JONES & SCHMIDT

Recently (for the past three years) I have been trying to write a lyric based upon the Native American chant someone sent me which says, basically, don't look for me in the ground. I am not there. I did an overly flowery lyric which I gave to my son Sam and he set it to music - but we neither of us felt that it was the right thing. Then, two weeks ago, I had a sudden inspiration. I have wanted for half a century to find a lyric for Harvey's simple, haunting melody for A TEXAS ROMANCE, 1909, but I could never come up with something that I liked. Maybe this idea could fit with that music. Following that, I became obsessed with the challenge, writing dozens and dozens of versions, hoping to match the beautiful simplicity of the music. The result is DON'T LOOK FOR ME HERE. This will be the last song that we wrote together.

— Tom Jones, 7.21.21