Raised on George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Emmylou Harris, she sang harmonies as a toddler, eventually thinking she'd make a career of it. Following the murder-suicide of her parents (perpetrated by her father) in 1986, she moved into her aunt and uncle's home.
Not long afterwards, sister Shelby Lynne moved to Nashville for a career in music, and after her high school graduation, Moorer followed. She sang harmonies with her sister for a while but returned to Alabama to earn a degree in public relations. She skipped the graduation ceremony to move back to Nashville.
Her song "A Soft Place to Fall" was tapped for Robert Redford's The Horse Whisperer in 1998, and she also appeared in the movie. Because the ballad earned her an Academy Award nomination, she performed it on the 1999 Oscars ceremony. However, none of her singles from her debut "Alabama Song" or its follow-up "The Hardest Part" received much radio airplay, nor achieving chart success though both projects were highly praised by critics.
When Brown moved from MCA to sister label Universal South, Moorer followed. Her 2002 album "Miss Fortune" earned more raves, but didn't meet sales expectations. She almost got another big break by recording the duet "Picture" with Kid Rock after Sheryl Crow had bowed out. However, Crow changed her mind, and the Rock/Crow-version became a huge radio hit. Yet, the song was credited on the charts to both Crow and Moorer. In addition, the CD single featuring Moorer sold 500,000 copies and is certified Gold by the RIAA. Her ballad "Tumbling Down" (from Miss Fortune) was featured on the soundtrack of the popular 2002 film The Rookie.
Her live album album "Show"(2003) was recorded in one night (two performances) at the 12th and Porter in Nashville and despite popular belief, it features the first recorded collaboration by both Moorer sisters.
After releasing Show and a DVD on Universal South, Moorer moved to independent label Sugar Hill Records. With a slightly rougher edge than past efforts, The Duel was released in April 2004.
After a divorce between Moorer and Primm, she eventually married Steve Earle, after serving as his opening act on a European tour. Earle produced her 2006 album, "Getting Somewhere". Moorer wrote all the songs, with the exception of one co-written with Earle. She and Earle were nominated for a Grammy award in the category Best Country Collaboration with Vocals, for the song "Days Aren't Long Enough" from Earle's "Washington Square Serenade".
Moorer released the Buddy Miller-produced "Mockingbird" in February 2008; an album mainly of covers of songs by female singer/songwriters including her sister, Shelby Lynne.
Her latest studio album "Crows" (2010), features her first departure from the Contemporary Country style of her earlier albums, instead changing to a Pop and Contemporary Singer/Songwriter style.
http://allisonmoorer.com
Cold In California
Allison Moorer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Along with you they disappeared
And left me here
Just like the falling leaves
I watched you turn and drift away
Nothing stays
Don't want to face the fall alone
But it's your nature to move on
Is it cold in California
Like I told you it would be
Do you need someone to warm you
Like I warmed you
Is it cold in California
Like it is in Tennessee
Spent the holidays with a man made out of snow
Ho ho ho
Kept on building fires
But they didn't ease the chill
Nothing will
This has been the hardest time
Winter has the longest nights
Is it cold in California
Like I told you it would be
Do you need someone to warm you
Like I warmed you
Is it cold in California
Like it is in Tennessee
I'll count the days until the spring
And hope it brings you back to me
Is it cold in California
Like I told you it would be
Do you need someone to warm you
Be there for you
Is it cold in California
Like it is in Tennessee
The lyrics to Allison Moorer's "Cold In California" describe the pain and loneliness of a woman who has been left behind by her lover. The first verse sets the scene with the departure of the lover in the summer, leaving the singer alone like the falling leaves. The second verse highlights the contrast of the singer's cold, bleak winter in Tennessee to the possibility of a warmer California winter for the lover. Yet, the singer questions whether the lover also feels cold and lonely without her.
The third verse takes on a more upbeat tone with the mention of the holidays, although the joy is short-lived as the fires built fail to ease the chill of loneliness. Winter is the hardest time as it carries the longest night. The final verse is a plea to the lover to return in the spring and to confirm whether it's truly cold in California.
Overall, the song is a poignant depiction of the feeling of loss that accompanies abandonment. It portrays the emotions that are often experienced in a relationship breakup or separation.
Line by Line Meaning
The summer days are gone
The warm and cheerful days are over
Along with you they disappeared
You left with those joyful days and everything began to lose its color
And left me here
You left me alone, stranded in a desolate world
Just like the falling leaves
Just like the leaves that fall from the trees in autumn, you walked away from me and left me alone to face things alone
I watched you turn and drift away
I witnessed you gradually move away from me in a way that felt like you were being carried away by the wind
Nothing stays
Nothing in this world lasts forever and this is something I've come to realize
Don't want to face the fall alone
I don't want to be left alone as the seasons change and everything around me dies
But it's your nature to move on
I know it's in your nature to move on from things easily and not get too attached to them
Is it cold in California
I wonder if the weather in California is chilly
Like I told you it would be
I remember telling you that it would be cold over there because I didn't want you to forget about me
Do you need someone to warm you
Do you feel the need for someone to hold you and make you feel warm inside
Like I warmed you
Like I used to hold you and make you feel comfortable during the cold nights
Spent the holidays with a man made out of snow
I had to endure the festive season alone, with no one to keep me company except for a snowman I made
Kept on building fires
I kept trying to stay warm by lighting fires, but even that didn't help much
But they didn't ease the chill
The fires I kept lighting weren't enough to chase away the cold that engulfed me
Nothing will
There is nothing that can truly lessen the numbness and emptiness that has set in my heart
This has been the hardest time
This has undoubtedly been the toughest period of my life
Winter has the longest nights
This is the season with the longest, darkest, and loneliest nights
I'll count the days until the spring
I'll keep track of the days until spring comes and hope that you'll return to me by then
And hope it brings you back to me
I'm praying that the spring season will have a special surprise in store for me, which would be your return
Do you need someone to warm you
Would you like someone to hold you close and make you feel cared for
Be there for you
Someone you could rely on and who would always be by your side
Like it is in Tennessee
I wonder if the weather in California is as cold as it is here in Tennessee
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALLISON MOORER, DOYLE PRIMM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind