Cummings learnt the requisite three chords on the guitar from his father, but then switched to playing banjo at age 12 and became a fan of bluegrass music. He went to festivals and won several picking contests in high school. Before graduating, he heard the early recordings of Stevie Ray Vaughan and, while in college in 1987, saw Vaughan perform. Not until he was 27, did Cummings finally decide to go for a career in music.
An intense period of rehearsal (aka wood shedding) resulted Cummings sharing a bill with Double Trouble, the late Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rhythm section. So taken with Cummings’s playing were bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton that they volunteered to play on and produce his debut recording. In 2003 the aptly-titled From the Heart (Under the Radar) was released. B.B. King, who Cummings acknowledged with a funky version of ‘Rock Me, Baby,’ dubbed Cummings ‘a great guitarist.’
A year later Double Trouble joined Cummings again as he signed with Blind Pig Records to create True to Yourself. This time they brought in legendary producer Jim Gaines to control the sessions. The all-original release further showcased Albert’s rapidly developing songwriting chops and deeply emotional vocals as well as stunning guitar pyrotechnics that put the metallurgical properties of his strings to the test. Tours and shows with blues legends B.B. King, Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy and others brought his music to an audience grateful for the opportunity to be rocked hard by a man possessed to play every song like his life depended on it.
Working Man (Blind Pig), Cummings’s summer of 2006 blockbuster release, is the culmination to date of a guitar hero’s career just taking off. A punchy, stomping cover of Merle Haggard’s blue collar standard ‘Working Man Blues’ brings it all home for the master builder and musician. The swinging Texas blues of ‘Please,’ the instant barroom boogie classic ‘Party Right Here,’ the snaky slow drag ‘Rumors’ and the rousing rocker ‘Feeling End’ show variety well beyond the typical slow blues and shuffles of so much contemporary music. The deeply emotive ballad ‘Last Dance’ that closes the disc.
In July 2015, Cummings released Someone Like You, a 12-track Blind Pig album produced by David Z.
In February 2020, Cummings released his 11-track Provogue Records debut titled Believe, produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Jim Gaines.
Official Website: Albert Cummings
500 Miles
Albert Cummings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sun doesn't always shine
It's alright to fall apart sometimes, mmm
I am not always you
And you are not always mine
It's alright to fall apart sometimes
After all is said and done
One and one still is one
When we cry, when we laugh
I am half, you are half
The heart isn't always true
And I am not always fine
We all have an angry heart sometimes
After all is said and done
One and one still is one
When we cry, when we laugh
I am half, you are half
Look how far we have come
One and one still is
One moon (one moon)
One star (one star)
I love the one we are
One thread (one thread)
One line (one line)
Let's stand still in time
One moon (one moon)
One star (one star)
I love the one we are
One thread (one thread)
One line (one line)
That runs through our lives
After all is said and done
One and one still is one
When we cry, when we laugh
I am half, you are half
Look how far we have come
One and one still is one ah
Ooh
The song "500 Miles" by Albert Cummings talks about how life is not always perfect and how it's okay to fall apart sometimes. The lyrics suggest that it's fine to admit to being imperfect and that it's alright to go through hardships. The opening lines of the song, "The sky isn't always blue, the sun doesn't always shine", are a powerful reminder that not everything in life is perfect. The song also talks about how relationships can be challenging, and it's okay to struggle every once in a while.
The artist talks about how, even though the heart isn't always true, and we all have an angry heart sometimes, we are still "one and one," and "one moon and one star." The song suggests that despite difficulties, we are all connected in the same way, and we all come from the same source. When we cry and laugh, we are half, and the other person is half; we need each other's support and friendship to keep going through life.
The chorus of the song emphasizes that, "one and one still is one," and we "look how far we have come." The song talks about how, even though we are not perfect, we have come so far, and we should be proud of ourselves. The lyrics suggest that, in the end, we are all just one thread, one line that runs through our lives, and we should stand still in time and appreciate what we have.
Line by Line Meaning
The sky isn't always blue
The world isn't always perfect.
The sun doesn't always shine
The perfect day isn't always guaranteed.
It's alright to fall apart sometimes, mmm
It's okay to admit when life gets tough.
I am not always you
We are not always the same.
And you are not always mine
Our relationships with others can change.
After all is said and done
One and one still is one
When we cry, when we laugh
I am half, you are half
No matter what happens, we are still one unit and share experiences together.
The heart isn't always true
Our emotions and intentions aren't always pure.
And I am not always fine
We all have moments of weakness or difficulty.
We all have an angry heart sometimes
We all experience negative emotions from time to time.
Look how far we have come
One and one still is
One moon (one moon)
One star (one star)
I love the one we are
One thread (one thread)
One line (one line)
Let's stand still in time
Although we have faced challenges, we are still together as one.
One moon (one moon)
One star (one star)
I love the one we are
One thread (one thread)
One line (one line)
That runs through our lives
We have a common, unbreakable bond throughout our lives.
Ooh
An emotional response to the deep connections we share with others.
Writer(s): B. Steinberg, R. Nowells, M.c. U'baldo
Contributed by Owen M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.