A.J. Croce (born Adrian James Croce on September 28, 1971 in Bryn Mawr, Pen… Read Full Bio ↴A.J. Croce (born Adrian James Croce on September 28, 1971 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania) is an American singer-songwriter. He is the son of singer-songwriter Jim Croce.

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.

Music Box
A.J. Croce Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The courtship of innocence
Has since past its prime
And the sweetness we savored
Has soured with time
(Chorus)
If I knew
What I know now
I'd never have stayed

But for that old music box
And the song that it played
You can say what you want
You can say what you will
You can take me for granted
'Til you get your fill
The past I have chosen
The future I'll claim

So no pointin' fingers
'Cause I'll take the blame

Overall Meaning

The song Music Box by A.J. Croce is a soulful reflection on the bittersweet nature of love and relationships. The opening lines talk about how the courtship of innocence is a thing of the past now and the sweetness of love has soured with time. It could be interpreted as a realization that the initial spark has died and the once-perfect relationship isn't what it once was. The lyrics convey a sense of regret, a wish to go back to the way things were, an understanding about the mistakes made, and a desire to move forward.

The chorus talks about how if the singer knew what they knew now, they would never have stayed in the relationship. But despite this, as the lyrics explain, the old music box and the song that it played holds a special meaning. It's as if the music box and the memories associated with it are the only things worth holding on to in the relationship, and without it, everything else would be meaningless. In the end, the singer accepts the responsibility for the past and chooses to look forward with hope.

Overall, the song talks about the complexities of relationships and how they can change with time. It's about realizing that everything won't always be perfect and that it's okay to accept the past and move on.

Line by Line Meaning

The courtship of innocence
The feelings of purity and naivety associated with a new relationship

Has since past its prime
Those pure feelings have faded over time

And the sweetness we savored
The enjoyable moments we shared in the past

Has soured with time
Have now turned unpleasant or bitter with the passage of time

If I knew
Had I been aware beforehand

What I know now
The knowledge and understanding I have gained since that time

I'd never have stayed
I would not have remained in that situation

But for that old music box
Except for the memories associated with that music box

And the song that it played
And the particular tune it happened to play

You can say what you want
You can make any claim, express any opinion

You can say what you will
You can say anything you like, no matter how critical or accusatory