Adams dropped out of high school at age 16 to work in a shoe shop and make music. He formed a band named Whiskeytown in 1994; they disbanded in 1999 having released two full albums, Faithless Street and Strangers Almanac. Adams went on to put out his first solo record, Heartbreaker, in 2000. After a long delay, in 2001 Whiskeytown's third album Pneumonia was finally issued.
In 2002, Ryan contributed backing vocals on Butterfly in Reverse, from the Counting Crows album, Hard Candy; after Adam Duritz (Counting Crows lead singer) appeared on the album Gold.
Ryan is highly prolific, and in 2005 released one double album and two regular albums: Cold Roses, Jacksonville City Nights and 29, respectively. His album, 29, was produced by friend Ethan Johns (who also produced his first two albums, Heartbreaker and Gold). In between those two releases and his 2005 triple-header, Ryan released Demolition (a collection of out-takes), Love Is Hell and Rock N Roll. Unreleased studio albums include 48 Hours, Exile On Franklin Street and Suicide Handbook.
In addition, Adams worked with Jesse Malin to form the punk-rock group The Finger (under the pseudonyms, "Warren Peace" and "Irving Plaza" respectively), who released two E.P.s which were collected together to form We Are Fuck You, released on One Little Indian Records in 2003.
In 2006 Ryan went on a minor UK-tour and a minor US-tour along the west-coast and has streamed 11+ mini albums on his website, under numerous jokey pseudonyms (DJ Reggie, Werewolph, The Shit, Rhoda Ro, Ghetto Birds).
The following solo record, entitled Easy Tiger, was released on June 26, 2007. The newest and last record with his backing band The Cardinals, Cardinology, was released in October 2008 and followed by extensive touring through the UK, US and Australia.
In January 2009 he announced that he would be going on an indefinite hiatus from music. The Kindness Songfacts reports that the major reason for Adams’ temporary retirement was his struggles with Ménière’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that wrecks havoc on hearing and balance. Adams resumed performing in October 2010, and released his thirteenth studio album, Ashes & Fire, on October 11, 2011. His now ex-wife, pop singer and actress Mandy Moore, contributed some backing vocals.
Ashes
Ryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His hunger to leave well it gnawed his poor heart alive,
Her skin smelled like black cherry, blossom perfume,
The sail boats they all sailed by
And a river she cried.
And the wind was suddenly sweeter? than Roosevelt pine,
The windows broke out and the cigarette smoke drifted by,
Screaming run for your life.
With cool and silvery eyes
And a heart was fit for desire,
Drowned in a river of tears
Oh a river? she cried left her with a heart
Made of ashes and fire.
One day there was a silence and it washed through the town,
There was no reason to speak and no one made a sound,
Her eyes were indigo and the cats were all calico
And the sail boats they all sailed by
And a river she cried.
With cool and silvery eyes
And a? heart that was fit for desire,
Drowned in a river of tears
Oh a river she cried left her with a heart
Made of ashes and fire
Ashes and fire
Ashes and fire
Ashes and fire
In Ryan Adams's song "Ashes & Fire," the singer describes a longing to leave and escape a current situation. He is drawn to the scent of black cherry blossom perfume on his lover's skin and watches sailboats passing by on a river as he contemplates his desire to move on. However, he is also aware of the pain this will cause, as represented by the river crying and the heart made of ashes and fire.
The second verse brings in a sudden change in the environment, with the wind becoming sweet and the windows breaking. The singer observes the bums on the Bowery being swallowed up in the lights and cars passing by, in a chaotic scene. This contrasts with the earlier peaceful scene by the river, highlighting the turmoil the singer is feeling inside.
The final verse features a sense of stillness, with a silence washing over the town and no one speaking. The singer's lover has indigo eyes and the cats are all calico, creating an otherworldly, dreamlike atmosphere. However, the river continues to cry and the singer's heart is still made of ashes and fire, indicating that his longing and pain have not been resolved.
Line by Line Meaning
As he stared past the fire,
He gazed into the fire, lost in thought and contemplation.
His hunger to leave well it gnawed his poor heart alive,
He was consumed by the intense desire to escape and leave everything behind.
Her skin smelled like black cherry, blossom perfume,
The woman's skin had a distinct scent of black cherry blossom perfume that intrigued him.
The sail boats they all sailed by
And a river she cried.
He watched sailboats passing by on the river, while hearing the sound of a crying river.
And the wind was suddenly sweeter? than Roosevelt pine,
The air had a much more pleasant fragrance than the scent of pine found in the Roosevelt region.
The windows broke out and the cigarette smoke drifted by,
The windows shattered and cigarette smoke floated into the room.
The bums on the bowery were swallowed in the lights as cars rumbled by in the night
Screaming run for your life.
The homeless people on the Bowery disappeared into the blinding lights while cars drove by noisily, creating an urgent need to flee or escape.
With cool and silvery eyes
And a heart was fit for desire,
Her eyes had a calming effect, while her heart was full of passion and longing.
Drowned in a river of tears
Oh a river? she cried left her with a heart
Made of ashes and fire.
She was overcome with sadness, her tears akin to a river, leaving her with a heart filled with both pain and intensity.
One day there was a silence and it washed through the town,
There was no reason to speak and no one made a sound,
One day the town was overcome by a pervasive and profound silence, leaving no space for conversation or even a sound to be heard.
Her eyes were indigo and the cats were all calico
And the sail boats they all sailed by
And a river she cried.
Despite the peaceful scenery of indigo-eyed women, calico cats and passing sailboats, the sound of a crying river was still present.
With cool and silvery eyes
And a? heart that was fit for desire,
Drowned in a river of tears
Oh a river she cried left her with a heart
Made of ashes and fire.
Describing again her cool, calming eyes and her passionate desires, the river of tears eventually left her with a heart full of pain and intensity.
Ashes and fire
Ashes and fire
Ashes and fire
The repetition of 'ashes and fire' highlights how the woman's heart is conflicted and filled with both pain and passion, leaving her heart a mixture of both.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind