Her breakout came with her debut single, "Pieces of Me", which was released in 2004, became a top-five hit in the United States, and topped the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart based on radio airplay. The success of the single and her reality show helped propel her debut album, Autobiography, also released in 2004, to the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart. The project sold over five million copies worldwide, making it her most successful album to date. Simpson had a leading role in the film Undiscovered (2005), which became a critical and commercial flop. The failure of the film, along with multiple critically panned performances, led to media scrutiny. Despite that, Simpson's second studio album, I Am Me (2005), debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming her second album to do so. The album went on to receive a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Following her appearance as Roxie Hart in the West End production of Chicago, Simpson announced that she had begun working on her third studio album. The album differed from the pop-rock sound of her previous efforts, featuring a dance-pop and 1980s-themed sound. Bittersweet World was released in 2008 with positive critical reception, but it saw a decline in sales. The effort reached number 4 on the Billboard 200. The following year, Simpson joined the main cast of the Melrose Place revamp, which was met with harsh critical reception. Later that year, she made her Broadway debut reprising her role as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway.
Simpson announced a fourth studio album that same year. She independently released the single "Bat for a Heart", though it failed to have success. Simpson eventually scrapped the album and focused on her child. Simpson reprised her role as Roxie Hart for the third time in a 2-dates special production in Hollywood Bowl in July 2013 directed by Brooke Shields. In October, Simpson and her husband Evan Ross released their debut EP by Ashlee + Evan through Access Records, which was supported by a tour in select cities across North America, and their TV reality show.
She was married to musician Pete Wentz from 2008 to 2011. The couple's son, Bronx Mowgli Wentz, was born on November 20, 2008. She appeared as Violet Foster, a small-town girl in The CW's 2009 Melrose Place, a revamp of the '90s drama of the same name.
Giving It All Away
Ashlee Simpson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You sold your dreams for a pocket of change.
Hey you smokin up your sorrow,
Just pointing fingers at someone to blame.
Hey you, you turn your back on your children
It's left you in the big burning bed
This life's like livin in the gutter,
You're just givin' it all, givin' it all away,
You're just givin' it all, givin' it all away,
Hey, hey, ey yey, why ey, ey,
Slow down just look a little closer,
You might find that it's not the end.
You wonder how your life could get better,
When you're alone you just tear yourself down.
You're just givin' it all, givin' it all away,
You're just givin' it all, givin' it all away,
You're just givin' it all, givin' it all away,
You're just givin' it all, givin' it all away,
Hey, hey, ey yey, why ey, yey,
Try and find your better half now,
Open your eyes and find yourself.
Hey girl screamin for attention,
Once you get it you throw it away.
I'm broken, I'm pickin up the pieces
I won't live in all your mistakes.
I'm just givin' it all, givin' it all away,
I'm just givin' it all, givin' it all away.
I'm just givin' it all, givin' it all away,
I'm just givin' it all, givin' it all away.
I'm just giving it up, givin it all away,
Hey, hey, ey yey, why ey, ey.
The song "Giving It All Away" by Ashlee Simpson talks about the struggle and pain of people who have lost hope and given up on their dreams. The song starts by addressing someone who has sold their dreams for a pocket of change, and who is smoking up their sorrow and blaming others for their problems. The song encourages this person to take a closer look at their life and see that there is still hope.
The song then shifts to addressing someone who has turned their back on their children, which has left them feeling lost and alone. The lyrics describe life as living in the gutter, with all the pain making a person feel dead inside. The chorus emphasizes the theme of giving it all away, with the repetition of the phrase "You're just giving it all away" serving to highlight the ongoing struggle of those who have given up on their dreams.
In the second half of the song, the focus shifts to the singer herself. She describes herself as broken and picking up the pieces, but also as someone who won't live in all the mistakes of others. She sings that she's giving it all away, but in a different context. For her, giving it all away means giving up on the negative thoughts and behaviors that hold her back and moving forward to find her better half.
Overall, "Giving It All Away" is a song about hope, resilience, and the struggle to hold onto one's dreams despite the odds.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey you, living for tomorrow,
Addressing someone who is focusing on the future and neglecting the present
You sold your dreams for a pocket of change.
They've given up on their aspirations for a small amount of money
Hey you smokin up your sorrow,
The person's coping mechanism is detrimental to their well-being
Just pointing fingers at someone to blame.
The person is avoiding taking responsibility for their own problems by blaming others
Hey you, you turn your back on your children
This person has neglected their parental responsibilities
It's left you in the big burning bed
Their actions have led to a negative situation
This life's like livin in the gutter,
Life is rough and difficult for this person
All this pain just makes you feel dead.
The person is suffering and feels lifeless as a result
You're just givin' it all, givin' it all away,
They're giving everything they have and getting nothing in return
Slow down just look a little closer,
The person should take a step back and examine their life
You might find that it's not the end.
Their situation may not be as dire as they think
You wonder how your life could get better,
The person is hopeful for a positive change in their life
When you're alone you just tear yourself down.
The person is their own worst critic and is hard on themselves when alone
Try and find your better half now,
The person needs to focus on self-improvement rather than relying on others
Open your eyes and find yourself.
Acknowledge your true self and what you want in life
Hey girl screamin for attention,
Addressing a woman who seeks validation from others
Once you get it you throw it away.
They crave attention but ultimately don't value it
I'm broken, I'm pickin up the pieces
The person has gone through personal turmoil and is now trying to heal
I won't live in all your mistakes.
They refuse to suffer the consequences of others' actions
I'm just givin' it all, givin' it all away,
The person is putting all their effort into something but receiving nothing in return
I'm just giving it up, givin it all away,
They've given up on a situation or relationship and are moving on
Hey, hey, ey yey, why ey, ey.
Repetitive lyrics that don't hold a specific meaning
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ASHLEE SIMPSON, JOHN FELDMANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind