In 1997, at the age of 15, he released his major-label debut, 'Lie to Me'. Though it picked up mixed critical reviews, the album served as a commercial breakthrough, with single "Lie to Me" particularly receiving much airplay and earning the #12 slot on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart. That blues rock track continues to be beloved by Lang's fan-base.
Lang followed with 'Wander This World', released on October 20, 1998. Broadening his sound somewhat with influences from classic soul and modern rock, the release experienced widespread success. His singles, "Wander This World" and "Still Rainin'", did particularly well, the latter tune reaching the #8 slot on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.
Several releases and constant touring later, Lang's latest work is 'Fight For My Soul', released on September 2, 2013. The album has received critical acclaim from publications such has Allmusic, with the reviewers remarking that Lang "dives headfirst into classic soul and R&B, its elastic, funky grooves allowing the guitarist plenty of space to solo". It also hit the #20 slot on Billboard's 'Top Rock Albums' chart, selling extremely well.
Part of his success has been due to a voice that sounds somewhat like that of a 40-year-old blues veteran, containing what fans have seen as a harshness tempered by a fine falsetto that has taken prominence in his newest albums. Another part of his success is his scorching, electrifying guitar solos, which display a prodigious natural talent honed by years of practice and playing. Whatever the secret to his success, the youngster has quickly become a fixture in the blues world, drawing crowds wherever he goes.
Lang has drawn deeply from the wellspring of influences from the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Luther Allison, and Albert Collins. Many blues artists have also been encouraged to pick up the guitar from his example. As he becomes more confident in his role as a musical veteran instead of a boy wonder, one can see the possibilities he has yet to share with his fans.
If We Try
Jonny Lang Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That ain't right baby
I always thought we'd stand the test of time
I was wrong baby
When the lights in the house all go out
I get lonely, how 'bout you
Every time the phone rings I hope it's you calling
Forget this all somehow
Start over again
It's our love on the line
We should try baby try
I know we can make it
If we both take a chance
If we try baby try
'Cause we've got too much to lose
Too many days without your smiling face
I can't take it
I pretend that I'm feeling fine
But I'm fakin'
Words just can't describe
Honey how I'm feeling inside
Got to remember
It's our love on the line
We should try baby try
I know we can make it
If we both take a chance
And we try baby try
'Cause we've got so much to lose
Every day that goes by
I wish I could somehow get you to understand
I figure if you remember how good we were together
That you'll want to be with me again
(We've got to try, we've got to try)
Words just can't describe
How I need you in my life
It's our love on the line
We should try baby try
I know we can make it
If we both take a chance
If we try baby try
You've got to remember I love you
WE should try baby try
Baby donb't forget
It's out love on the line
So we should try
(We've got to try, we've got to try)
The lyrics to Jonny Lang's song If We Try speak about a relationship that has come to an end and the regrets that follow. The song begins with the singer reflecting on how they left things and how leaving without saying goodbye was not right. He then goes on to say that he always thought their love would last forever, but he was wrong. The singer is feeling lonely and hopes that they can work it out and start over again. He believes that they can make it work if they both take a chance and try again, because they have too much to lose.
The chorus of the song reinforces this idea of trying again. The singer believes that they can make it work if they try, and that letting their love slip away would be a mistake. He wishes that his partner could understand how much he needs her in his life and hopes that she remembers how good they were together so that she will want to be with him again.
Overall, the lyrics to If We Try convey a message of regret, hope and love. The song reminds us that relationships are important and that it's worth fighting for them, even if things seem uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
We walked away before we said goodbye
We left each other without any closure, which is not the way things should be.
That ain't right baby
It was a mistake to leave things the way we did.
I always thought we'd stand the test of time
I believed that our love was strong enough to endure anything.
I was wrong baby
But it turns out I was mistaken.
When the lights in the house all go out
When everything is dark and quiet,
I get lonely, how 'bout you
I feel lonely and I wonder if you feel the same way.
Every time the phone rings I hope it's you calling
Whenever the phone rings, I hope that it will be you on the other end.
We could work it out
We have the ability to fix things between us.
Forget this all somehow
We can put all of this behind us and move forward.
Start over again
We can begin anew.
It's our love on the line
Our relationship is at stake here.
We should try baby try
We need to make an effort to repair our relationship.
I know we can make it
I am confident that we can work through this.
If we both take a chance
If we are both willing to try.
'Cause we've got too much to lose
Because our love is so valuable, we cannot afford to let it slip away.
Too many days without your smiling face
I have been missing you terribly, and I miss seeing you happy.
I can't take it
It's too much for me to handle.
I pretend that I'm feeling fine
I try my best to act like everything is okay.
But I'm fakin'
But the truth is that I'm not doing well at all.
Words just can't describe
It's difficult to put into words.
Honey how I'm feeling inside
How deeply I am affected by our separation.
Got to remember
It's important for you to bear in mind.
Every day that goes by
With each passing day,
I wish I could somehow get you to understand
I want to make you aware of how I feel.
I figure if you remember how good we were together
I believe that if you recall how great things used to be between us,
That you'll want to be with me again
You will want to rekindle our love.
(We've got to try, we've got to try)
(We need to give it our all to fix our relationship.)
How I need you in my life
How much I rely on you being a part of my life to feel complete.
You've got to remember I love you
You need to keep in mind that I still love you.
Baby donb't forget
It's essential for you not to forget.
So we should try
We owe it to ourselves to try to make things work.
(We've got to try, we've got to try)
(We need to give it our all to fix our relationship.)
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARTI FREDERIKSEN, JOHNNY LANG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
LizAndrsn
on Red Light
To me Red Light speaks of someone at the crossroads of taking their own life, questioning their life decisions and future.