James McMurtry stokes protest fires with song at The Hamilton

James McMurtry is famously reticent in conversation, even with his closest friends, yet he is heralded by many as one of the most articulate songwriters of his generation.

That’s a sentiment author Stephen King expressed to Entertainment Weekly when he said, “The simple fact is that James McMurtry may be the truest, fiercest songwriter of his generation” and noted McMurtry’s song “We Can’t Make It Here” from “Childish Things” album, “may be the best American protest song since [Dylan’s] ‘Masters of War.’ Love it or hate, you’ll never forget it.” John Mellencamp, who produced McMurtry’s 1989 debut “Too Long in the Wasteland,” says that he plays like he has lived a lifetime. But McMurtry is quiet when asked what spurs his songwriting.