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.
Love of My Life
Clay Aiken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see you smiling back at me,
It's like all my dreams come true.
I am afraid if I lost you girl,
I'd fall through the cracks and lose my track,
In this crazy, lonely world.
Sometimes it's so hard to believe,
And faith gave me the strength,
and kept me going on.
You are the love of my life,
And I'm so glad you found me,
You are the love of my life,
Baby put your arms around me,
I guess this is how it feels,
When you finally find something real.
My angel in the night, you're my love...
The love of my life.
Now here you are,
With midnight closing in.
You take my hand as our shadows dance,
With moonlight on your skin.
I look in your eyes,
I'm lost inside your kiss.
I think if I'd never met you,
about all the things I'd missed.
Sometimes it's so hard to believe,
When a love can be so strong,
And faith gives me the strength,
and kept me holding on.
You are the love of my life,
And I'm so glad you found me,
You are the love of my life,
Baby put your arms around me,
I guess this is how it feels,
When you finally find something real.
My angel in the night, you're my love...
The love of my life.
You are the love of my life,
And I'm so glad you found me,
You are the love of my life,
Baby put your arms around me,
I guess this is how it feels,
When you finally find something real.
My angel in the night, you are my love...
My angel in the night, you are my love...
The love of my... life.
The lyrics to Clay Aiken's "Love of My Life" is a beautiful ode to a significant other that expresses a deep emotional connection and gratitude towards their presence. The opening lines, "I am amazed when I look at you, I see you smiling back at me, It's like all my dreams come true," invokes a sense of wonder and admiration towards the person's significant other. The second verse is where we see the singer expressing their fears of losing them, as they feel that they would "fall through the cracks and lose [their] track." The song then talks about how the love they have found is real, and in their partner's arms, they feel a sense of home and completion.
The chorus of the song is where we see the depth of the singer's love for their significant other. They call them the "love of [their] life" and express their gratitude for having found them. The imagery of the shadows dancing and moonlight on their skin creates a romantic ambiance. The song ends on a high note, with the repeated chorus making it clear that they have found something real, and they do not want to let go of it.
Overall, "Love of My Life" is a song that encapsulates the feeling of finding the love of one's life and cherishing it. The lyrics are well crafted, with vivid imagery that creates a dreamy, romantic atmosphere. The song's message is universal and resonates with anyone who has experienced love.
Line by Line Meaning
I am amazed when I look at you,
I'm stunned every time I see you.
I see you smiling back at me,
I see happiness in your gaze when you look back at me.
It's like all my dreams come true.
It's as if my wildest desires have come to life.
I am afraid if I lost you girl,
I'm scared of losing you.
I'd fall through the cracks and lose my track,
I'd collapse and lose sight of everything without you.
In this crazy, lonely world.
In this chaotic and lone universe.
Sometimes it's so hard to believe,
Occasionally, it's tough to accept the truth.
When my nights can be so long,
When my nights can be lengthy and difficult.
And faith gave me the strength,
I gained the willpower I needed from faith.
and kept me going on.
And made me persevere.
You are the love of my life,
You mean everything to me.
And I'm so glad you found me,
And I'm delighted that you discovered me.
Baby put your arms around me,
Place your arms around me, honey.
I guess this is how it feels,
I assume this is how one feels.
When you finally find something real.
Once you've finally found something genuine.
My angel in the night, you're my love...
My love, you are my angel in the night.
Now here you are,
And now, here you are.
With midnight closing in.
As midnight approaches.
You take my hand as our shadows dance,
As our silhouettes sway, you take my hand.
With moonlight on your skin.
Your skin is illuminated by the moonlight.
I look in your eyes,
I gaze into your eyes.
I'm lost inside your kiss.
Your kiss has me consumed.
I think if I'd never met you,
I ponder what it would have been like if I hadn't met you.
about all the things I'd missed.
About all the things I would have lost out on.
When a love can be so strong,
When love can be so intense.
And faith gives me the strength,
And faith provides me with the courage.
and kept me holding on.
And keeps me clinging to hope.
My angel in the night, you are my love...
My love, you are my guardian angel in the darkness.
The love of my... life.
The one I love more than anything or anyone else in the world.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Diane Casserly
Such a lovely voice and such a lovely human being -I was so glad my son talked me into watching Clay’s journey on American Idol -I have loved him ever since
Aikenclay P
I am still enjoying Clay's music. Love this.
Filipe Fernandes Costa
So do i
Melissa A
I absolutely loved your video. Love of My Life is definitely one of my favorite all time Clay song's (too bad there was never an official recording we could purchase of it, would have sold great), plus you have the best mix of old & new photos of Clay over the past 5 years up to the present showing his fun personality and craziness, as well as his sexy side. continued
Melissa A
I also like the 2nd song "Hold Me, Kiss Me, Thrill Me", Clay would never have to ask so many times, as a matter of fact, he probably wouldn't even have to ask once. I would definitely hug and kiss him if I ever had the chance, and your video reminded of some of the many reasons why. Thanks for making this available. I'm definitely going to add this to my favorites.
HattieLovesCattie
I want this rendition sung at my funeral someday.
Hattie M.
I want this sung at my funeral someday.
Lily Gardner
I love this song 😍 I will always love this song 💝
Sassy Pants
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this....wonderful!
Aikenclay P
AWESOME is all I can say....Just AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!!!!