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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Letter To My Mother
Edwin McCain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were the only one who loved me true
But there's a woman that we don't even know
She gave me life, then you gave me a home
I love you, Mama
But I want to tell her too
I close my eyes, does she look like me
Does she need my help, is she cold on the street
Am I forgotten like a bad childhood dream
A be -movie actor on the black and white screen
I love you, Mama
But I want to tell her too
Is that her little boy still loves you
Is that her little boy still loves you
Could I have seen her, I'll never know
Maybe she's always been there watching me grow
I wanted to tell her how grateful I am
For giving me life, I've done the best that I can
I love you, Mama
But I want to tell her too
Is that her little boy still loves you
Her little boy still loves you
The lyrics of Edwin McCain's song "Letter to My Mother" depicts a deeply emotional struggle of a man who is torn between the love of the two most important women in his life, his mother and his birth mother. Seeking guidance on how to write a letter to his mother, he acknowledges the unconditional love shown by his mother, the only person who loved him truly. However, he feels the need to express his gratitude and love to his birth mother, a woman he has never met yet gave him life. He expresses his pain of not knowing if he resembles his birth mother, if she is in need of help, living in poverty, or if she even remembers him. He is haunted by the thought of being forgotten like a bad childhood dream, living a life of anonymity like a B-movie actor on a black and white screen. The singer emphasizes that despite wanting to reach out to his birth mother, he still deeply loves his mother who brought him up.
The song conveys a touching story of adoption that leaves a significant emotional impact, emphasizing the importance of family and roots for every individual. The lyrics evokes various emotions such as love, pain, gratitude, and a sense of identity crisis that are ubiquitous in adoption. The song also highlights the social stigma of the adoption process and mental health issues it can lead to.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama, how do I write the words to you
I'm struggling to find the words to express my feelings
You were the only one who loved me true
You were my constant support and source of love
But there's a woman that we don't even know
My biological mother who gave birth to me
She gave me life, then you gave me a home
You provided me a home and family when she couldn't
I love you, Mama
I love you for everything you've done for me
But I want to tell her too
I also want to express gratitude to my biological mother
Is that her little boy still loves you
I want my biological mother to know that I appreciate and love her too
I close my eyes, does she look like me
I wonder what my biological mother looks like and if we share any features
Does she need my help, is she cold on the street
I worry about her well-being and if there's anything I can do to help
Am I forgotten like a bad childhood dream
I fear that my biological mother may have forgotten about me
A be-movie actor on the black and white screen
I feel like a distant and insignificant character in her life
Could I have seen her, I'll never know
I regret not knowing my biological mother or having the chance to meet her
Maybe she's always been there watching me grow
I wonder if my biological mother has been observing my life from afar
I wanted to tell her how grateful I am
I want to express my gratitude towards my biological mother for giving me life
For giving me life, I've done the best that I can
I've made the most of the life that my biological mother gave me and am grateful for it
Her little boy still loves you
Despite everything, I love and appreciate both my biological and adoptive mothers
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDWIN COLE MC CAIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind