White began performing when she was a child, singing in a gospel group with her parents and brother. The group, called the White Family Singers, sang at local church and community gathering. After a while, the children began working pop music into the act, most notably Elvis Presley. As a teenager, Lari sang show tunes at talent contests and sang with a local rock & roll band. She earned a scholarship to the University of Miami, where she studied vocals and music engineering. After a while, she began writing her own songs, singing in local clubs at night and taking professional singing jobs. Upon graduating from college, she travelled around the United States, looking at various local music scenes. In 1988, she decided to move to Nashville and try to become a professional.
Later in 1988, she appeared on the Nashville Network's You Can Be a Star and won the first prize. The award led to a record contract with Capitol. Before the end of the year, she had released a single on Capitol, "Flying Above the Rain," which became a regional hit in the South but failed to break into the big time. Later that same year, she joined Ronnie Milsap's publishing house and began taking acting lessons. For the next few years, White continued in this vein, choosing to hone her talent, sing in local dinner theaters and wait for another break. That break arrived in 1991, after an ASCAP showcase revived interest in her talents. Following the showcase, Rodney Crowell asked her to sing backup vocals in his live band. In 1992, White signed a record contract with RCA and Crowell produced her debut album, Lead Me Not, which was released the following year.
Lead Me Not received strong reviews and produced three minor hit singles: "What a Woman Wants," "Lead Me Not," and "Lay Around and Love You." Wishes, White's second album, became her breakthrough release, producing the Top Ten singles "That's My Baby," "Now I Know," and "That's How You Know (When You're in Love)." Don't Fence Me In, White's third album, wasn't quite as successful as its predecessor, but it continued her success. Stepping Stone followed in 1998. In 2004, after a lenghty hiatus that found the artist building her own home studio, White released the self-produced Green Eyed Soul on the UK based Mesmerizing Records.
If I'm Not Already Crazy
Lari White Lyrics
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I don't know where I am or where I'm going
I keep turnin' corners
To keep the pain that follows me confused
I'm talkin' to myself so I won't
Hear her voice on every wind that's blowing
And if I'm not already crazy
My mind is all that I have left to lose
Gone without a warning - the thing I loved the most
What she couldn't tell me heaven only knows
This hour of the morning as I stumble on
I can almost hear my spirit breaking with the dawn
I'm walkin' down this empty street
I don't know where I am or where I'm going
I keep turnin' corners
To keep the pain that follows me confused
I'm talkin' to myself so I won't
Hear her voice on every wind that's blowing
And if I'm not already crazy
My mind is all that I have left to lose
Out here in the darkness the shadows come to life
How long can I balance on the sharp edge of the night
I'm walkin' down this empty street
I don't know where I am or where I'm going
I keep turnin' corners
To keep the pain that follows me confused
I'm talkin' to myself so I won't
Hear her voice on every wind that's blowing
And if I'm not already crazy
My mind is all that I have left to lose
The lyrics to Lari White's song If I'm Not Already Crazy seem to be depicting the aftermath of a painful breakup. The singer is lost and confused, wandering aimlessly down an empty street. They keep turning corners, perhaps hoping to lose the pain that is following them, but it's not working. They're at a point where they're talking to themselves just to drown out memories of the person they've lost. The pain is so great that they feel they must be going crazy, and the only thing left to lose is their mind.
The second verse talks about how the thing the singer loved the most is now gone without warning. They don't know what happened, but it's clear that the pain is overwhelming. As they walk down the street in the early morning, they can almost hear their spirit breaking with the dawn. The shadows around them seem to come to life in the darkness, adding to the sense of unease.
The chorus repeats, emphasizing the pain and confusion. The singer is so consumed with grief that they don't know where they are or where they're going. They continue talking to themselves to drown out the voice of the one they've lost, but it's not working. They're at a breaking point where they feel they might be going crazy.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm walkin' down this empty street
The singer is aimlessly wandering down a desolate street with no sense of direction.
I don't know where I am or where I'm going
The singer is lost and has no idea of their destination.
I keep turnin' corners
The singer is trying to get away from the emotional pain that constantly haunts them by constantly changing direction.
To keep the pain that follows me confused
The artist is trying to outsmart their torment by not letting it catch up to them.
I'm talkin' to myself so I won't
The artist is trying to block out the voice of someone they've lost who keeps haunting them.
Hear her voice on every wind that's blowing
The singer hears the voice of the person they miss in every sound around them.
And if I'm not already crazy
The singer fears that their current state of mind, if not madness, is a close precursor to it.
My mind is all that I have left to lose
The artist feels like they've lost almost everything and that their sanity is the last thing holding them together.
Gone without a warning - the thing I loved the most
The artist has lost someone they loved deeply without notice or explanation.
What she couldn't tell me heaven only knows
The artist has no idea why their loved one left and can only speculate.
This hour of the morning as I stumble on
The singer is stumbling and tripping over their emotions while other people are still asleep.
I can almost hear my spirit breaking with the dawn
The artist feels like their spirit is being shattered by the approaching day.
Out here in the darkness the shadows come to life
The singer feels like the darkness around them amplifies their painful emotions.
How long can I balance on the sharp edge of the night
The singer wonders how long they can continue to manage their emotional turmoil without falling apart.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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