At that time, she recorded a number of songs that appeared years and years later on the album 'See It Through My Eyes'. Before too long, Brooks joined the rock group The Graces. Though only an underground success, the band recorded and released the well-received album 'A Perfect View' in 1989.
In the wake of the enormous popularity of solo rocker Alanis Morissette in 1995, Brooks landed a major label contract with Capitol Records. She was nearly 39 years old before having her first hit single, titled "Bitch", come out in 1997. The single broke her into the mainstream in a huge way, garnering her a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. 'Blurring the Edges' achieved multi-platinum sales and peaked at #22 on the Billboard 200, her fan base growing internationally. She toured in the U.S. and Europe in 1997 and 1998 to support the album.
Brooks recorded her second major release, titled 'Deconstruction' in 1999. The aptly titled album represented a stylistic and thematic shift away from the melodic alternative rock style of 'Blurring the Edges'. Due to a flood of records by female musicians at the time and the record label's decision to have her tour in Europe instead of promoting in the U.S., the album sold poorly, many fans also feeling uncertain about her new sound. Interestingly, Brooks originally wrote the song "Sin City", which appears on this album, for the Nicolas Cage fronted thriller film 'Snake Eyes', directed by her friend Brian De Palma.
In 2002, Brooks worked on her third solo album Bad Bad One on Gold Circle Records, an independent label. Immediately after releasing the album, the label folded and prevented the record from getting promoted or achieving significant sales. Track 11 - 'Shine' - was released as the lead single
The label's demise also interrupted her tour with Melissa Etheridge that summer, causing her and the band to return early to Los Angeles. Also in 2002, Brooks produced Jennifer Love Hewitt's album, BareNaked, and appeared on the VH1 Divas Las Vegas program as a guest guitar soloist with Celine Dion and Anastacia.
In 2004, Brooks signed a new contract with the SLG Records label and released the material of Bad Bad One as Shine. Television psychologist Dr. Phil chose the song "Shine" as the theme for his show.
As of August 2005, Brooks was working on a children's album titled If I Could Be... and continuing to develop new artists as a producer and songwriter.s.
careful what you wish for
Meredith Brooks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Running to you awesome one
Getting lonely out in space
It's not such a special place
On the outside looking in
At the bag girl you've been
Isn't this what you always wanted?
Careful what you wish for
It just might come true
Might come true
You say catch me when I'll spin
As if we been through thick and thin
I don't think that you can stop
You still want what you ain't got
Such a stupid superstar
Yeah you are
[Chorus]
Isn't this what you always wanted?
Isn't this how you saw the view?
Careful what you wish for
It just might come true
Might come true
Isn't this what you always pictured?
Isn't this what you plan to do?
Careful what you wish for
It just might come true
Tryin' to find the meaning of life
In a deeper shade of red on your lips
Tryin' to find the way to be loved
Without ever givin' a shit
But enjoy yeah while you can
After all the jagged ends
You come round again and again and again
[Chorus]
Isn't this what you always wanted?
The lyrics of Meredith Brooks's song "Careful What You Wish For" is a commentary on fame, fortune, and the illusion of happiness that comes with them. The opening lyrics suggest that the singer is already a successful pop star commanding the attention and adulation of her fans. However, this is not enough for her, and she longs for something more. The line "getting lonely out in space, it's not such a special place" suggests that even though the singer has achieved all she ever wanted, she's still unfulfilled and searching for something.
The chorus goes on to warn that one should be "careful what they wish for." The singer has gotten what she wanted in life, but it's not as perfect or fulfilling as she thought it would be. The line "tryin' to find the meaning of life in a deeper shade of red on your lips" implies that the singer is still searching for meaning even though she's achieved mainstream success.
The singer seems to be struggling with the paradox of modern-day fame, where success is often based on the shallowest of things, and those who achieve it are left feeling hollow and unfulfilled. In "Careful What You Wish For," Brooks reminds us that success and fame at any cost come with a price and that the price is often our happiness and fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
Snap your fingers and they'll come
You have the ability to attract people to you easily.
Running to you awesome one
You are confident and believe that you are amazing, which draws people to you.
Getting lonely out in space
Being admired by others can still leave you feeling lonely and empty.
It's not such a special place
Being admired may not make you feel as special or fulfilled as you thought it would.
On the outside looking in
Despite being admired by others, you feel like you don't truly belong or are a part of their world.
At the bad girl you've been
Despite your success, you still feel like an outsider because of your past mistakes or actions.
Isn't this what you always wanted?
This is what you thought success would look like and feel like.
Isn't this how you saw the view?
This is what you thought you would feel and experience when you achieved success.
Careful what you wish for
Be careful what you wish for because it may not be as satisfying or fulfilling as you thought it would be.
It just might come true
You may get what you wished for, but it may come with unexpected challenges or consequences.
Might come true
Your wishes may come true, but it may not turn out how you hoped it would.
You say catch me when I'll spin
You believe that you can handle anything that comes your way, even if it causes chaos in your life.
As if we been through thick and thin
You believe that your confidence and ability to attract people will overcome any obstacles or challenges.
I don't think that you can stop
Your desire for success and admiration may be insatiable and unstoppable.
You still want what you ain't got
No matter how successful you are, you will always want more and feel like you are lacking something.
Such a stupid superstar
Despite your success, you may still have moments of insecurity or self-doubt that make you feel stupid or foolish.
Tryin' to find the meaning of life
Despite your success, you still struggle to find meaning or purpose in your life.
In a deeper shade of red on your lips
You try to deal with this by using external means, like makeup or other superficial changes, to try and find fulfillment.
Tryin' to find the way to be loved
You seek out love and admiration from others, believing that it will help you find meaning and purpose.
Without ever givin' a shit
You may not truly care about the people around you and only seek their love and admiration to fulfill your own needs.
But enjoy yeah while you can
Despite the challenges, you should still enjoy your success and the admiration of others.
After all the jagged ends
The challenges and negative aspects of your success will still occur, no matter how successful or admired you are.
You come round again and again and again
Despite the challenges, you will still continue to strive for success and seek the admiration of others again and again.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MEREDITH ANNE BROOKS, ADAM ALBERT GORGONI, SHELLY PEIKEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind