Shortly before his father's death in a 1973 plane crash, Croce's family moved west to San Diego, California, where his mother, Ingrid, raised him.
At the age of four, Croce was completely blinded, as the result of a brain tumor. Between the ages of four and ten, Croce gradually regained vision in his left eye. It was during this difficult time in Croce's life that he began to play the piano. "I learned to play music by listening and playing along to the radio and to records..." Croce says, "At some point I was given the music of Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder as inspiration, which it was, and has been ever since."
Croce's first paying gig was at the age of 12, when he was paid $20 to perform at a Bat-Mitzvah party. By the age of 16, Croce was performing regularly at San Diego nightclubs, as a sideman and band leader. Croce reflects, "I was into every kind of music... you might say I was unfocused, but I consider an eclectic taste in music to be the foundation of versatility." Croce's house burned down when he was age 15.
Ron Goldstein and Peter Bauman of Private Music signed Croce to his first record deal at age 19. He recorded two CDs for Private Music: his self-titled debut, "A.J. Croce," produced by T-Bone Burnett and John Simon, and "That's Me In The Bar," produced by Jim Keltner, and featuring artists such as Ry Cooder, David Hidalgo, and Keltner himself.
Croce's third release, "Fit To Serve," was recorded in Memphis, and produced by Jim Gaines, who had previously produced Van Morrison, Santana, and The Steve Miller Band. Croce then took a musical turn with the release of his album Transit. He explained, "I had been playing blues-based music for a long time, and I was ready to try something new." Transit was compared by critics to the work of John Lennon, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, and Van Morrison. Glen Starkey of New Times labeled Croce "a song crafter of the first order."
A fifth CD, titled "Adrian James Croce" was released in the summer of 2004, and a sixth CD, Cantos, in 2006.
Croce has performed as an opening act for artists such as Carlos Santana, Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, James Brown, Ben Harper, Dave Matthews, Earth, Wind and Fire and Ray Charles. He has also performed on such national venues as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and Austin City Limits.
Cold
A.J. Croce Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yet you're afraid each thing I do is just some evil scheme
A memory from your lonesome past keeps us so far apart
Why can't I free your doubtful mind and melt your cold cold heart
Another love before my time made your heart sad and blue
And so my heart is paying now for things I didn't do
In anger unkind words are spoke that make the teardrops start
You'll never know how much it hurts to see you sit and cry
You know you need and want my love yet you're afraid to try
Why do you run and hide from life,to try it just ain't smart
Why can't I free your doubtful mind and melt your cold cold heart
There was a time when I believed that you belonged to me
But now I know your heart is shackled to a memory
The more I learn to care for you,the more we drift apart
Why can't I free your doubtful mind and melt your cold cold heart
The lyrics to A.J. Croce's song "Cold" paint a picture of a complicated romantic relationship. The singer is trying hard to prove his love to his partner, but they are hesitant and distant, afraid that his actions are just part of an "evil scheme." The partner's doubt is rooted in a "lonesome past" where another love left their heart "sad and blue." The partner's pain is strong enough that they lash out in anger, making "teardrops start."
The singer pleads with their partner, expressing how much it hurts to see them cry and how much they want to love them. However, the partner is afraid to try, as they feel their heart is "shackled to a memory," and as the singer tries to care for them more, they seem to drift further apart.
There are a few different ways that this narrative can be interpreted. It could be a classic story of unrequited love, with the singer hopelessly trying to win over someone who is emotionally unavailable. Alternatively, it could be a more complicated story of a relationship that is haunted by the partner's past trauma, causing them to struggle with trust and openness.
Overall, "Cold" is a poignant song that explores the complex emotions and struggles that can come with love and intimacy. It is a reminder that sometimes it is not enough to just try hard or be kind, as our past traumas and experiences can deeply shape how we approach relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I tried so hard my dear to show that you're my every dream.
I made every effort to show you that you mean everything to me.
Yet you're afraid each thing I do is just some evil scheme
You constantly doubt my intentions and think I have ulterior motives.
A memory from your lonesome past keeps us so far apart
Your past experiences are preventing us from being close.
Why can't I free your doubtful mind and melt your cold cold heart
I wish I could make you trust me and open up to me emotionally.
Another love before my time made your heart sad and blue
You were hurt by someone else in the past, even before we were together.
And so my heart is paying now for things I didn't do
I'm suffering the consequences of someone else's mistakes.
In anger unkind words are spoke that make the teardrops start
We say hurtful things to each other which only makes things worse.
You'll never know how much it hurts to see you sit and cry
It's painful to see you suffer and feel helpless about it.
You know you need and want my love yet you're afraid to try
You understand that love could help but you're too scared to give it a chance.
Why do you run and hide from life, to try it just ain't smart
You avoid taking risks and trying new things because of fear.
There was a time when I believed that you belonged to me
I used to think that we had a strong connection.
But now I know your heart is shackled to a memory
I've come to realize that your past is still holding you back.
The more I learn to care for you, the more we drift apart
The stronger my feelings get for you, the more distant we become.
Why can't I free your doubtful mind and melt your cold cold heart
I just wish I could make you see that I'm here for you and I care.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Danny Hauger
Love the grit of the vocals, the heart and soul of the singing and the warm instrumentation. Sounds great AJ!
Rose O'Leary
Nice! Like it very much.
Amelia Houchins
💞💖💞✌