On her fourth … Read Full Bio ↴Edie Carey is an American folk-pop singer-songwriter.
On her fourth studio album, Another Kind of Fire, Carey explored the myriad kinds of "fire" - romantic and otherwise - that keep us burning below the surface: old resentments, creativity, anger, lost friendships, lust, and, of course, love. The disc, released September 19th independently on Accidental Poet, maintained much of the organic, woody sound of its predecessor, When I Was Made (2004), touted by Harp Magazine as "a little country, a little adult-contemporary, and a lot of fine music." But on her latest effort, producer Crit Harmon (Martin Sexton, Lori McKenna, Mary Gauthier) introduces a somewhat moodier, darker sound, painting haunting, vast landscapes behind her intimate vocals.
Drawn from her own experiences and the stories of those around her, Carey's poetic lyrics are the focal point of her songs. Paste Magazine confirmed this in a 2004 review of Made:"Economic instrumentation forces all your attention toward the gentle storytelling, rich with humanity and insight...Carey draws us into her world, where we find we have a lot in common."
Several fires have raged within Carey over the past two years - both personally and professionally - creating fertile ground for songwriting. After three years south in her adopted hometown of Atlanta, Carey has returned to her native Boston - though she plans to spend little time at home.
The 2004 Telluride Bluegrass Troubadour Finalist will hit the road in earnest this fall, performing at clubs, coffeehouses and colleges across the country. Carey kicks off her CD release tour for Another Kind Of Fire on September 8th at The Living Room in New York City.
Touring internationally since 1999, Edie has shared stages with Norah Jones, Leo Kottke, Ani DiFranco, Jonatha Brooke, Catie Curtis, Lucy Kaplansky, and Sandra Bernhard. She was asked to perform at The Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City and on Ed McMahon's "Next Big Star" ("Star Search"), and has had her songs featured on The WB's "Charmed" and MTV's "Road Rules". She was recently a featured act on Public Radio International's "Mountain Stage," and When I Was Made was a finalist for Album of the Year in the 2003 Independent Music Awards.
More About Edie...
"Accidental Poet," one of Edie Carey's earliest songs, describes a particularly eloquent friend, but could just as easily refer to Carey herself and the circuitous and serendipitous route that led her to become one of the country's most notable young songwriters. Somehow, all of the seemingly unrelated turns - from her intention to become a doctor, to a tiny music room in the basement of a Morningside Heights' chapel, to a year in Italy - managed to steer her towards music.
Born in Burlington, Vermont and raised in the Boston suburbs by her English teacher father, therapist mother, and poet stepmother, Edie Carey couldn't help but learn to love words. But her ear for music only became apparent after she "took the stage" in the back seat of her babysitter's green Cadillac, belting out her own rendition of "Up Where We Belong." From age nine, after beginning voice lessons, she became involved in singing groups and musicals, which she continued all the way through high school. A child of the 80's, she dressed in lace and sequins and dreamed of appearing on Ed McMahon's "Star Search." However, as much as she loved performing, Carey was unaware that there was any middle ground between singing at weddings and being Madonna, and never considered music a real career possibility. So, she made plans to major in English/Creative Writing with Pre-Med classes at Barnard College in New York City. However, during her freshman year, two pivotal discoveries knocked those plans right off course - The Postcrypt Coffeehouse and the Italian language.
In the Postcrypt, an intimate music venue in the basement of St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University, the seeds of possibility were sewn as Carey watched Jeff Buckley, Ani Difranco, and Lisa Loeb among others perform unplugged to candlelit audiences. She saw how words could sometimes have even greater power when used in a song, and simultaneously came to appreciate the sonorous quality of words regardless of their meaning or the melody in which they were framed. This appreciation for their musicality grew deeper with the study of Italian, which eventually led her to spend a year abroad in Bologna, where she taught herself to play the guitar.
In Italy, Carey set herself up in a corner of the main piazza and played every Bonnie Raitt, Shawn Colvin, Sarah McLachlan, and Rickie Lee Jones song she knew, throwing in a few of her own tunes, which would later land on her debut album, The Falling Places . Her experience abroad gave her a newfound confidence and encouraged her to begin performing on campus, where she started to build a student following. She made her first album in 1997, while working long days at Worth Magazine and recording until 3 am each night. Though the process was a daunting one, by the time she was finished, Carey was sure she had "accidentally" ended up exactly where she was supposed to be.
After the release of The Falling Places in 1998, she began venturing outside of New York City to play neighboring east coast cities, and gradually expanded throughout the United States, then Canada and the UK. While the debut was a very sparsely produced acoustic contemporary folk album, Call Me Home, Carey's follow-up in 2000, was by comparison an all-out pop record, a tribute to her early inspirations and the reckless abandon of her childhood. With its release, the "accidents" continued, and Carey unexpectedly found herself achieving her childhood dream of appearing on television with Ed McMahon.
Since 2000, she has been working as a full-time performing songwriter, touring rigorously to promote all of her independently self-released records, which now include Come Close, her 2002 live CD, When I Was Made (2004), and the latest addition to her growing catalog, Another Kind of Fire. Looking back, she has to wonder if maybe this wasn't an accident after all.
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All The Way Down
Edie Carey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You twist your fingers in everything
You meet a woman you look in her eyes
You smell like a friend but you criticize
How could they know you hate them, you hate them?
You're hot, you're cold, you're inside, you're out
Don't tell me, I know - you lead, they follow
You blow bubbles, yeah this is your trick
You give 'em a name and you make it stick
You hold 'em so close they can't make you out
You banish the new, you banish the doubt
How could they know you hate them, you hate them?
You're hot, you're cold, you're inside, you're out
Don't tell me, I know - you lead, they follow you down
You down, you down
It's a mystery of the heart
Why we all fall in love with the dark, the dark
How could they know you hate them, you hate them?
You're hot, you're cold, you're inside, you're out
Don't tell me, I know - you lead, they follow
Yeah, I know where that road goes
You lead, they follow
All the way down
The song “All The Way Down” by Edie Carey tells the story of a person who is manipulative, using their charm to make people fall in love with them and then turn on them. In the first verse, “In your sliver of sky you pull the strings” suggests that the person is in control of their own world and of those around them. They know how to manipulate situations to their advantage. “You smell like a friend but you criticize” suggests the person is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, being welcoming and warm only to criticize and eventually turn on those who fall for their charm. The chorus, “How could they know you hate them, you hate them? You're hot, you're cold, you're inside, you're out. Don't tell me, I know - you lead, they follow. All the way down” suggests that the person is very skilled at making people love them while at the same time hating them for it.
The second verse, “You blow bubbles, yeah this is your trick. You give 'em a name and you make it stick. You hold 'em so close they can't make you out. You banish the new, you banish the doubt” portrays the person as someone who has tricks up their sleeve and is able to distract people with irrelevant things so they don't notice their true intentions. The line “It's a mystery of the heart why we all fall in love with the dark, the dark” suggests how the victims of the manipulator fall for their antics, knowing deep inside that something isn't right, but unable to resist the person's charm.
Overall, the song “All The Way Down” is a warning against manipulation and the dangers of falling for someone who might not have the best intentions. The lyrics are a call for caution and awareness when dealing with people we don't know much about.
Line by Line Meaning
In your sliver of sky you pull the strings
You have control over a small part of the world, and you manipulate everything in it.
You twist your fingers in everything
You are involved in every aspect of life, and you exert your influence on all of it.
You meet a woman you look in her eyes
You see someone as a potential target for manipulation and study them closely.
You smell like a friend but you criticize
You appear friendly, but you use your knowledge of someone's weaknesses to criticize them.
How could they know you hate them, you hate them?
You conceal your true feelings about people, and they are unaware of your true nature.
You're hot, you're cold, you're inside, you're out
You are unpredictable and changeable, making it difficult for others to trust you or anticipate your actions.
Don't tell me, I know - you lead, they follow
You are used to being in control and directing the actions of those around you.
All the way down
You continue your manipulations until you have complete control over a situation or person.
You blow bubbles, yeah this is your trick
You have a way of creating something seemingly positive, but it is ultimately frivolous and empty.
You give 'em a name and you make it stick
You label things in a way that reinforces your control over them.
You hold 'em so close they can't make you out
You keep others so close that they are unable to see your true motivations and nature.
You banish the new, you banish the doubt
You reject anything that challenges your control or authority over a situation.
It's a mystery of the heart
The reason people are drawn to you and let you manipulate them is unknown, and likely an emotional reaction rather than a logical one.
Why we all fall in love with the dark, the dark
Despite the harm you do and the control you exert, people are drawn to your dark and mysterious nature.
Yeah, I know where that road goes
The singer is aware of the manipulator's true nature and the predictable path their actions will take.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
April Meservy
I can't explain how deeply I love this. Thank you, Edie.
EdieCareyVideos
Thank you so much, April! :)
Jennifer Long
Ahhh it’s nice to see what you look like finally. I’ve spent many an evening, in the dark, holding each of my 3 children while we listen to yours and Sarah’s beautiful voices singing us to sleep. Precious moments! Thank you.
EdieCareyVideos
That makes me so happy, Jennifer. Thank you so much for bringing our music into your family. xo
I M
Thank you for writing this song. I feel every part of it. I went through 10 year infertility depression and now after IVF I have a 2 year old baby girl and now pregnant again!
EdieCareyVideos
Thank you so much for sharing this with me. I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that -- I truly understand -- and I'm so happy you have your baby girl and another on the way. Sending a hug to you!
Robyn Landis
If she didnt win this Tiny Desk contest, there is no justice in this world.
EdieCareyVideos
I love you for saying that, Robyn :) xoxo Thank you.
D J
Sooo sweet!
Lightning_galaxx
Amazing!