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.
Go the Distance
Clay Aiken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looked down at the world below
A distant world where sin-strong arms
Had struck a fatal blow
There had to be a sacrifice
Across the lonely hill
Someone had to span the globe
So Jesus said I will
I will go the distance
I will go that far
I will give up everything
to bring them where you are
Even tho I could choose the path of least resistance
Father I will take the cross
I will go the distance
To think about His sacrifice
Leaves me with a choice to make
So many stand just out of reach
With eternity at stake
I can be the go-between
Who walks the extra mile
If just one should find The Way
Then it's been worth the while
I will go the distance
I will go that far
I will give up everything
to bring them where you are
Even tho I could choose the path of least resistance
Father I will take the cross
I will go the distance
I will go the distance
I will go that far
I will give up everything
to bring them where you are
Even tho I could choose the path of least resistance
Father I will take the cross
I will go the distance
Father I will take the cross
I will go the distance
The lyrics of Clay Aiken's "Go The Distance" are steeped in religious imagery and metaphor. The Father and Son looking down at the world below represents the Christian belief in a God who is transcendent and beyond human understanding, who looks down on humanity from a perspective afar. The mention of sin-strong arms is a reference to the power of evil in the world and the devastating effects it can have. The sacrifice required to overcome this evil is hinted at when the lyrics speak of someone having to span the globe, which could refer to the mission of Jesus Christ to save all humankind from sin.
The main focus of the song is on the willingness of Jesus to go the distance and make the ultimate sacrifice to bring humanity back to God. The singer in the song sees the example of Jesus as a call to action for themselves. They realize that they too can make a difference in the world by being a go-between and walking the extra mile to bring others to God. They recognize that this may not be the path of least resistance, but the reward of leading just one person to the way of salvation will make it all worth it. The repetition of the chorus reinforces this determination to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and to go the distance in fulfilling their own calling.
Overall, "Go The Distance" celebrates the selflessness and devotion of Jesus Christ, and encourages listeners to follow his example by sacrificing personal comfort and convenience to help others discover their own spiritual path.
Line by Line Meaning
The Father and the Son stepped out
God the Father and Jesus His Son have looked down at the world below
Looked down at the world below
They observed the world down from heaven
A distant world where sin-strong arms
The world was full of sin and evil
Had struck a fatal blow
Sin had brought the world to a hopeless state
There had to be a sacrifice
God needed a sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world
Across the lonely hill
The sacrifice would be made on the hill of Golgotha
Someone had to span the globe
Someone had to take the message of salvation all over the world
So Jesus said I will
Jesus decided that He would be the one to make that sacrifice and spread the message of salvation
I will go the distance
Jesus will go to any length to bring people closer to God
I will go that far
Jesus is willing to go the extra mile for the sake of humanity
I will give up everything
Jesus will give up everything, even His own life, to save others
to bring them where you are
Jesus will help people come closer to God's love and grace
Even though I could choose the path of least resistance
Jesus could have chosen an easier path, but He chose the difficult one to save humanity
Father I will take the cross
Jesus is willing to take the burden of alleviating the sins of humanity from His Father
To think about His sacrifice
Thinking of Jesus' sacrifice motivates us to make a choice
Leaves me with a choice to make
We have to make a choice whether to stand on the path of God's word or not
So many stand just out of reach
Many people are distant from the teachings of God
With eternity at stake
Their eternal life hangs in the balance
I can be the go-between
We can be the mediator to bring these people to the path of God's love
Who walks the extra mile
We need to go out of the way to help others find the right way to God
If just one should find The Way
If even one person we reach finds God's love, it would all be worth it
Then it's been worth the while
The effort we made in helping people will be worth it
Father I will take the cross
Jesus is making a commitment to start His journey towards His ultimate sacrifice, the crucifixion.
I will go the distance
Jesus is once again reaffirming His commitment to go to any length to bring people closer to God.
Contributed by Isaac N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ann Stephens
Clay has always been magnificent!! I love seeing this from when our wonderful guy was only 20 years old!! I love his lower notes here.
Jean Howard
WOW! I love Clay's early performances. I had never seen that one. What a voice!
Aikenclay P
What a voice Clay has...Love this!
Ann Stephens
Thank you for posting this wonderful video showing how wonderful and how powerful Clay's voice was even in 2000.
dee m
OMG! This has instantly become 1 of my Clay favorites! His voice is amazing & performance is stunning! What a gem! And this was long before his Idol days! All I can say is WOW! Thank you, Clay for sharing your gift with the world.
Linda Dolly
What a beautiful voice!
Joan T
Wow, I'm blown away. That was Clay back in the day. He is an amazing man. Thanks for sharing.
cootieof03
Amazing!! I love Clay!!!
comfiecozy
Nice change up with the high note...that man has amazing range
Joan T
His voice is amazing. This is three years before he became famous. The people there got a free concert.