Growing up, her parents played songs by the Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd, so her country rock roots started early, and she was already taking piano lesson before she turned seven. At age 11, she won a talent contest in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (home of Dolly Parton's resort "Dollywood"), singing "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart." She subsequently found steady work performing in a theater in Pigeon Forge. A couple year later, her father gave Monroe her first guitar, and she began writing her own songs. But tragedy struck when her father died from cancer in 2000. While still grieving over their loss, Monroe and her mother continued on with their lives and moved to Nashville so she could pursue her career in music.
After a year in Nashville, she gained a publishing deal as a songwriter, which led to a record contract with Columbia Records' Nashville division. Working with producer Mark Wright, she recorded her debut album, Satisfied. In 2006, the title track to the album was released as the first single to country radio, but failed to crack the top 40 on the Hot Country Songs chart. A second single, "I Don't Want To" featuring Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn, followed shortly after. Initially it did well on the charts, charting to #37, but following the merger of Columbia and Sony, the label decided not to release the album until Monroe charted a top 20 single. No follow-up singles were ever released. iTunes briefly made the album available for download in July 2006 but it was removed from the online store by mid-August.
In late 2007, Monroe and Columbia Records parted ways, and Satisfied was shelved (it was eventually released digitally in May of 2009). In addition to her own material, she co-wrote Katrina Elam's 2007 single "Flat on the Floor" (which was also recorded by Carrie Underwood on her 2007 album Carnival Ride), as well as Jason Aldean's 2009 single, "The Truth", and Miranda Lambert's 2011 single, "Heart Like Mine."
Monroe continued collaborating with Lambert, forming Pistol Annies with Lambert and Angaleena Presley in 2011. They released the single "Hell on Heels" in May of that year, following up with an album of the same name in August. Hell on Heels debuted at number 1 on Billboard's Country Album Chart and reached number 5 on the Billboard 200 Chart.
Monroe next teamed up with producer Vince Gill, and on March 5, 2013, Warner Nashville released Monroe's second studio album, Like A Rose.
Can't Let Go
Ashley Monroe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't make me sit alone and cry
Well it's over
I know it but I can't let go
I'm like a fish out of water
A cat in a tree
You don't even want to talk to me
I know it but I can't let it go
You won't take me back
When I come around
You say you're sorry
But then you push me out
I got a big chain
Around my neck
And I'm broken down
Like a train wreck
It's over
I know it but I can't let go
See I got a candle that burns so bright
In my window every night
Well it's over
I know it but I can't let go
You don't have to see me standing around
Feel like I've been shot and didn't fall down
Well It's over
I know it but I can't let go
You won't take me back
When I come around
You say you're sorry
But then you push me out
I got a big chain
Around my neck
And I'm broken down
Like a train wreck
It's over
I know it but I can't let go
You turn off trouble like you turn off a light
Went off and left me it just ain't right
Well it's over
I know it but I can't let go
Yeah I around every corner something I see
Brings me right back how it used to be
Well it's over
I know it but I can't let go
You won't take me back
When I come around
You say you're sorry
But then you push me out
I got a big chain
Around my neck
And I'm broken down
Like a train wreck
It's over
I know it but I can't let go
You won't take me back
When I come around
You say you're sorry
But then you push me out
I got a big chain
Around my neck
And I'm broken down
Like a train wreck
It's over
I know it but I can't let go
It's over
I know it but I can't let go
Yeah, yeah, yeah
It's over
I know it but I can't let go
The song "Can't Let Go" by Ashley Monroe is a heart-wrenching track that expresses the pain and struggle of letting go of a relationship that has come to an end. The opening lines of the song, "It's over baby one more time, don't make me sit alone and cry", sets the tone for the rest of the song. Despite knowing that the relationship has ended and that her partner does not want to talk to her anymore, Monroe cannot bring herself to let go. She likens herself to a "fish out of water" and a "cat in a tree" which highlights her feelings of helplessness and desperation.
The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, with Monroe repeating that she knows the relationship is over, but she can't seem to move on. She describes feeling "broken down like a train wreck" and having a "big chain" around her neck, which suggests that she feels trapped and unable to escape from her emotions. This is further emphasized as she talks about having a candle burning in her window every night, symbolizing her hope that her partner will come back to her.
Monroe's vocals on this song are haunting and emotive, giving the lyrics a raw edge that resonates with the audience. The song is relatable to anyone who has experienced heartbreak, and Monroe's vulnerability and honesty in her delivery make it a powerful piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
It's over baby one more time
The relationship has ended, and this is not the first time
Don't make me sit alone and cry
I do not want to be left alone, feeling sad and helpless
I'm like a fish out of water
I feel lost and unable to function without you
A cat in a tree
I feel stuck and helpless, unable to determine my own fate
You don't even want to talk to me
You have completely shut me out and do not even acknowledge my existence
You won't take me back when I come around
Despite my attempts to reconcile, you refuse to give me another chance
You say you're sorry but then you push me out
You give me false hope by apologizing, but then shut me out again
I got a big chain around my neck
I feel tied down by my emotions and unable to move on
And I'm broken down like a train wreck
The pain and sadness I feel is overwhelming and debilitating
See I got a candle that burns so bright
I still hold onto hope that the relationship can be repaired
In my window every night
I constantly think about the possibility of reconciliation
You don't have to see me standing around
I try to avoid you, but I can't help being in the same places as you
Feel like I've been shot and didn't fall down
I feel incredibly hurt, but I am still standing
You turn off trouble like you turn off a light
You are able to move on and forget about the past with ease, while I am stuck in my emotions
Went off and left me it just ain't right
You left me behind and it feels unfair and unjustified
Yeah I around every corner something I see
Everywhere I go, something reminds me of you and our past relationship
Brings me right back how it used to be
I am constantly reminded of the good times we shared and long for those days again
It's over I know it but I can't let go
I am aware that the relationship is over, yet I am still unable to move on
Writer(s): RANDY WEEKS
Contributed by Logan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
hockeypnc3
She's awesome!!
Kacie Breider
Heidi Newfield put this pn her album, they both did it good, i like this version it's got a bit of a different vibe, I wish they relased this album cuz I really wanted it.
Patty Dickey
Do you not know how wonderful you are? i want a CD!!!
9oden9
I know it ashley you speak the truth
Emelie Persson
Nooo! I love it when she goes pop. She mixes it with country music so beautifully and so well. :-)
Eric Duncan
Thank God she ain't pop@countrygirl country musiclover
DarkRoseKnight16
i really am hating how people are saying that country fans aren't realizing Monroe's talent, but hey this video has over 31,000 videos so shut your faces. i am a country fan by the way.
DarkRoseKnight16
@OkieTelecaster I agree. Jessica Simpson could never be country even if she tried. ppl saying that her new song is "country" is an insult to all country music everywhere.
jamessooy
could be the next allison kruass if she lost the studio pop and just kept it simple
lakesRus84
The next person that mention's Taylor Swift's name while viewing Ashley Monroe's music video's is gonna get PUKED ON..... end of story...