In 1969, Ray Benson and Lucky Oceans (Reuben Gosfield) co-founded Asleep at the Wheel in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and soon after they found themselves opening for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna in Washington, DC.[1] A year later, they moved to East Oakland, California at the invitation of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. After being mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine by Van Morrison, they landed a record deal with United Artists. In 1973, their debut album, Comin' Right At Ya was released by United Artists. At the request of Willie Nelson, they left Oakland for Austin in 1974.
Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been presented numerous awards throughout their career. Most recently, the 16th Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Award for the making of "A Ride With Bob", recognition by Mayor Kirk Watson of Austin, Texas, and the Darrel K. Royal Music Patron Award by The Texas Heritage Songwriters' Association. In 2007, The Austin Chronicle recognized Asleep at the Wheel for Band of the Year, Best Country Band, and into their Hall of Fame. Benson was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2002, was given The Texas Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, and recognized as an Outstanding Producer by the National Academy of Recording Arts in 1988. He has also been given numerous Citations of Achievement by Broadcast Music, Inc. for his work in the country music field. Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been one of the strongest names in Country Music for the last forty years.
Am I Right
Asleep At The Wheel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You didn't even see me
Yellow lights were blinking
I felt my heart sinking
Her black dress so revealing
Your glances more than stealing
I'm not green with envy
You didn't even camouflage
The lipstick prints you know I saw
I'm not the gold star of the law
Just trying to get along
Her amber scent is what you craved
We fought it out and I forgave
Purple hearts are for the brave
I'm just blue
You took the red from my lips
You took the auburn from my hair
The sunkissed glow I used to have
Is no longer there
The day you went away was grey
And now all that's left to say my dear,
Is I am blue
The song "Am I Right" by Asleep At The Wheel talks about a complicated love triangle. The singer sees her love interest flirting with another woman (described as sipping a pink martini in a revealing black dress), and it makes her feel inadequate, jealous, and sad. She feels invisible compared to the other woman and doesn't understand why her love interest doesn't notice her. The lyrics allude to the possibility that the singer and her love interest have had a fight over the other woman's attention and that they have worked out their issues. However, the singer still feels hurt and heartbroken, unable to forget what happened. The song has a melancholic feel, with the singer using colors to describe her emotions.
The use of colors in the song emphasizes the singer's feelings. It creates a vivid and specific picture of what she is experiencing. The pink martini, the black dress, the yellow, the amber, the purple, and the red are all visual metaphors that help the audience empathize with the singer's emotional turmoil. The song's title "Am I Right" could reflect the singer's self-doubt about whether she's interpreting the situation correctly, or it could be an ironic comment about the fact that the singer's emotions are so obvious that she doesn't need to ask the question.
Line by Line Meaning
She sipped her pink martini
She drank a cocktail made with pink vermouth
You didn't even see me
You didn't pay attention to me
Yellow lights were blinking
Traffic signals were flashing yellow
I felt my heart sinking
I started to feel sad
Her black dress so revealing
Her dress was exposing a lot of skin
Your glances more than stealing
You were staring at her with desire
I'm not green with envy
I'm not jealous
I am blue
I feel sad
You didn't even camouflage
You didn't try to hide your actions
The lipstick prints you know I saw
I saw the marks of her lipstick on your face
I'm not the gold star of the law
I'm not perfect
Just trying to get along
I'm doing my best to keep going
Her amber scent is what you craved
You desired her fragrance
We fought it out and I forgave
We had an argument but I let it go
Purple hearts are for the brave
People who are courageous deserve recognition
You took the red from my lips
You eliminated my passion
You took the auburn from my hair
You made me lose my vitality
The sunkissed glow I used to have
I used to have a healthy and happy appearance
Is no longer there
I'm not like that anymore
The day you went away was grey
My life lost its color when you left
And now all that's left to say my dear,
The only thing left to say is
Is I am blue
I'm still sad
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Katie Shore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@SantasWorkshop1964
Been a number 1 fan of the wheel for 20+ years and I love this song,its fantastic. Makes my weekly time in Texas fun. Keep up the fantastic playing and singing,seen ya'll up in my state of Minnesota twice!
@bbxx44
This was written by Jason and is just great. What a talent.
@lenantais3743
J’adore ce groupe, super musique !
@perryphilpot8388
Heard this song for the first time in 2021 and so glad to have found it. Am I right?
@trevorjennings721
Hello Perry, how are you doing today, hope you’re fine and safe from the Virus??
@SV_LittleJulie
@Hawk6DM - AMEN! It's a great thing that some people don't want to have anything to do withTexas. Saves us the trouble of chasing them out anyway...
@hpw111222
Yo I'm from Amarillo