Billy first became known to fans in the early 1990s with his appearance on "Star Search." He later earned a recording contract with Liberty Records and rose to national stardom with a string of Top 10 hits on Billboard magazine's country singles chart. His debut song, 1991's "Only Here For a Little While," rose into the Top 5, while the follow up, "Somewhere in My Broken Heart," repeated the feat. "Somewhere in My Broken Heart" won the 1992 Academy of Country Music award for Song of the Year; he also took home the ACM's New Male Vocalist award..
Dean's string of hits continued in the early- and mid-1990s, with songs like "You Don't Count the Cost" (1991); "Only the Wind," "Billy the Kid" and "If There Hadn't Been You" (all 1992); "Tryin' to Hide a Fire in the Dark" (1993); "We Just Disagree" (a remake of the 1970s Dave Mason hit) (1993); "It's What I Do" and "That Girl's Been Spying on Me" (both 1996).
In 1991 Dean wrote and sang the theme song to the ABC animated television series Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa. It is titled "Up on the Mesa".
During the late 1990s, his career slowed down a bit, although he made several television appearances, including "One Life to Live" and "Wings." He and Alison Krauss sang backup on Kenny Rogers' 2000 single "Buy Me a Rose". At the time, the song made Kenny the oldest artist to score a country #1; it also marked the only time that Dean reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
In 2004, Dean was signed to Asylum Curb, where he began a comeback with the single "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" (a remake of John Denver's classic). In early 2005, he released the album Let Them Be Little, which featured both "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" and the title track. "Let Them Be Little" was co-written by Richie McDonald, who at the time was the lead singer of Lonestar; Lonestar also recorded the song on their 2005 album Let's Be Us Again. Dean's version of the song became his first Top Ten hit on the country charts in nearly nine years.
Pay Attention
Billy Dean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He takes the boat and the car
Both their hearts have hardened
To the way things are
They're not quite sure what happened
Didn't see it slip away
There wasn't any big problem
They just forgot to pay attention
It happens all too often
Loves dies in vain
We drive the nails in the coffin
And just bury the blame
So many excuses
We'll say it's hard to explain
When the simple truth is
We just didn't pay attention
It's harder than it seems
So many things get in the way
But when you think of what you stand to lose
It not such a high price to pay
Attention
Just pay attention
The song "Pay Attention" by Billy Dean is a poignant reminder of the dangers of neglecting relationships. In the song, a couple is going through a divorce and dividing up their belongings. They recognize that they didn't see their love slipping away and were not paying attention. They were too consumed with the mundane responsibilities and stresses of life that they forgot to prioritize their relationship. It happens all too often - love dies in vain when we drive the nails in the coffin and just bury the blame. The song emphasizes that there weren't any significant problems in the relationship; they simply forgot to pay attention.
The verses in the song provide a straightforward commentary on the nature of the situation. The division of assets in the first verse tells us that the couple's relationship has entered a final phase. The second verse highlights the fact that this happens all too often - that people tend to neglect the things they have until it's too late. The lyrics effectively stress the importance of paying attention to the things that matter most in life, especially in relationships. The song's chorus serves as a powerful reminder that paying attention requires effort, and it is not as easy as it sounds. It can be challenging with life's distractions, but it is essential to safeguarding relationships.
Overall, "Pay Attention" is a reflective song that urges listeners not to take their relationships for granted. It reminds us of the need to prioritize the things that matter most and pay attention to them before they become irreparable.
Line by Line Meaning
She gets the house and garden
Despite his contribution to the marriage, the wife gets the house and garden in the divorce settlement.
He takes the boat and the car
The husband takes the boat and the car in the divorce settlement since he could not retain the house and garden.
Both their hearts have hardened
Both the husband and the wife have become bitter and resentful over the course of their marriage.
To the way things are
To how their marriage has turned out due to the gradual accumulation of problems.
They're not quite sure what happened
Both of them are struggling to wrap their heads around how their relationship could have fallen apart this way.
Didn't see it slip away
They failed to notice how their relationship was deteriorating until it was too late.
There wasn't any big problem
There was no significant issue that caused their relationship to end, just a failure to attend to their relationship consistently.
They just forgot to pay attention
Their relationship fell apart because they neglected to give it the care and attention it required.
It happens all too often
This kind of relationship breakdown is unfortunately common among married couples.
Loves dies in vain
Love fades away for no good reason when it is not nurtured with attention and care.
We drive the nails in the coffin
Our neglect and apathy towards our relationship leads to its slow death.
And just bury the blame
We prefer to ignore our role in the destruction of the relationship and put the blame elsewhere.
So many excuses
We find all manner of reasons and justifications for our neglect and inattention towards our relationships.
We'll say it's hard to explain
We try to make excuses for our poor relationship maintenance by claiming that it is a difficult thing to do.
When the simple truth is
Despite our excuses, the reality is that it only requires simple effort and attention to maintain a healthy relationship.
We just didn't pay attention
The root cause of relationship breakdowns is sometimes just neglecting to pay attention and put in the work required to maintain it.
It's harder than it seems
Although relationship maintenance is a relatively simple act, it is often more difficult to execute than it appears.
So many things get in the way
We allow various distractions and excuses to prevent us from giving enough attention to our relationships.
But when you think of what you stand to lose
Grave consequences await those who neglect their relationships, including broken homes and lost love.
It not such a high price to pay
When compared to the potential outcome of neglecting our relationships, the small effort required to maintain it is not such a high price to pay.
Attention
The key to a successful relationship is attention - giving it the time and effort required for it to flourish.
Just pay attention
The message of the song is summed up in this line - to take the time to pay attention to your relationship to avoid potential heartbreak and regret.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind