American Aquarium is an American alternative country band from Raleigh, NC.… Read Full Bio ↴American Aquarium is an American alternative country band from Raleigh, NC.

Formed in 2006, the band derived its name from the Wilco song, “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” and is led by band founder and lead vocalist/ guitarist BJ Barham. A new lineup was announced in April 2017 with new faces joining the ranks: Crooks drummer Joey Bybee, Damn Quails bass player Ben Hussey and guitarist Shane Boeker – all from Texas – along with Nashville pedal-steel player Adam Kurtz, who also fronts Music City's experimental Buck Owens tribute Buck N' Stuff. Bybee left in August 2018 and was replaced by Nashville-based drummer Matty Alger, who in turn left in February 2019. Kurtz left the band after the Mile Zero fest in January 2019, and Hussey left in July 2019.

Their first album, Antique Hearts, was released in 2006, followed by The Bible and the Bottle in 2008.

In 2012, American Aquarium released two albums: Live in Raleigh and Burn. Flicker. Die.

The band released their sixth original album, Wolves, in February 2015.[7] The band's fans helped raise $24,000 through a Kickstarter project to help fund the album's production, and the album was recorded in Asheville, North Carolina at Echo Mountain.

On November 25, 2016 "Live at Terminal West" was released by the band from a live show recording in November 2015 at Terminal West in Atlanta, Georgia.

Things Change was released on New West Records in 2018, followed by
Lamentations (on New West Records) in 2020.

Tennessee
American Aquarium Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You lied to me on a stranger's bed in Tennessee
When you swore to God you'd never give up on me
You promised me you were the one
You swore to me you were the one

And I fell for you
Hook line and sinker I fell for you
I would have done anything you wanted me to

Because I thought you were the one
Because you swore that you were the one

Did you lie to me
when you told me that I was your only one
And did you lie to me
when you whispered the words I love you
I love you

I wont forget that day
The whole city burned in the month of May
We talked till we didn't have that much to say
Your tongue was twisted by the beer
Your tongue said let's get out of here

So I made love to you
On the floor of that room I made love to you
Now my heart don't work the way it use to
Back when you were the one
Back when you swore you were the one

Did you lie to me
When you told me I was your only one
Did you lie to me
When you whispered the words I love you
I love you

Well I'm lying here
And like a knife the sun cuts through the morning air
I reach for you but your not there

So much can change in a year
So much has changed in a year

Overall Meaning

In this song, American Aquarium is telling the story of a relationship gone wrong. The singer was with someone who promised they were "the one" and swore they would never give up on the relationship. However, the singer discovers that this person had been lying to them, as they had cheated on them in Tennessee. The singer reflects on the fact that they fell hard for this person, but they were betrayed and left heartbroken. The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery, describing the burning city of May and the sun cutting through the morning air. The singer is left alone, longing for the person who they thought was "the one" but turned out to be a liar.

The song is a powerful exploration of the emotions that come with heartbreak and betrayal. It suggests that sometimes people can be convincing liars, and it can be difficult to tell who can be trusted. The lyrics are straightforward and honest, and they capture the raw vulnerability that often accompanies a break-up. There is a sense of regret and longing throughout the song, as the singer tries to come to terms with what has happened.

Line by Line Meaning

You lied to me on a stranger's bed in Tennessee
You betrayed my trust while we were in Tennessee with someone we didn't even know

When you swore to God you'd never give up on me
You made a promise to God that you would always be there for me, which turned out to be a lie

You promised me you were the one
You convinced me that you were the only person that I needed in my life

You swore to me you were the one
You declared that you were the one for me, and I believed you with all my heart

And I fell for you
I fell deeply in love with you and I trusted you completely

Hook line and sinker I fell for you
I fell for you completely and without hesitation

I would have done anything you wanted me to
I was so taken by you that I would have done anything to make you happy

Because I thought you were the one
I believed that you were meant to be in my life forever

Because you swore that you were the one
I trusted what you said and I believed that you were my one true love

Did you lie to me
I have doubts about whether or not you told the truth

when you told me that I was your only one
I'm not sure that I was ever truly the only person for you

And did you lie to me
I need to know if you were being honest with me

when you whispered the words I love you
I'm not sure if your love for me was genuine or just a lie

I wont forget that day
I will always remember what happened on that particular day

The whole city burned in the month of May
There was a significant event that happened in May which caused a lot of destruction in the city

We talked till we didn't have that much to say
We spoke for a long time until there wasn't much left to talk about

Your tongue was twisted by the beer
You were drunk, which affected your ability to speak clearly

Your tongue said let's get out of here
Despite being drunk, you were able to communicate your desire to leave that place

So I made love to you
I expressed my love physically and intimately with you

On the floor of that room I made love to you
We made love on the ground, which symbolizes a lack of stability and foundation for our relationship

Now my heart don't work the way it use to
My heart is damaged and doesn't function in the same way it did before our relationship ended

Back when you were the one
I felt like you were my soulmate and my entire universe when we were together

Back when you swore you were the one
I believed that you were the love of my life and that we were meant to be together forever

Well I'm lying here
I'm in bed, most likely alone and feeling empty

And like a knife the sun cuts through the morning air
The sunrise is a painful reminder of the hopelessness and agony I'm currently feeling

I reach for you but your not there
I am longing for your presence, but you are not there to comfort me

So much can change in a year
A lot can happen within the span of one year, and our relationship is no exception

So much has changed in a year
Since our relationship ended, a significant amount of time has passed, and many things about me and my life have transformed

Contributed by Jayce G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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