Clay's first CD, Measure of a Man (Number One, Top 200), went triple platinum selling more than 613,000 copies in its first week. Including singles like "Invisible", "The Way," "I Will Carry You" and the Neil Sedaka cover "Solitaire," it was the subject of conflicting reviews. Billboard Magazine called it the best pop album of 2003. Many fans and some critics recognized and admired the pure pop sound ("so pure it floats") and top-notch production values while others heard only a manufactured sound, noting that the singer hadn't earned his musical chops but "merely" sang his way to the hearts of millions on television, a perceived unjust leap-frogging of "the true path of the true artist."
Aiken fronted a country band, Just By Chance, pre-Idol and recorded 3 demo CDs. As a young man he was a member of the Raleigh Boy's Choir and was in numerous musical productions in North Carolina Theater.
The National Inclusion Project (formerly the Bubel/Aiken Foundation) was launched in 2003, supporting the integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of their non-disabled peers. In November 2004, Clay was appointed as a National Ambassador for UNICEF, with a mission to help ensure that children everywhere are afforded a primary education.
In November 2004, Clay released Merry Christmas With Love (Number One, Top 200). His first Christmas album, it went platinum, won 2 Billboard Music Awards and spurred a yearly holiday tour and a follow-up EP, All Is Well - Songs for Christmas. 2004 was also the year Clay made #2 on the New York Times Best Seller List with his "inspirational memoir" titled Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life.
His next studio album, 2006's A Thousand Different Ways (Number Two, Top 200), was, through the direction of mega-producer Clive Davis, largely a covers CD. Ten of the fourteen cuts being well known melodic pop songs ranging from Richard Marx, Bryan Adams, Dolly Parton, Mister Mister, and Elton John. Two other songs, available only on digital versions of the album, are "If You Don't Know Me By Now" (through K-Mart.com) and "Lover All Alone" (through iTunes and co-written by Aiken himself). Many fans have wondered about the relative exclusion of the latter song, left languishing from the song list present on the physical CD, as its intimate emotional material and Aiken's own writing handiwork produce a spellbinding effect.
In May of 2008 Aiken released On My Way Here (Number Four, Top 200), his first album of original material since his 2003 chart-topping debut Measure of A Man. While searching for songs for this album, he fell in love with a song written by OneRepublic front man Ryan "Alias" Tedder called "On My Way Here." The message of the lyrics -- how the lessons we learn while growing up shape us into who we become as adults -- struck such a deep chord with Clay that it wound up inspiring the theme (and title) of his new collection. In addition to enlisting Grammy-Award winning British songwriter and producer Kipper, On My Way Here also included the talented musicians of none other then the Steely Dan band.
A fifth album, The Very Best of Clay Aiken, was released at the end of March 2009 on Sony's Legacy Recordings Playlist Series.
To date, Aiken has headlined 8 tours., one of them co-headlining with Kelly Clarkson.
Aiken made his Broadway debut playing the role of Sir Robin in Monty Python's Spamalot in January 2008. His first run ended in May. He rejoined the cast as Sir Robin in September and remained through January 4, 2009.
In August of 2008 Clay became a father to Parker Foster Aiken with producer Jaymes Foster, the sister of record producer David Foster.
Clay will release a brand new album, titled "Tried and True", on June 1, 2010 on the Decca Records label.
Clay also has made numerous TV appearances, guest-starring on everything from Scrubs to Days of Our Lives to the season finale of the popular show 30 Rock. He has earned a place on such talk-shows as Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show, Late Night With David Letterman, Tyra Banks, Rachel Ray, Ellen and has cooked with both Martha Stewart and Paula Deen.
Though clearly, based on his television and concert appeal, a performing artist whose live presentations show consummate showmanship, bringing surprising dynamism to studio songs, Aiken has had to endure a persistent hammering from entertainment critics and a tenacious (not to say malevolent) interest on the part of some in the media relating to questions about his personal life.
Always full of surprises, fans look forward to the continued ways in which this multi-talented artist expresses himself and uses his voice in ways that will expand his appeal in and beyond the US.
Back For More
Clay Aiken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feel like I'm addicted
This sadness self inflicted
I just can't get enough
Now it's taking on a whole new meaning
This time the story cuts a little too close to home
'Cause this song is all about us
What happened was just between us
Now the whole world knows
'Cause it's all over the radio
Cuts me deep with every word
Saddest song I've ever heard
I can't help myself
I keep coming back for more
Drowning in the melody
Makes me feel like I can't breathe
I can't save myself
The only time I'm close to you is when
I hear a song I'm addicted to
So I keep coming back for more
Somebody's makin' a fortune
Selling emotions to fools like me... who
Relate to what their sayin'
Obsessed and can't stop playing
No use in changing stations... no
Cause it's everywhere on the radio, the radio, the radio
Cuts me deep with every word
Saddest song I've ever heard
I can't help myself
I keep coming back for more
Drowning in the melody
Makes me feel like I can't breathe
I can't save myself
The only time I'm close to you is when
I hear a song I'm addicted to
So I keep coming back for more
I keep coming back for more
Hits me harder every time
Just notes and chords and words that rhyme
I'm not too crazy 'bout love songs
This type of story cuts a little too close to home
Cause it's all over the radio, the radio, the radio
Cuts me deep with every word
Saddest song I've ever heard
Try and shut it out
It keeps coming back for more
Drowning in the melody
Makes me feel like I can't breathe
I can't save myself
The only time I'm close to you is when
I hear a song I'm addicted to
So I keep coming back for more
The lyrics to Clay Aiken's song Back For More are about a person who is addicted to a sad love song. The song brings up memories of a past relationship that the person is trying to move on from, but the lyrics to this particular song are hitting too close to home. The person is torn between wanting to forget about the past and the comfort they feel in listening to this sad song that reminds them of their ex. The lyrics describe how the song cuts deep with every word, and how they feel like they're drowning in the melody. The person acknowledges that they are obsessed with the song and keep coming back for more, even though it only makes things worse. The lyrics suggest that the song is not just about a particular situation but rather a universal experience that many people can relate to, and that's why it's all over the radio.
The lyrics to Back For More are relatable because most of us have been in a situation where we are obsessed with someone or something that we shouldn't be. The song's lyrics speak about the addiction of reliving something that is over, whether it be a relationship or an experience. The person in the song wants to forget about their past, but the song serves as a reminder that he can't. The song also touches on the power of music to make us feel things that we might not be ready to feel just yet. Although the lyrics to this song are melancholic, there is an underlying sense of comfort in knowing that others feel the same way.
Line by Line Meaning
This one's got me conflicted
I am feeling conflicted about this song
Feel like I'm addicted
This song makes me feel addicted
This sadness self inflicted
My sadness is self-inflicted because of this song
I just can't get enough
I can't get enough of this song
Now it's taking on a whole new meaning
I am starting to understand this song in a new way
This time the story cuts a little too close to home
The lyrics hit too close to home
'Cause this song is all about us
The song is about my personal experience
How could they know about us
I am surprised that someone else knows about my experience
What happened was just between us
I thought my experience was private
Now the whole world knows
The song has made my experience public
'Cause it's all over the radio
The song is played on the radio everywhere
Cuts me deep with every word
The lyrics really affect me emotionally
Saddest song I've ever heard
This is the saddest song I've ever heard
I can't help myself
I can't help but listen to this song
I keep coming back for more
I keep listening to the song again and again
Drowning in the melody
The melody overwhelms me
Makes me feel like I can't breathe
The song makes me feel suffocated
The only time I'm close to you is when / I hear a song I'm addicted to
The song makes me feel connected to someone else
So I keep coming back for more
I keep listening to the song again and again
Somebody's makin' a fortune
Someone is making a lot of money from this song
Selling emotions to fools like me... who
They are selling emotions to people like me who are obsessed with this song
Relate to what their sayin'
I can relate to the lyrics
Obsessed and can't stop playing
I am obsessed with this song and can't stop listening
No use in changing stations... no
It's pointless to change the radio station because this song is played everywhere
Hits me harder every time
The emotional impact of the song increases every time I listen
Just notes and chords and words that rhyme
The song is made up of musical notes, chords, and lyrics that rhyme
I'm not too crazy 'bout love songs
I'm not a big fan of love songs
Try and shut it out
I try to ignore the song
It keeps coming back for more
The song keeps playing no matter what I do
Contributed by Jeremiah P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@KatyWhitekavkj
:-) I was THERE! such a great concert and some amazing memories. I so wish he'd released this as a single.