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
Gonna Get It Wrong
Allison Moorer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Done all I can
Seems like everything I do turns into don't
Still I stand still I try
And I know I'm gonna get it wrong it's alright
When the wheels come off
And somewhere between the shoulder and the ditch
And I can't say I'll ever know which is which
There's a road and so I drive
And I know I'm gonna get it wrong it's alright
It's alright, it's alright
It's alright if I find a thousand ways
Just to fall from grace
Got a true blue heart
But every now and then it must get beat
And if it falls apart
And shatters like a whiskey glass around my feet
Pick it up one more time
And I know I'm gonna get it wrong
Yeah I know I'm gonna get it wrong it's alright
It's alright, it's alright It's alright
In Allison Moorer's song "Gonna Get It Wrong," she reflects on the difficulties of life and the constant feeling of failure that comes with it. She starts off by describing herself as "worn down to the muscle the bone" which suggests that she has gone through a lot and has been weathered by it all. Despite this she keeps trying, acknowledging that most of what she does seems to turn out wrong. However, she still manages to keep standing and pushing forward, accepting the fact that she will get things wrong, but that it's okay.
Moorer uses the metaphor of driving on a road to portray the uncertainty of life. She drives on a road, which is a symbol of life's journey, acknowledging that she may go off track and end up in the ditch. The ditch and the shoulder are in-between places, neither here nor there. It's a place where she can't say whether she's found or lost, and the ambiguity of the situation is overwhelming. However, she continues to drive, knowing that she will continue to make mistakes, but that it's alright.
In the final verse, she acknowledges that even though she has a "true blue heart," she still has moments when it gets broken. She compares it to a whiskey glass that shatters around her feet, which is a metaphor for the chaos and destruction that can come with heartbreak. Despite this, she picks herself back up and continues trying, knowing that she will continue to get things wrong. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the repetition of the phrase "it's alright," implying that even though there will be challenges on life's journey, everything will eventually be okay.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I am all worn down to the muscle the bone
I'm feeling exhausted and drained, like I've put all my effort in and have nothing left.
Done all I can
I've tried my best and there's nothing else I can do.
Seems like everything I do turns into don't
No matter what I try, it always seems to go wrong and turn out the opposite of what I had hoped.
Still I stand still I try
Despite all the setbacks, I'm still standing and trying my hardest.
And I know I'm gonna get it wrong it's alright
I acknowledge that I may not always succeed, but it's okay because I'll keep trying anyway.
When the wheels come off
When everything falls apart and goes wrong.
And somewhere between the shoulder and the ditch
In that place where things are not quite right, yet not completely off track either.
Neither found nor lost
I'm in between success and failure, not sure which way I'll go.
And I can't say I'll ever know which is which
I may never know which path will lead me to success or failure.
There's a road and so I drive
Even though I'm not sure which way to go, I keep going and trying anyway.
It's alright if I find a thousand ways
It's okay if I make countless mistakes along the way, as long as I keep moving forward.
Just to fall from grace
Even if I mess up and lose my way, I will keep trying to do better next time.
Got a true blue heart
I have a genuine and kind heart.
But every now and then it must get beat
Despite my best efforts, my heart still gets broken from time to time.
And if it falls apart
If my heart gets shattered and broken.
And shatters like a whiskey glass around my feet
Just like a fragile whiskey glass breaking on the ground, my heart can sometimes break into tiny pieces.
Pick it up one more time
Even though my heart is broken, I will still try to pick up the pieces and move on.
And I know I'm gonna get it wrong
I accept that I'm not perfect and I will make mistakes.
Yeah I know I'm gonna get it wrong it's alright
But I'm okay with that because I'll keep trying anyway.
It's alright, it's alright
No matter what happens or what mistakes I make, everything will be okay in the end.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALLISON MOORER, TONY LANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind