JAMES TAYLOR: "One Man Dog"

Original released on LP Warner Bros BS 2660

(US, November 1972)

A lot was riding on this album, James Taylor's followup to his two big hits, "Sweet Baby James" and "Mud Slide Slim and The Blue Horizon", which was released 21 months after the latter, a long time between records in those days. And what a letdown. "One Man Dog" contained 18 tracks, some of them instrumentals, many of them running less than two minutes. A lot of it was sketchy and seemingly unfinished, and none of it had the impact of the best songs on the last two albums. "One Man Dog" spawned a Top 20 hit in "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," and it made the Top 10 and went gold itself largely on the momentum of Taylor's career. But it disappointed fans, and in the 19 months it took him to record another album, Taylor was bypassed by the singer-songwriter movement, becoming more of an easy listening covers artist (his next hits were remakes of "Mockingbird" and "How Sweet It Is"). (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

DON'T LET ME BE LONELY TONIGHT

(by James Taylor)

Do me wrong, do me right
Tell me lies, but hold me tight
Save your good-byes for the morning light
But don't let me be lonely tonight

Say good-bye and say hello
Sure 'nough good to see you
But it's time to go
Don't say yes, but please
Don't say no
I don't want to be lonely tonight

Go away then, damn you
Go on and do as you please, yeah
You ain't gonna see me getting down on my knees
I'm undecided and your heart's been divided
You've been turning my world upside down

Do me wrong, do me right, right now baby
Go on and tell me lies, but hold me tight
Save your good-byes for the morning light, morning light
But don't let me be lonely tonight
I don't want to be lonely tonight
No, no, I don't want to be lonely tonight
I don't want to be lonely tonight

This was the lead single from "One Man Dog", a concept album about fame primarily recorded in Taylor's home studio. He explained to Mojo magazine July 2009: «I wrote a number of songs that talked about being uneasy about fame. There are things about it that are odd, and should be questioned.» This song finds Taylor asking a girl to spend the night to fend off his loneliness. He comes off a bit desperate and very capricious, at one point telling her that he's not going to beg, but then preceding to do so. It sounds a lot like the manipulations of an addict, which Taylor was at the time. The song was released the same year he married Carly Simon (they divorced in 1983). The Isley Brothers covered this in 1973. Eric Clapton recorded it in 2001 for his album "Reptile". Jazz giant Michael Brecker is featured on tenor sax. He was a popular session player on many rock and pop songs in the '70s and '80s. Taylor sang on a version that was included on Brecker's 2001 solo album "Nearness of You: The Ballad Book". This version earned Taylor a Grammy win for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.