Cash released her first single in 1979, a duet with Bobby Bare called "We Don't Need No Memories Hangin' 'Round". Two years later, she had her first country No. 1 (and the biggest commercial hit of her career), "Seven Year Ache". Although Cash was a prominent country star throughout the '80s, alongside fellow decade-defining artists Emmylou Harris, Juice Newton, and Dolly Parton, her music was anything but traditional: She topped the charts with songs written not only by herself, but by her father ("Tennessee Flat Top Box"), John Hiatt ("The Way We Make a Broken Heart"), Tom Petty ("Never Be You") and the Beatles ("I Don't Want to Spoil the Party"), "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me", which won her a Grammy in 1985, and "It's Such a Small World", a 1987 duet with Rodney Crowell on his album Diamonds & Dirt, provided further hits. A sampling of these songs and more are included on the compilation Hits 1979-1989. In 1979, she married Rodney Crowell, who was to produce most of her hit records. Their stormy marriage lasted until 1992; its break-up is chronicled in Cash's Interiors and in Crowell's album Life Is Messy. Cash later married John Leventhal, who produced her albums The Wheel, 10 Song Demo, Rules of Travel, and Black Cadillac.
To date, Cash has had more than twenty top 40 country singles, including eleven chart-toppers, but none since 1990, and she has left Nashville in both spirit and body to pursue her artistic vision. Although she had recorded all of her hits for Columbia Records' Nashville division, she released 10 Song Demo for the pop division of Capitol. Cash resurfaced in 2003 with Rules of Travel. The album features guest appearances by Sheryl Crow and Steve Earle, as well as a tune penned by Joe Henry and the Wallflowers' Jakob Dylan. Cash's latest album, entitled Black Cadillac, was released by Capitol Records in January 2006 to critical acclaim. Many of the songs were written by Cash and address the losses (within a 24-month span) of her step-mother, her father, her step-sister (Rosey Nix Adams) and then finally her mother on Cash's fiftieth birthday.
Heartaches by the Number
Rosanne Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never knew that I could hurt this way,
And heartache number two,
Was when you, come back again,
You came back and never meant to stay.
[Chorus]
Now I've got heartaches by the number,
And everyday you love me less,
Each day I love you more,
Yes, I've got heartaches by the number,
A love that I can't win,
But the day that I stop counting,
That's the day my world will end.
Heartache number three was when you, called me,
And said that you were coming back to stay,
With hopeful heart I waited,
For your, knock on the door,
I waited but you must have lost your way.
[Chorus]
The day that I stop counting,
That's the day my world will end.
In Rosanne Cash's song Heartaches by the Number, she sings about the pain of heartbreak and the struggles of trying to hold onto a love that is slipping away. The first heartache is when her lover left her and she experienced a pain that she never knew existed. However, when her lover returned, she thought her heartache would dissipate, but it only grew stronger when he left again. Cash describes her heartache as being numerous, with troubles adding up every day. While she loves her partner more each day, they love her less, creating a lopsided relationship that results in a love that she cannot win.
The third heartache occurs when her lover calls and says that they are coming back to stay. Cash waits with anticipation, but her lover never arrives, ultimately losing their way. The chorus repeats the sentiment that Cash has heartaches by the number and that her love is unrequited, but she cannot stop counting because she cannot let go. The day that she does stop counting is the day that her world will end, signifying the importance of love in her life.
Overall, Heartaches by the Number is a poignant commentary on love and heartbreak, instructing the listener on the pain of love that is unreturned and the desire to continue holding onto it despite the pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Heartache number one was when you, left me,
The first time you left me, it caused me immense pain that I never thought I could experience.
I never knew that I could hurt this way,
The pain of your departure was something I had never felt before and was completely new to me.
And heartache number two,
The second heartache I experienced was when you came back.
Was when you come back again,
The second heartache I experienced was when you returned to my life.
You came back and never meant to stay.
You only came back temporarily, with no intention of staying for good.
Now I've got heartaches by the number,
Currently, I am experiencing a multitude of heartaches.
Troubles by the score,
I am also dealing with numerous problems and difficulties.
And everyday you love me less,
Your love for me is dwindling with each passing day.
Each day I love you more,
At the same time, my love for you is growing stronger with each day.
Yes, I've got heartaches by the number,
I am still experiencing countless heartaches.
A love that I can't win,
I am in a situation where my love for you cannot be reciprocated in the same way.
But the day that I stop counting,
The day I no longer keep track of the heartaches and problems I am facing.
That's the day my world will end.
That is the day my life will become unbearable and unendurable.
Heartache number three was when you, called me,
The third heartache I experienced was when you reached out to me.
And said that you were coming back to stay,
You gave me hope that you were coming back to stay for good.
With hopeful heart I waited,
I held onto hope and waited anxiously for you.
For your knock on the door,
I expected you to show up and knock on my door.
I waited but you must have lost your way.
But you never showed up, leading me to believe that you got lost or never actually intended to come at all.
The day that I stop counting,
The day I no longer keep track of the heartaches and problems I am facing.
That's the day my world will end.
That is the day my life will become unbearable and unendurable.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harlan Howard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind