The result is a collection that captures a range of moods and emotions, like the spunky first single, "Heart of Gold," which calls out a relationship-phobic guy and lets him know what he's missing out on. "I write about what I know, and what I don't know," Huff says. "Not all of my songs are about things that have happened to me, but they deal with things I've thought about a lot and want to get out of my system."
According to the White Flag Songfacts, the lead single has nothing to do with relinquishing control, but rather trying out something new. Huff told MTV News: "Most people are like, 'Oh, what are you surrendering?' I'm like, 'Nothing, really, besides my heart.' I wrote it about something that actually drew from some life experience," she explained. "Some guy, like, likes you, tries to get your attention, [and] you don't necessarily blow him off, you just don't notice. And finally, you ... take a second and you decide, 'OK, I'm gonna give this one [a] shot. What do I have to lose?' and then it ends up being kind of awesome. The good kind of surrender — it's good for you not to control every moment of your day."
Huff's urge to express herself through songwriting is not surprising given her family background — music is in her blood. Her father, Dann Huff, is an in-demand producer and session guitarist who has produced albums by Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts and performed on hits by Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Faith Hill, while her grandfather, Ronn Huff was a sought-after arranger on Nashville's contemporary Christian music scene. Ashlyne was born in Glendale, CA, where she took naps in the music studios where her father was working. "The noise was soothing to me," she says. "I couldn't sleep in silence. My parents would put me in the car and drive me around with my dad's music on full-blast and I'd fall asleep instantly."
The Huff family moved to Nashville when Ashlyne was five, which was when she got bit by the performing bug. "I was watching Full House and Jodie Sweetin's character danced to the B-52s' ‘Love Shack.' That one episode changed my life. I decided to be a dancer." Huff began dance lessons at the age of seven and took it very seriously. "It was my sport; it was my life," she says. At age 11, she joined the Opryland Kids Club in the final year that the theme park was open, and realized she'd have to be able to sing if she wanted to continue to perform as a dancer. "I was actually afraid to sing because people came in and out of my dad's studio who could sing really well," Huff recalls. "But I did it and wound up singing all through high school."
After graduating, Huff enrolled at Nashville's Belmont University to get a degree in Music Business. "I studied publishing and copyright law and thought maybe I'd go into production," she says. "I used to do my homework in the studio with my dad and I liked the atmosphere and loved being around musicians. I learned how to use all the equipment, like Pro Tools, and started editing my own dance songs at 13. It was like my computer game. While everyone else was playing Nintendo, I was playing Pro Tools."
While attending college, Huff's love for songwriting blossomed. "My dad had told me when I was 12 that I would never be a writer unless I had something to say," she recalls. "At 19, I went through a bad breakup and I decided to write a song about it just to get my feelings out. Then I thought, ‘What if I could help someone going through the same thing? I'd feel better if I knew something I wrote helped someone else.' From then on, I was hooked."
In December 2006, Huff was approached by Anderson Merchandisers — one of the nation's largest distributors of pre-recorded music, movies, and books, which services retail stores throughout the U.S. The company was launching its own record label, Liquid Digital Media, and wanted Huff to be its first signing. Huff agreed if she could begin recording after she graduated from college the following year. Meanwhile, she auditioned for and won a part as a dancer in LeAnn Rimes' video for "Nothin' Better To Do." A year later, she re-enacted the performance along with Rimes and the other dancers at the CMT Awards. "It was a great experience," Huff says. "I wouldn't have missed it for anything." It was also the last time she found herself dancing behind another artist.
In early 2008, a song Huff co-wrote with Tommy Lee James and Stefanie Ridel, entitled "I'm Done," appeared on the Pussycat Dolls' latest album Doll Domination. Also last year, she began collaborating with songwriter/producers Mike Busbee and Mathias Wollo on the tracks that will appear on her debut album, which will be released in early 2010. In the meantime, Huff continues to attract fans with her powerhouse voice, upbeat personality, and relatable songs. "I really think there's something for everyone in my songs, no matter how old you are," Huff says. "I just can't wait for people to hear them."
http://www.ashlynehuff.com/
Trippin' It Up
Ashlyne Huff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not just this happen stance
More than another holiday
Somehow she stole his freedom
Somehow he broke her heart
When did we lose it anyway
Does it have to be the same
Can anything change
Everybody's trippin' it up with somebody
Hopin' somebody's leaving somebody
Everybody's needs to get lost with somebody
Give to somebody, keep your somebody
Everybody's falling in love with somebody
Love you somebody
Oh, but, not-y not-y
Everybody's trippin' it up
I never heard it's easy
But don't let it take you down
Stuck on a highway of mistakes
We need some conversation
Less of the "got to leave"
There's so much more that we could
Say to me, you're gonna stay
Baby, stay with me right now
Everybody's trippin' it up with somebody
Hopin' somebody's leaving somebody
Everybody's needs to get lost with somebody
Give to somebody, keep your somebody
Everybody's falling in love with somebody
Love you somebody
Oh, but, not-y not-y
Everybody's trippin' it up
Put down your silver platter
Pick up your plastic spoons
Tell me what really matters
Anything you choose
Everybody's trippin' it up with somebody
Hopin' somebody's leaving somebody
Everybody's needs to get lost with somebody
Give to somebody, keep your somebody
Everybody's falling in love with somebody
Love you somebody
Oh, but, not-y not-y
Everybody's trippin' it up with somebody
Love you somebody
Oh, but, not-y not-y
Everybody's trippin' it up with somebody
Love you somebody
Oh, but, not-y not-y
Everybody's trippin' it up
The first verse of Ashlyne Huff's song, "Trippin' It Up," calls for a revolution. The singer suggests that something needs to change and that we need more than just a holiday. The second half of the verse describes the end of a relationship. "Somehow she stole his freedom / Somehow he broke her heart / When did we lose it anyway / Does it have to be the same / Can anything change." The use of "somehow" suggests that nobody knows how the freedom was stolen or how the heart was broken, yet it still happened. Then, the singer questions if anything can change, implying that things might always end this way.
In the chorus, the focus shifts slightly. The singer sings about how "everybody's trippin' it up with somebody," hoping someone will leave someone else behind. She suggests that people need to get lost with somebody, give to somebody, and keep your somebody. The verse implies that people struggle with relationships and falling in love, hence the need to get lost with somebody: if you get lost with someone, maybe you can finally find that love you're looking for.
The second verse suggests that love isn't easy, but you should still try not to let it take you down. There's a suggestion that people make mistakes but that there is still hope for conversation and staying together. The line "there's so much more that we could say" implies that communication is essential in a relationship.
Overall, "Trippin' It Up" seems to be about the ups and downs of relationships. It suggests that people sometimes feel lost in love, but that there is still hope for real communication and for finding the right person. It also highlights some of the struggles people face in their relationships and suggests that a revolution might be needed to change the ways we approach love and romance.
Line by Line Meaning
We need a revolution
We need a radical change to improve the current situation
Not just this happenstance
Not just a coincidence or chance event
More than another holiday
More than just a break or vacation
Somehow she stole his freedom
She took away his liberty in some way
Somehow he broke her heart
He hurt her emotionally in some way
When did we lose it anyway
When did we lose our way or direction?
Does it have to be the same
Do we have to accept the status quo?
Can anything change
Is it possible for things to be different or better?
Everybody's trippin' it up with somebody
Everyone is struggling or having problems with someone
Hopin' somebody's leaving somebody
Wishing for someone to break up with someone else
Everybody's needs to get lost with somebody
Everyone needs to escape or disappear with someone
Give to somebody, keep your somebody
Be generous to someone, but maintain your own identity and individuality
Everybody's falling in love with somebody
Everyone is experiencing romantic feelings towards someone
Love you somebody
Love someone
Oh, but, not-y not-y
But not at this time or in this way
I never heard it's easy
I've heard that it's difficult
But don't let it take you down
But don't get discouraged or defeated by it
Stuck on a highway of mistakes
Trapped or unable to progress because of past errors
We need some conversation
We need to talk and communicate with each other
Less of the 'got to leave'
Less of the urgency to depart or escape
There's so much more that we could
There's so much untapped potential
Say to me, you're gonna stay
Tell me that you'll remain with me
Baby, stay with me right now
Stay with me at this moment
Put down your silver platter
Stop expecting luxury or extravagance
Pick up your plastic spoons
Use what's practical and affordable
Tell me what really matters
Let's focus on what's truly significant
Anything you choose
The choice is yours and yours alone
Contributed by Caden R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ns Rabb
sooooo coool