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.
Chin Up Cheer Up
Ryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the shadow of my shoes
Danced around the broken blues
In the dirty summer rain
Moonlight on the cars
Parked in single file at bars
With a thick and rosy smoke
Waving its busted hand
Bringing you down, can't bring you down
Bring you down, can't bring you down
Bring you down, can't hear the sound
Run through the river and into town
Pretty little moon with it's head hung down
Chin up. Cheer up.
I took a walk with you
And I busted up my shoe
In an old yellow canoe
Out in Hollywood
You called the police
But they didn't care the lease
On your place had run out
Your landlord straightened his hat
Bringing you down, can't bring you down
Bringing you down, can't bring you down
Bringing you down, can't hear the sound
Run through the river and into town
Pretty little moon with it's head hung down
Chin up. Cheer up
The opening lines of Ryan Adams’s song “Chin Up Cheer Up” depict a melancholic scene of walking in the “shadow” of shoes, which could represent a feeling of being overshadowed by someone else, or the weight of one’s own self-doubt. The singer then “danced around the broken blues / In the dirty summer rain”, showing that they found a way to cope and move forward despite the difficulty of the situation. The imagery of “moonlight on the cars / parked in single file at bars” is somewhat romantic, but it is juxtaposed with the “thick and rosy smoke / waving its busted hand”, which could represent a sense of chaos or danger.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the message of perseverance in the face of adversity. The repeated phrase “bring you down, can’t bring you down / chin up, cheer up” suggests that negative feelings or circumstances cannot ultimately defeat a person who maintains a positive attitude. The line “run through the river and into town” could represent a metaphorical journey of overcoming obstacles, and the “pretty little moon with its head hung down” could represent a person who is feeling low but can still find beauty and hope in the world.
Overall, “Chin Up Cheer Up” is a song about resilience and finding a way to keep moving forward despite difficult circumstances. The imagery used throughout the song creates a vivid picture of a gritty, imperfect world, but the chorus provides a message of hope and strength.
Line by Line Meaning
Took a walk with you
I spent time with you
In the shadow of my shoes
Our walk was overshadowed by my problems
Danced around the broken blues
We tried to enjoy ourselves despite feeling down
In the dirty summer rain
We faced difficulties even in favorable conditions
Moonlight on the cars
The night surrounded us
Parked in single file at bars
The cars were parked in order like people at the bars
With a thick and rosy smoke
Smoke filled the air
Waving its busted hand
It looked like the smoke was gesturing strangely
Bringing you down, can't bring you down
We tried to avoid negativity
Bring you down, can't bring you down
We continued to avoid negativity
Bring you down, can't hear the sound
We refused to let negativity affect us
Run through the river and into town
We tried to escape our problems
Pretty little moon with its head hung down
Despite the beauty of the night, we still felt down
Chin up. Cheer up.
We encouraged each other to stay positive and hopeful
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind