry like men
wilted words on oaken shoulders
whisper from a violin
Here we wander around, slowly
killing moments in minutes and hours
we dismantle the ground
her in our dear little town
now we speak in tongues and tangles
cultivate a careless calm
finding form in antique angles
unadorned the doubtful dawn
