Lee grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA. He has been quoted as saying that he is fortunate to have seen different sides of life in America. Lee enrolled at the University of South Carolina in 1995. He began to play guitar and write songs seriously while he studied English. After graduating with an English degree, Lee moved back to Philadelphia to teach elementary school. He later made the tough decision to stop teaching in order to pursue a career in music. Shortly thereafter, he released a self-produced EP that featured five of his original songs, which did extremely well in Philadelphia and created a buzz. Norah Jones was the person who finally gave Lee his big breakthrough when she asked him to open for her 2004 tour. Lee then went on to produce his self-titled debut album. In March and April of 2005 Lee opened for the tour that Merle Haggard and Bob Dylan were both embarking on, all 3 performers were extremely well received by critics as the tour went by, with Dylan receiving some of his strongest reviews in years. On October 3, 2006, Lee released his second album, "Supply & Demand" to critical and commercial acclaim.
At the age of only 27, Amos Lee has enjoyed notable success with his debut album and looks to have a promising future in the music business. His favorite artists and sources of inspiration include Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, John Prine, Bill Withers, and James Taylor.
Careless
Amos Lee Lyrics
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You were a friend, more like a brother
as the miles pass beneath me
The sounds made so sweetly came to an end
No man can deny her but now you're a liar
And you've no room left to defend
Of the kind of man that you are, you'd have to get her
and I know you got a lot of pain that's born inside you
But instead of growing stronger, you let it divide you, oh
how could you be so careless?
How could you be so careless?
and the waves that are crashing, true lives of passion washin on your shore
Yes sir life has been costin true love's been lost and I can't get back anymore
and I'm sure that we both still both love her
And it's a shame we both lost her and in time lost eachother
But a trust has been broken and words have been spoken but you can mend
And no man can deny her and as you laid beside her I hope it felt good my friend
how could you be so careless?
How could you be so careless?
How could you be so careless with her heart?
The lyrics to Amos Lee's song Careless depict a situation where the singer is addressing a friend who has betrayed him and let down the woman they both love. The song begins with the singer accusing the friend of talking about love but not being a true lover himself. He describes their relationship as more of a brotherly one than of romantic love. As the miles pass, the singer reflects on the sweetness of the sounds that characterized their relationship before it came to an end. He blames his friend for being a liar and having no room left to defend.
The second verse describes the regret of the singer, who admits he should have known that his friend would try to win over the woman they both loved. He acknowledges that his friend has a lot of pain born inside him, but instead of growing stronger, the pain has divided him. The chorus highlights the singer's anger at the way his friend has treated the woman they both love, asking how he could be so careless. The song ends with the singer lamenting the cost of life and lost love and how nothing can be done to undo the damage done between them.
Overall, the song Careless is a raw and emotional depiction of a situation where a third party has come between friends and a passionate love that once existed. The lyrics portray the pain of betrayal and the feeling of losing something that can never be regained.
Line by Line Meaning
You speak of love, but you ain't no lover
You talk about love, but you're not capable of being a true lover
You were a friend, more like a brother
You were a friend to me, almost like a brother
as the miles pass beneath me
While I'm traveling, moving away from you
The sounds made so sweetly came to an end
The beautiful memories we had together are over
No man can deny her but now you're a liar
You can't deny the woman we both loved, but you've betrayed her
And you've no room left to defend
You can't defend yourself anymore
when I left I should have known better
I should have realized your true nature before I left
Of the kind of man that you are, you'd have to get her
I knew you well enough to know you'd go after the woman I loved
and I know you got a lot of pain that's born inside you
I'm aware that you've suffered a lot of emotional pain in your life
But instead of growing stronger, you let it divide you, oh
But instead of becoming stronger, you've let your pain tear you apart
how could you be so careless?
How could you act so recklessly and thoughtlessly?
and the waves that are crashing, true lives of passion washin on your shore
Nature's elements of passion are surrounding you, with no effect on you
Yes sir life has been costin true love's been lost and I can't get back anymore
Life has come at a great cost and I can't regain the love we lost
and I'm sure that we both still both love her
We both still love the woman we both lost
And it's a shame we both lost her and in time lost eachother
It's unfortunate that we lost her and eventually drifted apart
But a trust has been broken and words have been spoken but you can mend
Our trust is broken and hurtful words have been spoken, but you can still try to repair it
And no man can deny her and as you laid beside her I hope it felt good my friend
You can't deny the woman we both loved, and I hope it felt satisfying to be with her
how could you be so careless?
How could you be so inconsiderate towards her heart?
How could you be so careless?
How could you be so careless?
How could you be so careless with her heart?
How could you not handle her heart with care and attention?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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