Sarver was born in Sulphur, Louisiana and graduated from Sulphur High School. He is married to Tiffany Sarver, and has two children, Makenna and Grayson. He has written over 890 songs for himself since the age of 14, and has also been singing since he was an adolescent. Prior to American Idol, Sarver worked as a roughneck on an oil rig.
Sarver auditioned for the eighth season of American Idol in Phoenix, Arizona. During the first semi-finals week, he was able to garner enough votes to allow him to continue, beating fellow contestant Anoop Desai for the third spot by just over 20,000 votes. He was eliminated on March 26, 2009, after the panel of judges were unable to unanimously agree to save him. As Sarver was in the top 10, he was able to perform on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009. Reflecting on his experience on Idol, Sarver said his family thought Cowell behaved "like a jerk" but was entitled to his own opinion.
On October 31 Sarver revealed he has been signed to Dream Records/Universal Music Group. Sarver said he will be releasing a country album in 2010. He will also be joining "Idol" alums Gina Glocksen, David Hernandez and Alexis Grace on the American Stars In Concert Tour this winter. Sarver also sung his first single "You Are" at the Dream Center. His Myspace page later revealed he signed to Dream Records/Fontana Distribution Michael has also become the official spokesperson for Credit Power Educational Foundation, Inc Sarver has since released a new official single titled "Ferris Wheel" and shot a music video for it as well, and will be Sarver's first real single being pushed to country radio.
Tell Me
Michael Sarver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left everything I had searching for answers
The only thing I really knew, is he left home when I was two
And we just carried on
A few miles down the road it started to sink in
Looked in the rearview mirror, said what are you thinking?
What if he lets you down?
Had a longing in my heart for something I had never felt
Had to look him in the eye and tell him you put us through hell
You put us through hell
Tell me what could have been better than your own son?
How could you walk away forever just as my life had begun?
What happened in your life that you would pay the price
of giving up everything so selfishly?
Tell me
I knew the moment I walked through his front door
That I wouldn't find the love that I was hoping for
A little smile and a short embrace
It's kinda nice but it can't erase all the pain of yesterday
I said I knew that we are blood but I guess blood just ain't enough
And you can't fill the empty hole that all your lies have dug
As I look at my little boy, full of life and full of joy
I just can't understand, maybe I'll never understand
'Cause nothing could be better than my own son
Could never walk away forever, just as his life has begun
Yeah he is my whole life, so I will sacrifice
And give up everything so selflessly
Tell me
Why couldn't you do the same for me?
Oh tell me
The lyrics to Michael Sarver's song "Tell Me" tell a story of a man who is seeking answers from his absent father. He drove down a stretch of highway to Jasper, leaving behind everything he had in search of the one thing he had always longed for - his father's love. He reflects on the fact that his father left home when he was just two years old, and wonders if his father even cares about him now, after all these years.
As he approaches his father's front door, he realizes that he may not find the love he's been searching for. He's met with a little smile and a short embrace, but the pain of yesterday is still there. There is a yearning in his heart for something he's never felt, and he can't understand why his father would choose to abandon him and his family.
In the end, the man finds solace in his own son, who is full of life and joy. He realizes that nothing could be better than his own child, and he vows to never abandon him as his father did to him. The lyrics to "Tell Me" are a heartbreaking reflection on the impact that absentee parents can have on their children, and the long-lasting effects that can linger for a lifetime.
Line by Line Meaning
I drove that stretch of highway down to Jasper,
I embarked on a journey to Jasper, leaving everything behind in search of answers.
Left everything I had searching for answers
I abandoned everything I had hoping to get answers to my questions.
The only thing I really knew, is he left home when I was two
The only information I had was that he left home when I was two years.
And we just carried on
We continued with our lives without him.
A few miles down the road it started to sink in
After driving for some distance, it occurred to me.
Looked in the rearview mirror, said what are you thinking?
I looked in the rearview mirror and asked myself what I was thinking.
What if he lets you down?
What if he disappoints me?
Doesn't care that he was never around all the years that he'd been gone?
What if he does not feel remorse for his absence all those years?
Had a longing in my heart for something I had never felt
I had a desire in my heart for something I had not experienced before.
Had to look him in the eye and tell him you put us through hell
I had to face him and tell him he caused us a lot of pain.
You put us through hell
You caused us a lot of agony.
Tell me what could have been better than your own son?
I want to know what could be better than having your own son?
How could you walk away forever just as my life had begun?
How could you leave forever just as my life started?
What happened in your life that you would pay the price
What unfortunate occurrence in your life led to you paying such a high price?
of giving up everything so selfishly?
Of giving up everything without consideration for others.
I knew the moment I walked through his front door
I knew immediately after walking through his front door.
That I wouldn't find the love that I was hoping for
That I would not find the affection I was searching for.
A little smile and a short embrace
A brief hug and a tiny grin.
It's kinda nice but it can't erase all the pain of yesterday
Although it's somewhat pleasant, it cannot wipe away the hurt and distress of the past.
I said I knew that we are blood but I guess blood just ain't enough
I acknowledged that we share the same blood, but that alone is not sufficient.
And you can't fill the empty hole that all your lies have dug
Your untruths have dug a hole far too deep that can never be filled.
As I look at my little boy, full of life and full of joy
As I gaze at my young son brimming with energy and happiness.
I just can't understand, maybe I'll never understand
I still cannot comprehend, maybe I never will.
'Cause nothing could be better than my own son
Because nothing could be more outstanding than having my child.
Could never walk away forever, just as his life has begun
I could never leave him forever, precisely at the beginning of his life.
Yeah he is my whole life, so I will sacrifice
He is my everything, and I am willing to give up everything for him.
And give up everything so selflessly
I will relinquish everything without consideration for myself.
Tell me
Please tell me.
Why couldn't you do the same for me?
What stopped you from doing the same for me?
Oh tell me
Please tell me.
Contributed by Hudson R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Steel Box
not a good video but I like this song. The song was very meaningful. I'm not a big fan of Michael Sarver before 'cause I don't expect that he can bring any other song but Country song. When I heard his song "You Are" and this song,I started to be a huge fan of him. He is very talented. Thanks for making this video. Without this video,I'll never know this great artist and this song.