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.
I Survived You
Clay Aiken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the fog has lifted
The wool you tried to pull over my eyes was clever
Yeah, you're gifted
But you forgot to dot some i's and cross some t's along the way
I'm better now despite you baby
I'm stronger these days, stronger
I survived the crash, survived the burn
Survived the worst, yeah baby but I learned
Survived the lies, survived the blues
Almost killed me but I survived the truth
And when you wrote me off like I was doomed,
I survived you
I can look in the mirror now
It's been a slow awakening
Haunted by a heart full of you
I couldn't help mistaking
That you could ever care for anyone
Anyone but yourself, hey-yeah
But you would have to have a conscience baby,
Good luck, I wish you well
I survived the crash, survived the burn
Survived the worst, yeah baby but I learned
Survived the lies, survived the blues
Almost killed me but I survived the truth
And when you wrote me off like I was doomed,
I survived you
This hearts been torn in two
Cut and bruised from too many bitter endings
I'll be damned if I have thoughts of you
Rain on my new beginning
In Clay Aiken's song "I Survived You," the lyrics speak of a relationship that has ended and the singer's journey towards healing and moving forward. The fog that once clouded their vision has cleared, and they can see the situation for what it was. The person they were with was skilled at deception, but they weren't skilled enough to cover all their tracks, and this has allowed the singer to rise above what they once thought was an insurmountable obstacle.
The chorus speaks of the hardships the singer had to endure as a result of the relationship. They survived a crash, a burn, and the worst of it, but they learned from these experiences. They also had to survive the lies and the blues, which almost caused their downfall, but they survived the truth. The person they were with wrote them off as though they were doomed, but they managed to survive them.
The song speaks of strength and resilience in the face of adversity, and how a person can come through a trying situation and still manage to stand tall. It conveys a message of hope and empowerment to others who may be in a similar situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I see the picture clear now
I understand the situation clearly
And the fog has lifted
The confusion has cleared
The wool you tried to pull over my eyes was clever
You tried to deceive me, but you did it skillfully
Yeah, you're gifted
You have a natural talent for deception
But you forgot to dot some i's and cross some t's along the way
You made some mistakes in your deception
I'm better now despite you baby
I am doing well, even without you
I'm stronger these days, stronger
I have become stronger as a result of the experience
I survived the crash, survived the burn
I survived a dangerous and harmful experience
Survived the worst, yeah baby but I learned
I experienced the worst, but I gained knowledge from it
Survived the lies, survived the blues
I survived being lied to and feeling sad
Almost killed me but I survived the truth
The truth was difficult to accept, but I survived it
And when you wrote me off like I was doomed,
You gave up on me and thought I was hopeless
I survived you
I survived the negative impact you had on my life
I can look in the mirror now
I can examine myself honestly now
It's been a slow awakening
It took me a while to realize the truth
Haunted by a heart full of you
I was deeply affected by my feelings for you
I couldn't help mistaking
I made a mistake in believing you cared for me
That you could ever care for anyone
It was impossible for you to care for anyone but yourself
Anyone but yourself, hey-yeah
You were completely selfish
But you would have to have a conscience baby,
You would have to possess a moral sense to care for anyone else
Good luck, I wish you well
I hope you have good fortune in the future
This hearts been torn in two
My heart has been severely damaged
Cut and bruised from too many bitter endings
My heart has been injured from too many painful experiences
I'll be damned if I have thoughts of you
I refuse to let you occupy my thoughts
Rain on my new beginning
I don't want you to ruin my fresh start
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: JESS CATES, JEFF FRANZEL, TY LACY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind