CRYING TIME
In which we learn that Taylor did see snow before Hampton Beach in April...
Taylor never remembers his parents getting along "Yet, based on the undeniable fact of my existence, there must have been at least a brief moment when the two got along -- or at the very least got together."
His mother is "uniquely beautiful," with an "exotic, bohemian look". "Over the years, many people have told me I look just like my mother, and I suppose I should take that as a compliment."
What he remembers most from his years with his mother "is the feeling of being in constant motion," and "listening to the radio always made things made things a little better."
"Moving around as much as I did, I came to learn quite quickly how to make new friends. At the same time, I knew to keep some distance and even some secrets."
What impact do you think this un-settledness had on Taylor's choice of a career as a touring musician? Is it true that "wherever he lays his hat", that's his home? Do you think he's still looking for a home?
Taylor's dad was straighter, quieter and more intense. He "seemed to pick up all those stray cares my mother refused to worry about."
Taylor felt closest to his dad when they spent Saturdays together watching Alabama college football games. "We were never great at expressing feelings, but put a big game on TV and the emotional floodgates opened. We'd hug and slap hands when our team won, and we'd be in tears and full gridiron mourning after a loss."
Now isn't that a common American male tendency? -- instead of verbalizing their feelings, they watch sports together for their "intimate" moments... Sometimes Taylor is described as being very quiet and guarded, except on stage.. is there a connection with his father being reticent except in "game mode"?
Taylor reflects that most of his life lessons were self-taught, even table manners. "With music, I suppose it was pretty much the same messy approach. I didn't learn how to make music the right way -- I learned how to do it my way. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss, at least if you're the ignorant one."
His grandmother taught him marketing, there's an amusing story about promoting the mall where she worked by dropping ping-pong balls from a small plane.
"If you ever hear that I'm air-dropping copies of one of my CDs, you'll understand that such grand and crazy scemes run in the Hicks family." He thinks he got his desire -- and ability -- to draw a crowd from Grandma Joni.
comments?
I would imagine the road as a traveling musician can be very lonely.Because Taylor moved around so much as a child ,it perhaps made it a little easier for him to be able to get used to this type of life.I do get the distinct impression that Taylor would love to have a place to call home.Taylor said he felt at home on the AI stage,and what is home but a place where you are warmly accepted by the people who love you !
I definitely feel he is still searching for that elusive "home"-that place
where you are accepted exactly as you are and there's a warm hug
and a place to let your guard down.
I imagine when he gets to finally slow down a little and create his own
home it will be a very welcoming place-that he'll fill it with things that soothe and warm his soul-things that have a stability to them that his
early life lacked.
That ping pong ball thing was too funny!
Home is where the heart is - and we all know where Taylor's heart is - on a stage performing.
I definitely feel he is still searching for that elusive "home"-that place
where you are accepted exactly as you are and there's a warm hug
and a place to let your guard down.
I love this definition of home.
Can you be at home if you don't accept yourself as you are?
And we all need warm hugs
Great thoughts Margaux!
Typically we "make-up" for our own parents failings when we become parents and say to ourselves "I'll never do that to my child....."
In Taylor's case he may take after his mother more physically and in regard to the "entertainer" personality but he has stated there were many times when he did not feel "safe" while moving around in her custody and among the "mean" drunks.
I bet he will make every effort (if / when he becomes a father) to make his children feel very safe and secure.
He was BORN to make music so he may very well be an entertainer no matter what childhood he had but I definitely believe all of his sufferings as a child led him toward his love of SOUL music.
I think home is about comfort/safety/security, same as many here have already said, and in that regard Taylor has probably found many homes already. One is here with us! But as far as a physical place to settle down, that may happen when he has children (and I really believe that's just a matter of time), or it may not happen and he will simply take wife and kids along on the tour bus! It's not necessarily a bad thing to be nomadic, as long as you have your "tent" and the kids can make friends and get educated. It has to be a choice and well planned... I do not think Pamela planned her migrations, and it obviously did have an impact on Taylor. But if the wanderlust never leaves him, which I suspect it won't, then he will know how to make it work for his children. (Did that make any sense?)
No observations on the male mind...
Regarding being self-taught... often that is a very, very good thing. I can say from experience that when I was teaching myself piano, and how to read music, I had incredible intuition and creativity. That was quashed quite abruptly when my parents decided I needed to take lessons. I am now completely unable to play by ear, I over-think my writing, and I'm generally paranoid about the whole "music thing".
And who needs table manners, anyway?
Mari: You make lots of sense.
It's funny that Taylor says he has no table manners, yet he was voted Best Mannered Celebrity.. As we've said, I suspect he's too hard on himself.