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.
Ugly Lights
Miranda Lambert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's been a while since I been off the stuff
I really hate to say I'm turning into a cliché
I'm hoping that nobody brings it up
I left my car behind the bar again last Sunday night
I did the Monday morning drive ashamed
And last night's clothes they smell like smoke
But I don't know how I got home
But I still go and stay too late
And be the girl bartenders hate
The one that doesn't need another one
When the Romeos and Juliets
Have bummed all of my cigarettes
The last kiss in the parking lot is done
I'll be sitting here alone
When the ugly lights come on
Well everybody's got a spark
It's easy hiding in the dark
In a crowded room with pockets full of rings
I sit and watch the whiskey pour
The merriment, the exidor
The beginning of another matchbook flame
And I don't try to justify
The reason I'm not living right
I wear my sadness like a souvenir
I drink too much to fall apart that's how I fight this broken heart
So what, if I feel comfortable in here
'Cause I still go and stay too late
And be the girl bartenders hate
The one that doesn't need another one
When the Romeos and Juliets
Have bummed all of my cigarettes
The last kiss in the parking lot is done
I'll be sitting here alone
When the ugly lights come on
Hey
Miranda Lambert's song "Ugly Lights" is a poignant portrayal of the challenges of alcoholism and the toll it takes on one's life. The lyrics reveal the struggles of the singer as she grapples with her addiction and the destructive behaviors that accompany it. The song opens with her acknowledging that she doesn't remember when the liquor started kicking in, and that it's been a while since she has been off the stuff. She expresses her fear of becoming a cliche and hopes that no one points it out to her. The lyrics go on to describe how she left her car behind the bar and did the Monday morning drive ashamed. The singer is also acutely aware of how her clothes smell like smoke, but she has no recollection of how she got home. She acknowledges that her head will hurt all day long.
Despite these struggles, the singer continues to go out and stay too late, even though she knows that she is the girl bartenders hate – someone who doesn't need another drink. She watches as the Romeos and Juliets around her have bummed all of her cigarettes and left, and she'll be sitting there by herself when the ugly lights come on. The singer is honest about her addiction and doesn't try to justify it. She acknowledges that she wears her sadness like a souvenir and drinks too much as a way of fighting her broken heart. She feels comfortable in the bar, and the whiskey pour and merriment are a way of beginning another matchbook flame.
Overall, "Ugly Lights" is a heartfelt and honest account of the struggles of addiction, the destructive behaviors that come with it, and the challenges of trying to cope with it.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't remember when the liquor started kicking in
I can't recall the exact moment when the alcohol started affecting me
It's been a while since I been off the stuff
I haven't been sober for a long time
I really hate to say I'm turning into a cliché
I don't like admitting that I'm becoming a stereotype
I'm hoping that nobody brings it up
I wish nobody would mention it
I left my car behind the bar again last Sunday night
I forgot my car at the bar again on Sunday night
I did the Monday morning drive ashamed
I felt embarrassed driving home on Monday morning
And last night's clothes they smell like smoke
My clothes from last night stink of smoke
But I don't know how I got home
I have no memory of how I made it back home
But I do know my head'll hurt all day
I'm sure I'll have a headache all day
But I still go and stay too late
I still go out and stay out too late
And be the girl bartenders hate
I end up being the type of customer bartenders dislike
The one that doesn't need another one
I'm the type of person who says they don't need another drink, but ends up having one anyway
When the Romeos and Juliets
When the couples in the bar have paired up
Have bummed all of my cigarettes
When the smokers have asked for all of my cigarettes
The last kiss in the parking lot is done
When the last couple in the parking lot has finished kissing
I'll be sitting here alone
I'll be sitting in the bar by myself
When the ugly lights come on
When the bar's bright lights (that make everything look less appealing) come on
Well everybody's got a spark
Everyone has a unique quality that makes them shine
It's easy hiding in the dark
It's simple to stay hidden and not let anyone see the flaws
In a crowded room with pockets full of rings
In a packed place, where I have a lot of things to distract myself
I sit and watch the whiskey pour
I observe as the whiskey keeps pouring, knowing I shouldn't drink any more
The merriment, the exidor
The excitement, the climax of the night
The beginning of another matchbook flame
The start of another small flame or spark, like a match igniting
And I don't try to justify
I don't make excuses for myself
The reason I'm not living right
The cause for why I'm not living the way I should
I wear my sadness like a souvenir
I keep my pain as a memento
I drink too much to fall apart that's how I fight this broken heart
I drink excessively so that I don't fall apart emotionally
So what, if I feel comfortable in here
So what if I feel at ease in this bar, even though it's not ideal
Hey
Lyrics © CYPMP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MIRANDA LAMBERT, NATALIE HEMBY, LIZ ROSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind