Tim James is the writer of, among other standards, the song “My List,” recorded by Toby Keith. It has been on albums that sold more than 11 million copies. As James himself says, “Not bad for a Robitussin-selling, basketball-playing, 40-year-old guy that nobody had faith in.”
Yes indeed, and remarkably, James had a #1 song in the country. He was once told he had a better chance of getting struck by lightning than having a #1 hit. One might call that crazy.
In fact, that’s what James calls it in the new memoir of his life, entitled Going Crazy (Left Foot, Right Foot, Breathe). We’ve reviewed the book in full, but now we’re talking with the author himself on the secrets behind most great songs, what advice he would give to his younger self and what he hopes readers take away from his life story.
Q: What made you choose Going Crazy as the title of your memoir and how does the idea of “going crazy” appear in the book?
A: I believe there are times when we all start to doubt our own sanity. Through my personal and professional trials there were moments I felt like I was going crazy, hence the title. The subtitle is Left Foot, Right Foot, Breathe, which is the mantra I adopted to make it through each day.
Q: How did your songwriting experience play into the process of writing this memoir, which is a much longer-form piece of writing than a song?
A: Most great songs are conversational in nature. When I first started my book, I wanted it to be easy to read and come across as someone simply talking to the reader, as opposed to preaching or lecturing on ways to overcome adversity. Each chapter is short and prefaced by a song that influenced my life at that time and also influenced the corresponding chapter. Many songs tell stories, and the book is really a collection of short stories, all relating to one another.
Q: Is there a song you’ve written that you feel captures your own life experiences, or that you hold a particular connection to?
A: My List, a #1 song I wrote for Toby Keith, certainly captured my life at the time. My father had been diagnosed with heart issues and it hit me that my list of things to do was made up of things that did not or would not matter in the long run. That being my first “hit” song, it will always hold a special place in my heart. It was also validation that I had achieved my goal of writing a #1 song.
Q: If you could go back and give the younger, struggling version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
A: The philosophy of never giving up was one I adopted many years ago. There are times the walls seem too high to climb but I stayed the course. I would give that advice to anyone, including my younger self.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from your story?
A: Perseverance. In my opinion, there’s not a trick to it. It’s finding a way to get through the night and getting up the next morning and putting your feet on the ground saying, “Left foot, right foot, breathe”. The path to defeat is the road to giving up. Don’t take it.
Q: Is there another project you’re working on now, and anything you can share with us about that?
A: I’m still writing songs. I have songs on the new records from Kenny Chesney, George Strait and Chris Stapleton. I am a writer so I’m still writing! That’s what writers do.
About Tim James:
Tim James is an award-winning songwriter from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Having written standards such as “My List” (Toby Keith), “Give It All We Got Tonight” (George Strait), “Love Like Crazy” (Lee Brice), and others, James has seen the music industry from the inside out, for better and worse, in richer and poorer times. Tim James still writes and performs while continuing to have his songs recorded by some of the biggest names in country music. He is the father of two teenagers and two dogs, happily living in his hometown.
