After signing a contract with the Atlantic Records label Lava Records in 1994, his first major-label album, Honor Among Thieves, was issued in 1995. His second album, Misguided Roses, spawned I'll Be, a major single in 1998. Two more albums (Messenger and Far from Over) followed, but at the end of 2001, he split from Lava. In 2003 he released a collection of acoustic versions of songs both old and new called The Austin Sessions via ATC Records, a Nashville-based independent record label (at which McCain was the first artist signed following its creation in 2001). Mid-2004 saw the arrival of his first studio album in three years, entitled Scream & Whisper, which was released on another indie label, DRT Entertainment.
He has released two DVDs to date. The first was through ATC records in late 2002, called Mile Marker: Songs and Stories from the Acoustic Highway, and it consisted of interviews, live performances, and other material. The other was in late 2004, Tinsel & Tap Shoes. It was his first live concert DVD, recorded at The House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
A new CD was released in April, 2006 titled, Lost in America. Edwin recently signed a contract with Vanguard Records. This album (#8) is said to be a true "rock 'n roll" collection.
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Go Be Young
Edwin McCain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She swears that she knows me
She's falling down drunk again
I say she's mistaken
She's visibly shaken
Emotions all drowned in gin
She said I used to be beautiful
But now it's all gone
That's where it went wrong
Go be young, go be free
Follow your heart where it leads you
Don't end up like me
The Indian in the guardhouse used to spin me yarns
Stories of canyons and Boston in winter
And losing his family's farms
He said I've outlived my three sons, they died in three wars
I laughed and I cried while they lived and they died
And I know that they deserve more
Go be young, go be free
Follow your heart where it leads you
Don't end up like me
Perfumed and smoky
I'm falling down drunk again
I say she's mistaken
She's visibly shaken
Emotions all drowned in gin
I say I used to be powerful
But now it's all gone
I let my dreams take control of me
That's where it went wrong
Go be young, go be free
Follow your heart where it leads you
Don't end up like me
The lyrics to Edwin McCain's song "Go Be Young" convey a message of regret and reflection on past mistakes. The first verse describes a woman who is drunk and mistaking the singer for someone else. She laments that she used to be beautiful and had let her dreams slip away. The singer responds with a plea for her to not end up like him and to follow her heart where it leads her. The second verse tells the story of an old Native American man who has outlived his three sons who died in wars. He laughs and cries while they lived and died, recognizing that their lives deserved more. The singer relates to this story and realizes that he too has let his powerful dreams slip away from him.
The chorus repeats the message of the song: "Go be young, go be free. Follow your heart where it leads you. Don't end up like me." The singer is warning others to not make the same mistakes he has made, to chase their dreams and live life to the fullest so they won't have any regrets later.
Overall, "Go Be Young" is a poignant and heartfelt song about the importance of living life to the fullest and not letting opportunities slip away. It's a reflection on the past and a plea for others to live their lives differently.
Line by Line Meaning
Perfumed and smoky
The scene is set with a woman who is smelling of perfume and cigarette smoke.
She swears that she knows me
She makes confident claims of knowing the singer.
She's falling down drunk again
She's heavily intoxicated and is losing her balance.
I say she's mistaken
The artist disagrees with her assertion of knowing him.
She's visibly shaken
The woman is clearly disturbed by something.
Emotions all drowned in gin
The alcohol has numbed her emotions.
She said I used to be beautiful
The woman remarks on the singer's previous beauty.
But now it's all gone
The artist's beauty has faded away over time.
I let my dreams slip away from me
The artist regrets not pursuing his dreams.
That's where it went wrong
The artist realizes that not following his dreams was a mistake.
Go be young, go be free
The singer advises the listener to live their life to the fullest.
Follow your heart where it leads you
The artist encourages the listener to listen to their inner voice and follow their passions.
Don't end up like me
The singer is warning the listener not to make the same mistakes he did.
The Indian in the guardhouse used to spin me yarns
The singer recalls an Indian who used to tell him stories.
Stories of canyons and Boston in winter
The stories involve descriptions of canyons and Boston during the winter months.
And losing his family's farms
The Indian's story also involves him losing his family's farms.
He said I've outlived my three sons, they died in three wars
The Indian reveals that he has lost his three sons to different wars.
I laughed and I cried while they lived and they died
The singer is emotional when recalling the Indian's story.
And I know that they deserve more
The singer empathizes with the Indian's loss and believes that the Indian's sons deserve better.
I say I used to be powerful
The artist reflects on a time when he was in a position of power.
But now it's all gone
The artist's power has diminished over time.
I let my dreams take control of me
The artist acknowledges that he did not have control of his dreams.
That's where it went wrong
The singer realizes that allowing his dreams to control him led him down the wrong path.
Go be young, go be free
The artist again advises the listener to live their life fully.
Follow your heart where it leads you
The same advice is repeated, emphasizing the importance of following one's inner voice.
Don't end up like me
The singer repeats his warning, urging the listener to avoid making the same mistakes he did.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDWIN COLE MC CAIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind