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.
The Blade
Ashley Monroe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I felt the razor against my heart
I thought we were both in all the way
But you caught it by the handle
And I caught it by the blade
You said "goodbye, it's not the end
And if you need me, I'm still your friend"
Cause you caught it by the handle
And I caught it by the blade
That's the risk you run when you love, when you love
And you give it all you've got to give
Knowing all along there's a chance, there's a chance
You'll reach and they won't
You'll bleed and they don't
For you, it's over; for me, it's not
I kept trying and you just stopped
Now I know how you can sound so brave
Cause you caught it by the handle, baby
And I caught it by the blade
That's the risk you run when you love, when you love
And you give it all you've got to give
Knowing all along there's a chance, there's a chance
You'll reach and they won't
You'll bleed and they don't
I thought we were both in all the way
But you caught it by the handle
And I caught it by the blade
You caught it by the handle, baby
And I caught it by the blade
Ashley Monroe's song The Blade is a powerful ballad about the risks of love and the heartache that can come with it. The opening lines set the tone for the whole song, as she sings about the scar left by a love that she once let in. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who gave their all to a relationship, only to be met with betrayal and hurt. The image of a razor blade against her heart is a strong metaphor for the pain that comes with being vulnerable in love.
The chorus of the song reflects the bittersweet reality of love: the risk of giving everything you have to someone, knowing that there's always a chance they won't do the same. The lyrics "You'll reach and they won't / You'll bleed and they don't" are particularly poignant, as they capture the feeling of putting your heart on the line and not getting the same level of commitment in return.
In the final verse, Monroe speaks directly to her former lover, acknowledging that while it's over for them, she's still hurting deeply. The repeated refrain of "You caught it by the handle, baby / And I caught it by the blade" reinforces the idea that love is a dangerous game, and that sometimes one person ends up hurt while the other walks away unscathed.
Overall, The Blade is a deeply emotional and raw song that captures the pain and heartache of a love that didn't quite work out.
Line by Line Meaning
I let your love in, I have the scar
I allowed myself to love you and the pain of losing you still remains with me
I felt the razor against my heart
I was vulnerable and exposed my heart to you, only to be hurt deeply
I thought we were both in all the way
I believed we were completely committed to each other
But you caught it by the handle
You were able to handle ending the relationship and moving on, while I was left with the painful aftermath
And I caught it by the blade
I was hurt by the end of our relationship and left with emotional scars
You said "goodbye, it's not the end
You tried to console me with the fact that our relationship was over, but that it wasn't the end of our connection
And if you need me, I'm still your friend"
You were willing to continue our relationship as platonic friends if I needed it
Well, that's easy for you to say
You were able to move on from our romantic relationship and continue as friends, but for me it was harder because of the emotional pain I had experienced
That's the risk you run when you love, when you love
Loving someone always comes with the risk of getting hurt
And you give it all you've got to give
In loving someone, you give them all of your love and affection
Knowing all along there's a chance, there's a chance
Despite the risks of heartbreak, you still take the chance on love
You'll reach and they won't
You may try to keep the relationship going, but the other person may decide it's over
You'll bleed and they don't
You may be left with emotional pain and hurt, while the other person moves on unscathed
For you, it's over; for me, it's not
You have moved on from our relationship, but I am still dealing with the hurt and pain of our breakup
I kept trying and you just stopped
I was trying to salvage our relationship, while you were ready to move on
Now I know how you can sound so brave
I now understand how you were able to handle the end of our relationship with grace
Cause you caught it by the handle, baby
You were the one who initiated the end of our relationship and were able to handle it without getting hurt
And I caught it by the blade
I was the one hurt by the end of our relationship and unable to handle it as easily
Lyrics © JAMIE FLOYD MUSIC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALLEN SHAMBLIN, JAMIE FLOYD, MARC BEESON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tee Bee
I let your love in, I have the scar
I felt the razor against my heart
I thought we were both in all the way
But you caught it by the handle
And I caught it by the blade
You said "goodbye, it's not the end
And if you need me, I'm still your friend"
Well, that's easy for you to say
Cause you caught it by the handle
And I caught it by the blade
That's the risk you run when you love, when you love
And you give it all you've got to give
Knowing all along there's a chance, there's a chance
You'll reach and they won't
You'll bleed and they don't
For you, it's over; for me, it's not
I kept trying and you just stopped
Now I know how you can sound so brave
Cause you caught it by the handle, baby
And I caught it by the blade
That's the risk you run when you love, when you love
And you give it all you've got to give
Knowing all along there's a chance, there's a chance
You'll reach and they won't
You'll bleed and they don't
I thought we were both in all the way
But you caught it by the handle
And I caught it by the blade
You caught it by the handle, baby
And I caught it by the blade
EDMB Edele Devlin Makeup & Beauty
One of the best country singer songwriters she deserves much more recognition she is absolutely fantastic!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Stephanie Bragg
Ashley deserves more recognition!!!!
Tatiana Benvenuto
this isn't even her song. Jamie Floyd wrote it. look her up she's great.
Daniela Bonilla
do what I do and share her music like crazy. Thumb up her music on whatever music app you use.
Sheila Smith
every time I listen to this lyrical mastery I cry as it touches so many parts of my soul. Great job Ms. Monroe....
TAHITI MUSIC
she's a really great singer, love her and her music, what a shame that she's not famous, one day you'll be for sure 💖💖💖
d c
she is lucky she hasn't hit the big time - she gets to keep her style
Vigilante
Another excellent song by Ashley Monroe, I just love listening to her songs, I am so in love with her songs, you hit the spot on emotions Ashley, when it hurts, you sing it as such, who has not been sliced in the game of love?
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Eddie Irvin
Country music! Thank God. I haven't heard a bad song from her and probably won't. Thank you for being you Ashley Monroe.
JUDY ANN WILLIAMS
her songs have depth .. that few men can touch .. I can't wait for album