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.
Crying
Clay Aiken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I saw you last night you held my hand so tight
As you stopped to say hello
Oh, you wished me well, you couldn't tell
That I've been crying over you, crying over you
And you said, so long
Left me standing all alone
Alone and crying, crying, crying, crying
Can start me crying
I thought that I was over you
But it's true, so true
I love you even more than I did before
But darling, what can I do
For you don't love me and I'll always be
Crying over you, crying over you
Yes, now you're gone and from this moment on
I'll be crying, crying, crying, crying
Yeah, crying, crying over you
In Clay Aiken's song "Crying," the singer is struggling to move on from a past love. At first, the singer seems to be doing fine and can smile for a while. However, after seeing their former lover and holding hands, the singer is thrown back into their feelings, crying over them. The singer is even more in love with the person than before but is struggling because their love is not reciprocated. The touch of the person's hand can cause them to burst into tears, and it's hard for the singer to understand. The song ends with the singer recognizing that they'll be crying alone from that moment forward.
Overall, the lyrics of "Crying" showcase the pain of unrequited love and the difficulty of moving on from a past lover. The song's lyrics are poignant and relatable, resonating with anyone who has struggled with feelings of heartbreak and rejection.
Line by Line Meaning
I was all right for a while, I could smile for a while
I was doing okay for a period of time, putting on a happy face
But I saw you last night you held my hand so tight
I saw you last night and you held onto my hand tightly
As you stopped to say hello
You paused to greet me
Oh, you wished me well, you couldn't tell
You wished me the best, but didn't realize my true emotions
That I've been crying over you, crying over you
I've been sad and weeping because of you
And you said, so long
You said goodbye
Left me standing all alone
You left me standing there by myself
Alone and crying, crying, crying, crying
I was all by myself, weeping uncontrollably
It's hard to understand but the touch of your hand
It's a mystery, but when you touch me
Can start me crying
It makes me start to cry
I thought that I was over you
I believed I had moved on from you
But it's true, so true
However, the truth is
I love you even more than I did before
I love you more now than I did previously
But darling, what can I do
But, my dear, what am I supposed to do?
For you don't love me and I'll always be
Because you don't love me and I will forever be
Crying over you, crying over you
Weeping for you, sobbing for you
Yes, now you're gone and from this moment on
Now, you're no longer here and from now on
I'll be crying, crying, crying, crying
I will continue weeping, continuously crying.
Yeah, crying, crying over you
Yes, sobbing and crying because of you
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Orbi-Lee Music, Barbara Orbison Music Company, BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Unison Rights S.L., R-Key Darkus, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joe Melson, Roy Orbison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind