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.
Solitaire
Clay Aiken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who lost his love through his indifference
A heart that cared, that went unshared
Until it died in his silence
And Solitaire's the only game in town
And every road that takes him, takes him down
And by himself, it's easy to pretendHe'll never love again
And keeping to himself he plays the game
Without her love it always ends the same
While life goes on around him everywhere
He's playing Solitaire
Another day, a lonely day
So much to say that goes unspoken
And through the night, his sleepless nights
His eyes are closed, his heart is broken
And Solitaire's the only game in town
And every road that takes him, takes him down
And by himself it's easy to pretend
She's coming back again
And keeping to himself he plays the game
Without her love it always ends the same
While life goes on around him everywhere
He's playing solitaire
A little hope, goes up in smoke
Just how it goes, goes without saying
Solitaire
And by himself it's easy to pretend He'll never love again
Oh
And keeping to himself he plays the game
Without her love it always ends the same
While life goes on around him everywhere
He's playing solitaire
Solitaire, solitaire
The lyrics to Clay Aiken's song, Solitaire, describe the story of a man who is dealing with heartbreak and is all alone. The man lost the love of his life because he was indifferent towards her. He cared for her, but he never shared his feelings, and eventually, the love between them died in silence. Now he is left all alone, and his only companion is the popular card game, Solitaire. He finds himself playing the game in his own company, pretending that he will never love again, only to end up heartbroken when the game is over. He spends his days in solitude, with endless nights of despair and heartbreak.
The lyrics are powerful and relatable to anyone who has gone through heartbreak and loneliness. The use of Solitaire, a popular card game played by oneself, as a metaphor perfectly captures the depths of the man's loneliness and his longing for love. The song is somber and melancholic, as Clay's soulful voice beautifully conveys the man's pain and sorrow.
Overall, Clay Aiken's Solitaire is a heart-wrenching song about loneliness, heartbreak, and the power of a simple card game to provide some solace in times of emotional turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a man, a lonely man
There was once a man who felt lonely and alone.
Who lost his love through his indifference
He lost the love of his life because he didn't care enough.
A heart that cared, that went unshared
He had a caring heart, but never shared it with anyone else.
Until it died in his silence
Eventually his caring heart died out as he stayed silent about his feelings.
And Solitaire's the only game in town
The only thing he has left is to play Solitaire because it fills his empty time and thoughts.
And every road that takes him, takes him down
He believes that anytime he tries to move on it just gets worse.
And by himself, it's easy to pretend
Being alone makes it easier to pretend things will get better without effort.
He'll never love again
He is convinced that he will never find love again.
And keeping to himself he plays the game
He keeps to himself and plays Solitaire as a way of distracting himself from his loneliness.
Without her love it always ends the same
Without love, life always ends up being the same, monotonous and empty for him.
While life goes on around him everywhere
While the world moves on, everything around him continues to change and flourish.
He's playing Solitaire
He spends most of his time playing Solitaire, ignoring everything else that's going on.
Another day, a lonely day
Every day is filled with emptiness and loneliness for him.
So much to say that goes unspoken
There are so many things he wants to say, but he keeps them locked up inside.
And through the night, his sleepless nights
He endures many sleepless nights, unable to find peace or rest.
His eyes are closed, his heart is broken
His eyes may be closed, but his heart is shattered into pieces.
And keeping to himself he plays the game
He keeps his Solitaire game to himself as a way of coping with his solitude.
She's coming back again
In his imagination, he tries to convince himself that she will return to him.
A little hope, goes up in smoke
Any hope he has usually turns out to be just wishful thinking.
Just how it goes, goes without saying
It's a known fact that life can be uncertain and unpredictable.
And by himself it's easy to pretend
Being alone makes it easier to pretend everything is okay, even when it's not.
He'll never love again
He believes that he lost his one chance at love and will never find it again.
Solitaire, solitaire
Solitaire serves as a constant reminder of his lonely reality.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Neil Sedaka, Phil Cody
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Greatgownsbeautifulgownss
One of the best live performances I’ve ever heard from a male vocalist period
@humbleness777
Even today I still say Clay was ROBBED OUTRIGHT!!! He's so talented and raw.
@KistowPersad
Agreed 100%!
@qsw-1228
Agreed 200%
@ashleysimon5593
Hey it was a very close fight between him and Ruben because Ruben is also very talented with a great voice I love them both
@pathicks7471
He was
@vestadorado1768
I totally agree.
@margieelwood7355
Still listening in 2024😊
@dunghuynh-bk3xh
Still amazed
@dunghuynh-bk3xh
Me