It started in a car in Tenino, Washington, just south of Seattle. The windows were down, Martina McBride and Heart were blaring on the radio and his mother was wondering what had just possessed her young son to match those mercurial vocalists note for note.
“She was like ‘Holy crap kid, you can sing!’” he says with an infectious, disarming chuckle.
From that moment forward, Adam knew he had a special gift – a vocal presence that transcends the typical bounds of a male country singer to touch the stratosphere, and an ability to pull listeners inside a story.
Standing out early in life as a Tim McGraw and Travis Tritt lover in a sea of flannel-clad grunge rockers, Adam is no stranger to going against the grain. He honed his vocal chops in soggy bars and talent shows all over Washington State, then made the cross-country drive to Nashville and discovered another gift – a knack for writing modern country songs with sensitive, meaningful lyrics, a touch of good humor and breathtaking hooks in a time when machismo and bluster were the order of the day.
Working as an in-demand Music Row songwriter, Adam has co-penned hits like Parmalee’s “Close Your Eyes” and scored cuts by Jason Aldean (“Church Pew or Bar Stool”), Dustin Lynch (“World to Me”), Love & Theft (“Whiskey on My Breath”) and more, but his own style is something different – it’s the next step in country’s continuing evolution, and the antidote for the bro-country hangover.
Now signed to BBR Music Group’s Stoney Creek Records, Adam has made the leap from songwriter to artist with a style that’s rooted in the ‘90s yet sounds just ahead of the curve. It combines the down-home themes of artists like McGraw and Tritt, the soul-bearing honesty and pure-intentioned romance of Keith Urban with otherworldly vocals that land somewhere between Vince Gill and Keith Urban.
But the defining trait of his music is more than an intriguing sound and passionate writing: it’s an appreciation for just how complicated the real world truly is. Some country singers would have you believe there are two speeds to life – happy and sad – but nothing is that black and white. The toughest, most successful among us are sometimes plagued by doubt and regret, and even when we hurt those we love, a second chance will often come – if we can just rise to the challenge.
“Somebody said something to me the other day and it made me feel really good,” he explains. “He said ‘Man, I don’t know how you do it, but you write a heartbreaker like a man would really have his heart broke.’ That’s what I want.”
Songs like “Why Can’t She” live in that gray area of real life, the one where guilt collides with grace and ultimately, leads to a transformation. Sung in the form of a quiet prayer, artists all over Nashville have had the song on hold, but it’s never been released – a testament to the need for a country star who’s not afraid of his sensitive side. “My heart’s full of regret, that’s why I’m down here on my knees / So if you can forgive me … why can’t she?” goes the unforgettable chorus.
“When you can hear the air go out of people when you get to the hook, that’s the hammer hook,” he says.
Capable of turning his real life into a hit song, even Adam’s drinking tunes come with emotional nuance. In “Remember This,” you can’t help feeling sympathy for the guy who’s stuck in the corner booth of a dive bar, watching what he thought was the love of his life crumble before him.
“I just found out the girl was on the way out of the relationship, and I knew what was coming,” he explains. “So it’s like ‘I’m gonna get so smashed right now, because I don’t want to remember what’s about to happen.’”
Meanwhile, the young artist is no stranger to dirt-road anthems and the fluttering flush of new romance, but his party tunes are full of refreshing, nice-guy generosity. He’s not the guy who treats his girlfriend as a trophy in cut-off jeans, he’s the guy who says “I’m On It” when she asks to crank up the radio, and tells her “It’s All Good” no matter what they end up doing, as long as they get to spend time together.
This is the product of a different kind of country artist – one who’s more about substance and shared experience than showing off. One who knows what hard work means and is thankful for what he’s earned. One who’s going to signal another shift in the genre, and bring the good guys back.
“My guitar player has it written on his pedal board, and I stare at it every night,” he says. “Five words that mean everything: ‘I Get To Do This.’
Just A Phase
Adam Craig Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're a classic glass of red
So girl watcha doing here tonight
Messing up my bed
You don't really love me
You just think that you do
I'm just a phase you're going through
Someday soon baby
You're gonna wake up and see
There ain't never gonna be
A forever for you and me
Someday soon baby
You're gonna look back and smile
That you got hooked on a guy like me
For a little while
'Cause I'm a Friday night
You're a Sunday afternoon
I'm a reckless rock'n'roll
And you're a nice slow dance to a midnight tune
Deep in your heart I know you know I ain't right for you
I'm just a phase you're going through
Yeah
Someday soon baby
You're gonna wake up and see
There ain't never gonna be a forever for you and me, yeah
Someday soon baby
You're gonna look back and smile
That you got hooked on a guy like me
For a little while
Guess I might be crazy
Lovin' like
Baby until the last kiss from your lips tells me goodbye
I'm gonna lay right here
And pretend that it ain't true
I'm just a phase you're going through
Yeah, I'm just a phase
You're going through, hmm
Girl I'm just a phase
You're going through
Adam Craig's song Just a Phase talks about a man and his lover. The man is depicted as a "blackjack label," suggesting that he's a wild card or troublemaker. His lover, on the other hand, is described as a "classic glass of red," suggesting that she's more refined and traditional. The man questions why his lover is with him, aware that he does not measure up to her expectations.
Despite knowing that his lover does not love him, the man continues the relationship fully aware that it is not going to last. He believes that at some point, his lover will realize that they are not meant to be together. The chorus repeats the phrase, "I'm just a phase you're going through," pointing out that the man is aware that he is just a temporary part of his lover's life.
The song concludes with the man acknowledging that he might be crazy for loving his lover, but he is going to stay with her until the end. He pretends that their relationship is going to last despite knowing that he is just a temporary pleasure in his lover's life.
Overall, the song Just a Phase is a warning to the man's lover that their relationship is not a lasting one. He believes that she will eventually realize their relationship is just a phase, and she will move on.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a blackjack label
I'm the type of guy who enjoys taking risks and living on the edge
You're a classic glass of red
You're a timeless and sophisticated woman, like a classic glass of red wine
So girl watcha doing here tonight, Messing up my bed
I know you're just looking for a good time, but I don't want to get too attached to you
You don't really love me, You just think that you do
You're infatuated with me, but you don't actually love me or know me well enough to make that claim
I'm just a phase you're going through
I'm not a significant person in your life, just a temporary phase of excitement or interest
Someday soon baby, You're gonna wake up and see, There ain't never gonna be, A forever for you and me
Eventually, you'll realize that we don't have a future together and that our relationship was just a passing phase
Someday soon baby, You're gonna look back and smile, That you got hooked on a guy like me, For a little while
One day, you'll fondly remember our time together, even though it was brief and ultimately meaningless
'Cause I'm a Friday night, You're a Sunday afternoon, I'm a reckless rock'n'roll, And you're a nice slow dance to a midnight tune
We have completely different lifestyles and personalities - I'm wild and you're reserved, but somehow we were attracted to each other
Deep in your heart I know you know I ain't right for you, I'm just a phase you're going through
You might deny it, but deep down you know that we're not right for each other and that I'm just a temporary fling
Guess I might be crazy, Lovin' like, Baby until the last kiss from your lips tells me goodbye
I know that I'm irrational for falling in love so easily, but until you fully reject me, I'll keep holding onto the hope that things will work out
I'm gonna lay right here, And pretend that it ain't true, I'm just a phase you're going through
Instead of facing the reality that our relationship is going nowhere, I'll ignore it and stay in denial
Yeah, I'm just a phase, You're going through, hmm, Girl I'm just a phase, You're going through
Ultimately, I know that I'm not a central part of your life and that our time together will end quickly
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JIM BEAVERS, ADAM CRAIG, LINDSAY RIMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@elijahmbugua
Like, this guy is so underrated it's annoying! If you know what good music sounds like then you know this song is pure gold!
@maryhudson7527
Sooooo true, Elijah!
@lapecosa87
Had the privilege of meeting him! he seems super sweet, talented and down-to-earth!
@thejackandjoedimension8642
I saw him live when he opened up for Dierks Bently, and I remember my mom said to me "So he's the opening act?!?! This should be his show!!!"
@Bayougirl70
After all these years I still love this song soooo much
@silvercash64
This is the most touching and beautiful COUNTRY song that I have EVER HEARD. THIS IS A HUGH COUNTRY HIT........!!!!!!😎
@jazminbarron2310
This seriously hits my heart so much. Ugh. Obsessed with this song. Love it.
@Slowrolling92
Jazmin Barron same here
@shelbyalexander1171
Jazmin Barron same here
@heatherfoster8403
\o