Chin Up Cheer Up
Ryan Adams Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Took a walk with you
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

Overall Meaning

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
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions