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James McMurtry ’80: Named a Top Living Songwriter and Inspired a Senior Thesis
For decades, the masterful storytelling and sound from James McMurtry ’80 has earned him recognition as one of the finest lyricists among fans of Americana and roots rock. Most recently, his work earned him a place in The New York Times Magazine’s Readers’ Top 100 Living American Songwriters list.
More than 25,000 readers voted on the list, which included other songwriting greats like Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, James Taylor, and Bruce Springsteen. James ranked at number 65 overall, sandwiched between Frank Ocean and John Mellencamp.
Voters specifically called out James’s “Ruby and Carlos,” a bittersweet tale about lovers whose paths diverge that, according to the magazine, was in part inspired by a memorable stop at a “dysfunctional Waffle House.”
Voters specifically called out James’s “Ruby and Carlos,” a bittersweet tale about lovers whose paths diverge that, according to the magazine, was in part inspired by a memorable stop at a “dysfunctional Waffle House.”
The recognition reflected the publication’s continued appreciation for James’s work. “Copper Canteen” — which famously begins with the line: “Honey, don’t you be yelling at me when I’m cleaning my gun” — was previously named by the magazine as one of the twenty-five songs that “tell us where music is going.”
The singer-songwriter also piqued the interest of one Woodberry senior who spent his final weeks on campus this spring researching the artist and his career. Tad Shores ’26 studied the songwriter’s lyrics and his life to better understand how the two influenced each other.
Tad, who will be attending the University of Virginia as a Jefferson Scholar this fall, started getting into Woodberry’s music scene as a third-former. He joined the lyrical analysis club and started listening to the rock musicians older boys would enjoy down by the river or in their dorm rooms: The Allman Brothers Band, The Grateful Dead, The Band.
He decided to buy a bass guitar with the money he earned as a counselor for Woodberry Forest Sports Camp. After teaching himself how to play it, he joined a band on campus with Lane Warren ’26 and Wylly Bell ’26, among others. They played together after study hall most nights, he said.
“My favorite part about the music was trying to sound good together,” Tad said. “And a lot of times we wouldn't sound good, honestly. But when you reach that actual moment when it sounds really good, it’s different than anything else.”
It was his interest in music and conversations with English teacher Ben Hale that eventually led Tad to James’s work. After studying one song from each of his twelve studio albums, researching the artist’s life and family history, and even having the opportunity to interview him, Tad came to see James as a complex figure: a working-class man who hunts and fishes, but also uses his platform to “fight for the underdog.”
The product of his research was a thirty-page literary biography. Note that Tad refers to Larry, James’ father. The late Larry McMurtry authored numerous acclaimed books, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Lonesome Dove, the favorite book of, among others, WFS Headmaster Byron Hulsey '86 P'22. Click here to read a snippet of the end result, Tad’s senior thesis.
Woodberry Forest School is an exceptional private school community for high school boys in grades nine through twelve. It is one of the top boarding schools in the United States and one of the only all-boys, all-boarding schools in the country.
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