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.
Before You Stopped Loving Me
Asleep at the Wheel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's what you said to me
Before you stopped loving me
And you even planned how our whole life would be
Before you stopped loving me
Nights weren't so long
In turning into days
On everything I'd say
I built a wall, I thought you'd want to see
Before you stopped loving me
It never seemed wrong to hold you in my arms
Before you stopped loving me
And you never lied or try to deceive
Before you stopped loving me
I never had to talk so loud
To make you hope and see
That you're planning for a future now
That doesn't include me
Your future plans are something I don't need
Because you stopped loving me
In the song "Before You Stopped Loving Me," Asleep at the Wheel tells the story of a relationship that began with promises of never leaving and happy plans for the future, but ultimately ended in heartbreak. The first verse talks about the promises made by the person, promising never to leave even as he or she planned their whole life together. However, the person stopped loving the singer and everything changed.
The second verse seems to reflect on the past when the nights were short and the days were long, and when the person never turned their back on what the singer had to say. However, the singer built walls, and the person stopped loving them which blighted the very foundation of the relationship. The chorus revisits the past, where everything felt alright when they were held in each other's arms, and there was no deceit or lies.
The final verse expresses the sadness that suffuses every corner of the singer's being, especially as they have to shout just to be heard. The person they loved is now more engrossed in planning for a future that does not include them, and as such, the singer sees no need to hold on to any part of it. In conclusion, "Before You Stopped Loving Me" is a poignant song that tells the story of a relationship that once held so much promise but ultimately failed, leaving the singer with a heavy heart and a lifetime of memories.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't ever leave
You told me you'd never leave me, but things changed.
That's what you said to me
You made a promise to me that you didn't keep.
Before you stopped loving me
Your feelings for me changed before you left.
And you even planned how our whole life would be
We had planned a life together, but that changed when you fell out of love with me.
Nights weren't so long
The nights used to be short when we were together.
In turning into days
The nights turned into days quickly and smoothly when we were happy.
And you never used to turn your back
You used to listen to me before you stopped loving me.
On everything I'd say
Now you don't listen to me anymore, because your love for me is gone.
I built a wall, I thought you'd want to see
I tried to protect myself by distancing myself, but I thought you would notice.
Before you stopped loving me
But you didn't notice, because your feelings for me had changed.
It never seemed wrong to hold you in my arms
When we were together, everything felt right and natural.
Before you stopped loving me
But your love for me faded away, and everything changed.
And you never lied or try to deceive
You were always honest with me, until your love for me faded away.
Before you stopped loving me
But now you aren't honest with me, because you don't love me anymore.
I never had to talk so loud
I used to be able to communicate with you easily, without having to raise my voice.
To make you hope and see
But now I have to yell to get through to you and make you understand.
That you're planning for a future now
You're making plans for your future that don't involve me.
That doesn't include me
I'm no longer a part of your plans, because your feelings for me have changed.
Your future plans are something I don't need
I don't need to be a part of your future plans, because you don't love me anymore.
Because you stopped loving me
Your feelings for me faded away, and everything has changed because of that.
Writer(s): L. Preston
Contributed by Austin C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ben - Moderator
The issue with search on Firefox is now resolved.
Ben - Moderator
Sorry about that Eddie - we will resolve this very soon. In the meantime you should still be able to paste a search into the search box. I'll update you here.
Eddie
With the new setup my firefox browser will not allow typing in the search area.