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
Dying Breed
Allison Moorer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And crack open it's lid
I drink the bottle empty
Just like my poor daddy did
I take after my family
My fate's the blood in me
No one grows old in this household
We are a dying breed
From my Mama's purse
I wash 'em down with homemade wine
To see what kicks in first
I take after my family
My fate's the blood in me
No one grows old in this household
We are a dying breed
I take another needle
Black powder and a spoon
I set my sights on heaven
And shoot for the moon
I take after my family
My fate's the blood in me
No one grows old in this household
We are a dying breed
Allison Moorer's song "Dying Breed" depicts the tragic and dysfunctional cycle of addiction that can be passed down through generations of a family. In the lyrics, the singer takes a pint of whiskey and drinks it all, emulating the behavior of their father. They also take pills from their mother's purse, washing them down with homemade wine, and use a needle to shoot up black powder in a desperate attempt to escape. Through these actions, the singer acknowledges that their fate is predetermined by their family's legacy of addiction and self-destructive behavior.
The line "No one grows old in this household, we are a dying breed" is particularly haunting, as it implies that the singer's family members all meet an early demise due to their addiction. It also underscores the feeling of hopelessness and inevitability that come with addiction, as though they are resigned to the same fate as their forebears.
The song speaks to the way addiction can enmesh itself in families and persist across generations, even as members of the family try to avoid or escape it. It also points to the power of addiction to override even the strongest and most heartfelt efforts to change.
Line by Line Meaning
I take a pint of whiskey
I start my day with a pint of whiskey
And crack open it's lid
I break the seal and steady my hand for a gulp
I drink the bottle empty
I consume the contents of the bottle until none remain
Just like my poor daddy did
I follow in the footsteps of my deceased father
I take after my family
I inherit the tendencies of my blood relations
My fate's the blood in me
My destiny is predetermined by my genetic makeup
No one grows old in this household
Death comes early for those in my family
We are a dying breed
We are a family with a history of death at a young age
I take a red and blue one
I steal pills from my mother's purse
From my Mama's purse
I take from someone who loves me without reservation
I wash 'em down with homemade wine
I chase the pills with wine made at home
To see what kicks in first
I'm playing a deadly game of chance to feel something more than emptiness
I take another needle
I inject black powder, heroine, into my veins
Black powder and a spoon
My life reduced to a drug user's cooking tools
I set my sights on heaven
I crave a sense of peace and an end to this torment
And shoot for the moon
I'm willing to do whatever it takes to escape the pain of my existence
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALLISON MOORER, DOYLE PRIMM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kristin Leuthold
Allison just rocks my soul.... what a voice!!
Carrie Brown
One of my favorite songs by Allison Moorer. I have the DVD/CD, limited edition live performance. Wonderful! Glad you uploaded the complete track, although the one I have is just a little different. Thanks.
Bret Hawkins
I love this song.
Donna Dedman
I could listen to her forever!
António Ângelo Ângelo
Wonderfull melody that leads into another imaginary !
Rob Stimson
My favorite totally bleak, totally beautiful song ever.
Donna Bannister
I love LOVE LOVE the fact that only a handful know about her...I have LOVED her music, legacy, lifestyle for years... She's the true Outlaw Heroine!!! Love and Respect her to the teeth!
Paul Caporino
Such a good tune. I wish I wrote it.
DanPurdy1
A good song and a beautiful voice.
Mary J B Here
Love her voice.