Read Full Bio ↴Adam Craig is one of the good guys, and it’s about time he showed up.
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.’
Why Can't She
Adam Craig Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Adam Craig's song Why Can't She is a powerful and emotional plea for forgiveness and redemption. The lyrics depict a man who has made a mistake and lost the love of his life as a result. He is reaching out to God, asking for forgiveness and hoping that his former partner will also be able to forgive him. The opening lines "God I've fallen | And I pray you're listening" show the remorse and guilt that the singer is feeling, and his realization that he has made a grave error.
The lyrics portray a sense of surrender and the man's recognition that he cannot change the past, only hope to make things right in the future. He speaks about his heavy conscience and the weight around his soul, which reflects the burden he is carrying from his actions. As the song progresses, he implores God to help him fix the damage he has caused and convince his former lover to give him another chance. The phrase "If you can forgive me – why can't she" is particularly poignant as it highlights the man's desperation and frustration that he cannot mend his relationship.
The chorus of the song is a prayer to God, asking for forgiveness and direction. It is a simple but emotive plea that is repeated throughout the track. Overall, Adam Craig's Why Can't She is a moving ode to love, forgiveness, and the power of redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
God I've fallen
I've made a mistake and stumbled in my actions or emotions.
And I pray you're listening ‘cause I can't stop it
I hope that you, God, are paying attention to my plea for help because I cannot fix this on my own.
Like a weight around my soul this heavy conscience pulls me down
I feel a heavy burden on my soul from my guilty conscience, which is making me miserable and unhappy.
I'm learning when you bend the truth too far it ends up broken
I understand now that when you distort the truth, it eventually becomes distorted to the point of being unrecognizable.
So I'm asking you for more than just my own redemption
I'm not just asking for my own forgiveness and redemption, but also for the forgiveness and redemption of others who I may have hurt along the way.
So hear me out
Please listen to my heartfelt apology and supplication for help.
Tonight I lay me down and pray to you my soul to keep
As I lay down to sleep, I am praying for the safety and protection of my soul and for guidance and strength to make things right.
I can't undo the wrong I've done but I know that you can see
I realize that I cannot change or fix what I have done, but I have faith that you, God, can see my true intentions and desires to make amends.
My heart's filled with regret
I am deeply saddened and remorseful about my actions, and my heart is heavy with feelings of regret and sorrow.
That's why I'm down here on my knees
I am humbling myself before you, God, and begging for your mercy and forgiveness.
If you can forgive me – why can't she
If you are capable of forgiving me for my mistakes, then why can't the person I hurt also forgive me?
I got careless
I let my guard down and became reckless in my behavior and choices, which resulted in the mistake I made.
Let her hand slip out of mine into someone else's
I lost the affection and trust of the person I care about, and they found comfort in someone else's arms.
Asking her to come back now seems too selfish
I am hesitant to ask for forgiveness or a second chance because I am worried that it may be selfish or unfair to the other person.
But I'm asking anyway
Despite my reservations, I am still asking for another chance because I truly believe that I can make things right and repair what I have broken.
I'm helpless
I feel powerless and unable to fix the damage that has been done, which is causing me great distress and sadness.
Maybe this mistake's a taste of what hell is
This painful experience has made me realize how terrible it would be to live with the regret and guilt of my mistakes forever, which is like living in a personal hell.
Make her believe there's good in me through all this wreckage before it's too late
Help me show this person that I am capable of being a better and more trustworthy partner despite the mistakes I have made in the past.
If there's anyone she'll listen to it's you
I have faith that this person will listen to you, God, and trust in your guidance and wisdom to help us move forward in a positive way.
CHORUS
The chorus emphasizes the artist's plea for redemption and forgiveness, and his desire to make things right with the person he loves.
Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Adam Craig, Jon Nite, Matt Rogers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J T
Why Can't She
God, I`ve fallen
And I pray You`re listening
`Cause I can`t stop it
Like a weight around my soul
This heavy conscience
Is pulling me down
I`m learning
That when you bend the truth at all
It ends up broken
So I`m asking You for more than just redemption
Please hear me now
God, tonight I`m calling out
But just a prayer ain`t saving me
I can`t undo the wrong I`ve done
But I know that You can see
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?
I got careless
I let her hand slip out of mine into someone else`s
Asking her to come back now just seems so selfish
But I`m asking anyway
It might be helpless
Maybe this mistake is a taste of what hell is
Make her believe there`s good in me through all this wreckage
Before it`s too late
God, tonight I`m calling out
But just a prayer ain`t saving me
I can`t undo the wrong I`ve done
But I know that You can see
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?
Oh, why can`t she? Yeah
If there`s anyone she`ll listen to, it`s You
So tonight I`m calling out
Just a prayer ain`t saving me
I can`t undo the wrong I`ve done
But I know that You can see
My heart`s full of regret
That`s why I`m down here on my knees
So if You can forgive me
Lord, I know You can forgive me
Why can`t she?
Oh-oh-ohh, why can`t she?
Sean Collins
Adam Craig, Underappreciated by Radio. This is one of many incredible songs. You deserve to see some air time.
Adam Craig
Thanks for the love and support❤️
Crazy Tracy
HOW POWERFUL!!! This hit me in my soul! Y isn't this on the radio? Alot of young ladies need to hear this b4 it's too late for them. Ty Tyler
Shelli Bingle
I’m in love with this song. My husband & I have lost our ways in our marriage. But, we’ve comeback together stronger than ever.❤️
Keaton Hipp
Shelli Bingle I wish my pArents could do the same
Elizabeth Serianni
Amen
Adam Craig
Thanks for the love and support❤️
Chantel Oreilly
So happy for u x
Paula Jane
I love everything about this song forever 😎🎸💯😍
Sentinel_sniper2
I wish my wife I'm separated from could hear this. I've never been so sorry for how I was and what I've done... My soul is broke. Without her