Both of her parents are private investigators, but father Rick is also a country guitarist and songwriter. Lambert became seriously interested in country music after attending a Garth Brooks concert as a young girl, and soon began singing in talent contests under the tutelage of her father.
At 16, Miranda began appearing on the Johnny High Country Music Review in Arlington, Texas, the same show that helped launch the career of LeAnn Rimes. Miranda quickly landed a recording session in Nashville, but left the studio in tears after she became frustrated with the "pop" sound of music that was not her own. Upon returning to Texas, Miranda began writing songs and taking guitar lessons from her father.
When Miranda's aptitude for music became apparent, her parents encouraged her to aggressively pursue singing and acting opportunities. While still a high school student, Miranda made her professional singing debut and fronted the house band at the Reo Palm Isle Ballroom in Longview, Texas, a long-running venue that has showcased Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson.
Foregoing college, Miranda performed throughout Texas in 2001 and 2002. She finished first in the Texas auditions for Nashville Star and eventually placed third on the national competition.
Discography
On September 15, 2003, she signed with Sony records. She has since released three studio albums, 2005's Kerosene, 2007's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, 2009's Revolution and 2011's Four The Record; all four of which debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Kerosene,Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Revolution have been certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Miranda Lambert has release a total of fourteen singles, which includes five Top 20 hits; of these, Kerosene and Gunpowder & Lead have been certified Gold singles by the RIAA.
Awards and Critical Acclaim
In 2005, at the 40th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Miranda won the Cover Girl Fresh Face of Country Music Award. In 2005, she was also nominated for the Country Music Association's Horizon Award and performed "Kerosene". Nashville Scene named Kerosene one of the best albums of 2005
Miranda was nominated for and won the "Album of the Year" award at the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards for her latest album Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Things That Break
Miranda Lambert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drawn to the delicate like it's a magnet
Perfume bottle on a mirror tray
Tempered glass on a windown pane
Timeless face on a pocket watch
Time is ticking
I leave it all in ruins
I'm hard on things that matter
Hold a heart so tight it shatters
So I stay away from things that break
Can't make a man a promise
With the best of intentions
Drive two hundred miles on a rundown engine
Put a blanket underneath a hollow tree
When the wind blows hard it will fall on me
Stick around long and you will see
Time is ticking
I leave it all in ruins
'Cause I don't know what I'm doing
I'm hard on things that matter
Hold a heart so tight it shatters
So I stay away from things that break
Me, I don't ever wanna get too close
Or be held responsible
For all the pain that you can't see
Somebody once broke me
I leave it all in ruins
'Cause I don't know what I'm doing
I'm hard on things that matter
Hold a heart so tight it shatters
So I stay away from things that break
The lyrics in Miranda Lambert's song Things That Break illustrate the singer's tendency to destroy things that are fragile, just as she was drawn to the delicacy of china in a cabinet. The singer notes a mirror tray holding a perfume bottle, tempered glass on a window pane, a timeless face on a pocket watch, and acknowledges that "time is ticking". She admits that when it comes to things that matter, she is hard on them, holding a heart so tight it shatters, so she strives to stay away from things that break to avoid causing destruction.
The singer also admits to being unreliable, unable to keep a promise to a man despite her best intentions. In this scenario she describes driving 200 miles with a rundown engine, and taking refuge under a hollow tree with a blanket, but acknowledges that when the wind blows, the tree will eventually fall on her. She reminds listeners that "time is ticking", underscoring that eventually everything will come to an end. The singer reveals that someone once hurt her similarly, leading her to destroy things so she does not have to feel the pain again.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born a fool in a china cabinet
I have always been drawn to fragile things and have a poor track record of handling them delicately.
Drawn to the delicate like it's a magnet
I am inexplicably attracted to fragile things.
Perfume bottle on a mirror tray
A common example of a fragile item I am drawn to.
Tempered glass on a windown pane
Another example of a fragile item I am drawn to.
Timeless face on a pocket watch
Even antique, valuable items are not safe from my clumsiness and lack of care.
Time is ticking
I am running out of time to learn how to handle fragile things with care.
I leave it all in ruins
I have a habit of completely destroying fragile things.
'Cause I don't know what I'm doing
I lack the knowledge or experience to properly handle fragile things.
I'm hard on things that matter
Even items that are important or valuable are not safe from my carelessness.
Hold a heart so tight it shatters
I have a tendency to cling to things/people so hard that it ends up causing them harm.
So I stay away from things that break
In order to prevent myself from causing harm or destruction, I avoid fragile things as much as possible.
Can't make a man a promise
I cannot confidently promise anything to anyone.
With the best of intentions
Although I always have good intentions, I often end up causing harm or destruction.
Drive two hundred miles on a rundown engine
I often make irresponsible decisions that lead to negative consequences.
Put a blanket underneath a hollow tree
My attempts to prepare or prevent negative outcomes are often futile or misguided.
When the wind blows hard it will fall on me
I am constantly at risk of being hurt or affected by negative outcomes, even if I did not directly cause them.
Stick around long and you will see
Over time, it becomes clear just how destructive I can be.
Me, I don't ever wanna get too close
I am afraid to get too emotionally involved because I know I have a history of causing pain or destruction.
Or be held responsible
I do not want to be blamed for negative outcomes that I may have caused.
For all the pain that you can't see
I fear causing emotional pain or damage that may not be immediately visible.
Somebody once broke me
My fear of causing harm to others may stem from my own past experiences of being hurt or broken.
Lyrics © CTM Outlander Music LC, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MIRANDA LAMBERT, NATALIE HEMBY, JESSI ALEXANDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind