Crowell was born in Houston, Texas to James Walter Crowell and Addie Cauzette Willoughby. A contemporary of Steve Earle and, like Earle, influenced by the (songwriting) greats Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, Crowell played guitar and sang for three years in Emmylou Harris' "Hot Band".
He was married to Rosanne Cash (daughter of famous singer/guitarist Johnny Cash) from 1979 to 1992 and had a great influence on her career, producing most of her albums during that period. They collaborated on a number of duets, including 1988's "It's Such a Small World." Though Crowell and Cash are now divorced, they remain on friendly terms, performing together occasionally. Six years after the breakdown of his marriage to Rosanne he married Claudia Church.
Although best known as a songwriter and alternative country artist, Crowell enjoyed mainstream popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His critically acclaimed album, 1988's Diamonds and Dirt, produced five No. 1 hits during a 17-month span in 1988 and 1989: "It's Such a Small World" (a duet with Cash), "I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried," "She's Crazy for Leaving," "After All This Time" and "Above and Beyond." His follow-up album, 1989's "Keys to the Highway," produced two top 5 hits in 1990, which were "Many a Long and Lonesome Highway" and "If Looks Could Kill."
As Crowell's popularity in mainstream country faded, he continued his prolific songwriting. In 2001 he released The Houston Kid on Sugar Hill Records. Many songs on the album were semi-autobiographical, and the album included a duet with Crowell's ex father-in-law Johnny Cash on "I Walk the Line (Revisited)". Initially, Cash was annoyed at Crowell changing the tune to his song, but he came to like the finished product. Crowell followed up this effort with Fate's Right Hand in 2003 and The Outsider in 2005. Crowell considers these three albums his finest work as a solo artist.
2004 saw the release of The Notorious Cherry Bombs, a reunion of The Notorious Cherry Bombs, a group that existed briefly in the 1970s with Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Tony Brown, and others. The future Keith Urban hit "Making Memories of Us" was included on this disc.
In 2005, Crowell served as producer for established Irish singer/songwriter Kieran Goss on the album Blue Sky Sunrise.
It's A Different World Now
Rodney Crowell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We left our bed of roses to push that rock up hill
The way we went about our task proved destined for to fail
Who we thought we were don't ask there's no way you can tell
It's a different world now to say the least
The sun comes up from in the west and sets down in the east
The stars are out there shining but just where we can not say
In the name of self defense we built bombs to prove a point
And we'd drop them on our neighbors when their nose got out of joint
To sell the same hamburger rain forests had to go
Hell we don't need no air to breathe but just don't tell us no
It's a different world now without a doubt
The raindrops fall to Heaven and the tides go rolling out
The rivers flow like powdered milk and the wind blows with a wheeze
It's a different world now there are no trees
I take a look around and I see ice caps in your eyes
Desert where the swamp should beneath cold black canvas skies
I take a look around and I see crossbones on a rose
How we let this come to be seems no one really knows
In life's rich beauty pageant we put children on a stage
Said flash your soft white belly child but just don't act your age
Sell sex like cotton candy to young and old alike
When you've outlived the fantasy girl you can take a hike
It's a different world now but what to do
We had our fifteen minutes and we blew it right on cue
We used up mother nature like a twenty dollar whore
It's a different world now there ain't no more
The lyrics to Rodney Crowell's song It's A Different World Now seem to be a commentary on the state of the world and how it has changed over time. The first two lines suggest that people have had dreams of making the world a better place, but the task of doing so has been difficult and ultimately futile. The phrase "bed of roses" represents a comfortable and idyllic existence, while "pushing the rock up hill" represents the difficult and challenging work of trying to create a better world. The next two lines acknowledge the failure of these efforts and the difficulty of truly knowing who we are as individuals and as a society.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the drastic changes that have taken place in the world. The sun rising in the west and setting in the east is a complete reversal of the expected order of things, and the fact that "the stars are out there shining but just where we can not say" suggests a sense of confusion and uncertainty. The river flowing like powdered milk and the absence of trees creates an eerie and surreal image of a world that has been fundamentally altered.
The rest of the lyrics point to specific issues that have contributed to the changes in the world, such as the tendency towards violence and aggression in the name of self-defense, the disregard for the environment in the pursuit of profit, and the exploitation of women and children for commercial gain. The final lines of the song suggest a sense of regret and resignation, as the damage done to the world seems irreparable and there is nothing left to do but acknowledge the reality of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
To make the world a better place like dreamers often will
Idealists often strive to improve the world
We left our bed of roses to push that rock up hill
We left our comfort zone to work hard towards our goal, but it was unsuccessful
The way we went about our task proved destined for to fail
Our approach to the task was doomed to fail from the start
Who we thought we were don't ask there's no way you can tell
It's impossible to accurately define our true identity
It's a different world now to say the least
The world has undergone significant changes
The sun comes up from in the west and sets down in the east
Traditional concepts and rules have been reversed
The stars are out there shining but just where we can not say
There are aspects of the world that remain mysterious and unknown
It's different world now like night and day
The world has changed drastically
In the name of self defense we built bombs to prove a point
We developed weapons to justify our actions and protect ourselves
And we'd drop them on our neighbors when their nose got out of joint
We would use those weapons against other countries when they disagreed with us
To sell the same hamburger rain forests had to go
Natural resources had to be destroyed in order to satisfy capitalist interests
Hell we don't need no air to breathe but just don't tell us no
We prioritize immediate gain over long-term consequences
It's a different world now without a doubt
There's no question that the world has changed
The raindrops fall to Heaven and the tides go rolling out
Natural phenomena are no longer predictable or stable
The rivers flow like powdered milk and the wind blows with a wheeze
The natural world is polluted and damaged
It's a different world now there are no trees
Deforestation has completely altered the environment
I take a look around and I see ice caps in your eyes
I see a reflection of the devastating effects of climate change in your eyes
Desert where the swamp should beneath cold black canvas skies
The natural world has been transformed beyond recognition
I take a look around and I see crossbones on a rose
Beautiful things have been corrupted and destroyed
How we let this come to be seems no one really knows
No one can fully explain how things have gotten so bad
In life's rich beauty pageant we put children on a stage
Children are exposed to adult themes and objectification
Said flash your soft white belly child but just don't act your age
Children are encouraged to showcase their innocence, but also their sexuality
Sell sex like cotton candy to young and old alike
Sex is exploited for profit and entertainment purposes
When you've outlived the fantasy girl you can take a hike
Once you're no longer desirable, you're disposable
It's a different world now but what to do
The situation is dire and it's difficult to determine what actions to take
We had our fifteen minutes and we blew it right on cue
We had an opportunity to make positive changes, but we squandered it
We used up mother nature like a twenty dollar whore
We exploited the natural world without regard for its well-being
It's a different world now there ain't no more
The world has been irrevocably changed and there's no going back
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: RODNEY CROWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind