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.
Carolina Rain
Ryan Adams Lyrics
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Until her landlord showed up with two hundred dollar bills
A notice of eviction on the other hand
Now she don't live there no more
And everyone thinks he drowned
I pulled into Mecklenburg on them trains
Into a station that got flooded when they opened up the dam
So they could blast into the quarry
And for every load of granite
We got a ton of worry
One night at the diner over eggs
Over easy she showed me the length of her legs
But that gold plated cross on her neck, it was real
And you don't get that kind of money from pushing meal
I should've told him that you were the one for me
But I lied, but I lied
To most any drifter whose looking for work is too weird
I met your sister and I married her in July
But if only to be closer to you, Caroline
Percy and I moved down the street
Until we lost two pretty girls
One was seven and one was three
Alderman and Caroline owned the house right up the hill
Where we laid those babies down
So they could still see our house
Suspicion got the best of old Alderman Haint
He owned an auto parts store off the interstate
But the lord took him home in July
And then Rose spilled the beans on the day that he died
We was in trouble
I should've told him that you were the one for me
But I lied, but I lied
Tied up to concrete at the bottom of the quarry
With a tattoo on his heart that spelled out "Caroline"
He was silent but his rosary
Well, it drifted into the custody
Of a sheriff that was just deputized
And I was down at the banquet hall
When two guys came up, pretty angry and drunk
And I'm still here at the banquet hall
At the banquet hall
Where the gun went off in the Carolina rain
In the Carolina rain
In the Carolina rain
Oh, Caroline
The song "Carolina Rain" by Ryan Adams has a narrative structure and tells a story of different characters and events that happened in a certain place named "Carolina." The opening of the song centers on a woman named Rose, who used to live on the south side of town until her landlord showed up with eviction notice. She doesn't live there anymore, and everyone thinks the landlord drowned, implying Rose may have had something to do with it. Then, the singer tells us about Mecklenburg, a place that got flooded after the opening of the dam. The singer worked there and got a ton of worry for every load of granite.
The song's narrative continues with the singer meeting a woman with legs to die for, but with a gold plated cross on her neck, indicating she comes from money. The singer didn't tell her how he felt and missed his chance. The song moves forward to Percy and the singer losing two little girls, and Alderman and Caroline owning the house on the hill where the singer and Percy laid the babies down. Alderman was suspicious, and then he died. Rose spills the beans, and the singer was also in trouble. The song ends with the singer at the banquet hall, where two guys came up pretty angry and drunk, and a gun went off in the Carolina rain.
Overall, the song captures complex themes such as loss, love, greed, and despair. It highlights the situations that can take place in small-town life and how interconnected they could be. As the lyrics unfold, the singer reflects on missed opportunities, moments where he should have acted differently, and how life can change in an instant.
Line by Line Meaning
Rose lived on the south side of town
A woman named Rose resided in the southern part of the town.
Until her landlord showed up with two hundred dollar bills
Rose's landlord came to her with $200 bills as a notice to evict her.
A notice of eviction on the other hand
The landlord gave Rose a notice of eviction.
Now she don't live there no more
Rose does not live in her previous home anymore.
And everyone thinks he drowned
There is a belief that someone drowned.
I pulled into Mecklenburg on them trains
The singer arrived at Mecklenburg by train.
Into a station that got flooded when they opened up the dam
The station was flooded when the dam was opened.
And broke their connections to the railway lines
The connection to the railway lines was broken.
So they could blast into the quarry
The people blasted into the quarry.
And for every load of granite
Every truck of granite had a problem associated with it.
We got a ton of worry
There was an abundance of worries.
One night at the diner over eggs
The artist had a conversation over eggs with someone at a diner.
Over easy she showed me the length of her legs
The person at the diner showed the singer their legs.
But that gold plated cross on her neck, it was real
A gold plated cross was real and worn by the woman.
And you don't get that kind of money from pushing meal
It's hard to earn that much money by serving food.
I should've told him that you were the one for me
The artist regrets not telling someone that someone else was the right person for them.
But I lied, but I lied
The artist lied about someone being the right person for them.
To most any drifter whose looking for work is too weird
The singer met a person who was seeking work and had a strange demeanor.
I met your sister and I married her in July
The singer married someone's sister in July.
But if only to be closer to you, Caroline
The artist wanted to be closer to someone named Caroline.
Percy and I moved down the street
The artist and someone named Percy got a new home on a different street.
Until we lost two pretty girls
Two pretty girls were lost by the artist and Percy.
Alderman and Caroline owned the house right up the hill
Alderman and Caroline owned the house uphill from where the singer lived.
Where we laid those babies down
The babies that were lost were buried there.
So they could still see our house
The babies could still see the singer's home from where they were buried.
Suspicion got the best of old Alderman Haint
Old Alderman Haint became suspicious.
He owned an auto parts store off the interstate
Alderman Haint owned a business off the interstate that sold auto parts.
But the lord took him home in July
Alderman Haint passed away in July.
And then Rose spilled the beans on the day that he died
Rose revealed some information the day Alderman Haint died.
We was in trouble
The singer was in trouble.
I should've told him that you were the one for me
The singer regrets not telling someone that someone else was the right person for them.
But I lied, but I lied
The artist lied about someone being the right person for them.
Tied up to concrete at the bottom of the quarry
Someone was tied to concrete at the bottom of the quarry.
With a tattoo on his heart that spelled out 'Caroline'
The person had a tattoo on their chest that spelled 'Caroline.'
He was silent but his rosary
The person was silent while holding a rosary.
Well, it drifted into the custody
The rosary ended up in the custody of authorities.
Of a sheriff that was just deputized
The rosary was taken by a newly deputized sheriff.
And I was down at the banquet hall
The singer was attending an event at a banquet hall.
When two guys came up, pretty angry and drunk
Two intoxicated and angry people approached the singer.
And I'm still here at the banquet hall
The artist is still present at the banquet hall.
At the banquet hall
The artist is still at the banquet hall.
Where the gun went off in the Carolina rain
A gunshot rang out amid the rainy weather in Carolina.
In the Carolina rain
The gunshot happened during the rainy weather in Carolina.
In the Carolina rain
The gunshot happened during the rainy weather in Carolina.
Oh, Caroline
The song is about a woman named Caroline.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind