FAWM: "Take Your Time (When You're Leaving Me)"

Take Your Time (When You're Leaving Me)

2 weeks ago by @jeff9

Liner Notes

#country #biab #pedal steel
Back to my more typical throwback country type stuff here, maybe a little bit like what I sometimes do with lyrics I get from @mctown & (deleted). This won't be as good as one of theirs, but hopefully I'll have another project with them put together soon.

Lyrics

Take Your Time (When You’re Leaving Me)
Jeffrey Walker Feb 2025

V1
You tell me for you it’s all over
I know I can really be a handful at times
You say you’ve had enough
Which means you really want more
Of something different
If I read between the lines

Chorus
But take your time when you’re leaving me
If you have second thoughts, well that’s just fine
Wouldn’t want you to have regrets
Somewhere further down the line
Well it might be nice
To take a beat and think twice…
So take your time when you’re leaving me
In case you change your mind

V2
It’s a week away from fall in Kentucky
I swear I’m gonna turn over a new leaf
I don’t want to sound too desperate
But if you stop and think
Ain’t what we have
Worth a little bit of grief

Repeat Chorus

Bridge
Ok, I get it, I won’t interfere
I took too much for granted
Now I’m seeing that so clear
I’m not begging you to stay…
Then again, I’d do anything
To keep you here

Repeat Chorus

Comments

@fantex 20h

Yeah man, this is some good alt country. That pedal steel is sweet.

@williamjames 6d

Foun you through the alt country forum. That pedal steel is very tasty. This has americana written all over it, in a good way. This has that inexplicable combination of joyos vibes and melancholy. I love it!

@donna 1w

Ah, this is just so fine, Jeff. The lyrical story is wonderful, and the music (oh, that pedal steel) and melody are heart wrenching. Lovely vocal performance, as always.

@nadine 1w

Jeff, you really know how to write these kind of songs. This storytelling vibe is just great. Lyrics have a good flow

@jinx 1w

Oh, gorgeous. An instant classic. I could hear George Jones doing this one – although frankly, I don't think much could improve on your wonderful voice.

I'm blanking on the word for what I want to say – what's it called when the music does what the words are describing? – but the way you do exactly that, with the extra beats of "pause" after the line "take a beat and think twice", is what absolutely makes this song for me. Brilliant work, I'll be listening again.

@greengrassgirl 2w

Oh, what a wonderful Chorus! It's magical. I love the sentiment that's so relatable, but not at all cliche-ish. Very nice work! Excellent vocal interpretation in the Br, too.

@jerrypettit 2w

I echo your "apology" about taking so long to come across and review one of your songs--especially since you are probably my favorite "country" guy around here. (And I'm glad we share that love for BIAB--I've been using it since 1992!) This is a terrific song! Perfect vocal as always! ❤️

@gwynjones 2w

Ah yes...my kind of Country...your vocals and instrumentation are spot on and the lyrics are excellent!

@cbmagic 2w

love this song, nicely done.

@mctown 2w

like the 2nd verse a lot.... cool stuff.

@mctown 2w

Way to go, Jeff.

@davidtaro 2w

For me, this is a really classy bit of lyric writing. You've nailed a relatable theme built around a clever central hook. And then there's a kind of unreliable narrator thing going on, which adds a further layer. "I'm not begging you to stay"... when that is essentially the entire point of the song 😆 Great write, Jeff!

@sbs 2w

Brilliant! Takes me back to my childhood in Southern California driving through the Central Valley to visit my step dad’s family listening to Bakersfield Country on radio stations like KUZZ.

@billwhite51 2w

i feel the same as you about the quality of mctown/vaughan lyrics, but feel your lyrics can stand right beside theirs and nobody would complain. this song is cut from the same cloth as the best of the old school country songs. there is a lot of wisdon in this song. the guy knows why the girl is leaving him and isnt whining about it or saying she is wrong in doing it. he just asks her to think about it a little longer in case she might be making a mistake. there is nothing obscure or self-consciously poetic to detract from the cold, hard truth that is the heart and soul of all the great country songs.