In late 2006 Carroll signed with Arista Nashville and released his first single "Alyssa Lies". His debut album was released February 6, 2007.
Carroll said in an interview with Songfacts that he looks at songwriting as an almost religious experience. The ideas are out there, he believes, and it's up to the individual to grab them and write them. "And you can either force the idea, almost screw it up if you really force it too much, or you can try to receive it the way it's intended to be," he explained. "And so my songwriting experience is, usually when I'm writing by myself, I just kind of let the idea come. And if it's a roadblock or whatever I may try to hammer through it for a minute, but then if I don't get anything I'll just leave it alone and come back to it a couple of weeks later."
Stray
Jason Michael Carroll Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You had your hair down on your shoulders
And the moonlight kissing you
I could hold your perfect body, I just couldn't reach your heart
And that fire that burns between us
Slowly faded in the dark
[Chorus]
You're gonna stray, baby your loves already gone
You don't wanna be here its perfectly clear
And you think you got it hidden away
I know you're gonna stray
You're gonna stray
I don't know when it started happenin'
But I can tell its closing in
There's a change on your horizon
And that hour glass is running outta sand
And I'm no longer in your plans
[Chorus]
Away from me and take'th you everything
I thought was true and every ounce of love ive held on to.
You're gonna stray
You're gonna stray
You're gonna stray
You don't wanna be here its perfectly clear
And you think you've got it hidden away.
I know you're gonna stray
In Jason Michael Carroll's song "Stray," the singer describes how he sees his significant other standing by the window in their room with moonlight kissing her. While he can hold her perfect body, he is unable to reach her heart, which makes him realize the fire that once burned between them is slowly fading away. The singer thinks that his significant other is going to leave him soon and that her love for him has already vanished. Despite the significant other's efforts to hide her true feelings away, the singer knows that she is going to stray.
The song appears to depict a situation where one partner has fallen out of love in their relationship. The imagery of moonlight and a fading fire portrays how the couple's love has dissipated over time, and the singer can no longer reach his partner's heart. The lyrics "take'th you everything I thought was true and every ounce of love I've held on to" express how the singer is heartbroken at the realization that his relationship is coming to an end.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night I saw you standing by the window in our room
The singer saw the person they love standing by the window in their shared room.
You had your hair down on your shoulders
And the moonlight kissing you
The person the singer loves looked beautiful with their hair down, and the moonlight only added to their beauty.
I could hold your perfect body, I just couldn't reach your heart
And that fire that burns between us
Slowly faded in the dark
Although the singer could physically touch and be close to the person they love, they couldn't connect with them emotionally, and their passion for each other is fading.
You're gonna stray and leave me standin' alone
You're gonna stray, baby your loves already gone
You don't wanna be here its perfectly clear
And you think you got it hidden away
I know you're gonna stray
You're gonna stray
The artist predicts that the person they love will eventually leave them and cheat on them, as they are no longer invested in the relationship, and are trying to hide it from the artist.
I don't know when it started happenin'
But I can tell its closing in
There's a change on your horizon
And that hour glass is running outta sand
And I'm no longer in your plans
The artist doesn't know exactly when things started to go wrong, but they can sense that the person they love is pulling away and becoming distant, and that their relationship is slowly coming to an end.
Away from me and take'th you everything
I thought was true and every ounce of love ive held on to.
You're gonna stray
The singer acknowledges that the person they love will take everything that they thought was real and every bit of love they had for them when they leave to be with someone else.
You don't wanna be here its perfectly clear
And you think you've got it hidden away.
I know you're gonna stray
The person the singer loves is trying to hide their true feelings and intentions, but the singer knows that they will eventually cheat and leave the singer behind.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JASON MICHAEL CARROLL, RADNEY M. FOSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paula Jane
I love everything about this song forever 😍💯🎸❤😎
Dutch
How am I just now hearing this song? This should have been a major hit and it is by far my favorite Jason Michael Carroll song now. Amazing I just wish I would have heard it sooner
MrCaseybartlett
one of my absolute favorite jmc songs. im proud to call myself and friend and big fan of this man. he had such a big start in his carrer and after hurry home he just didnt get the play he used to. if he had released meet me in the barn as his single he would be getting daily plays. such an underrated artist amongst his non superfans.
Aimee C
this is definitely one a my favorite songs by this man, i am addicted to his voice!
Kenzi D
Love this song!! Saw him live he melted my heart!!!!
allie emmons
He is apparently amazing!!! he is a great person and has and awesome voice. he deserves every bit of kindness and love. 😍💖💕
Dustin Donahue
I think with Jason being on an indy label now, pretty much anything that he releases is gonna struggle. "Numbers" only scraped the bottom of the charts at #60. It seems lately the big labels don't want good musicians on their labels and would rather stick with the same cookie cutter pop/rock influenced stuff they play every hour, its harder and harder for good musicians to get their music played.
Dutch
This should have been massive hit. I mean this is good really really good music.
Blake Huggins
He should have released this song to radio instead of the one thats struggling to get air play " let me "
Southerneagle83
WTIF 107.3 will be anything you request, My hometown radiostation, people request songs from country singers who wouldn't normally be on a radio. Go check them out on facebook or online