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.
Come Pick Me Up
Ryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will you walk right up?
With a smile on your face?
Will you cower in fear?
In your favorite sweater
With an old love letter
I wish you would
Come pick me up
Take me out
Fuck me up
Steal my records
Screw all my friends
They're all full of shit
With a smile on your face
And then do it again
I wish you would
When you're walking downtown
Do you wish I was there
Do you wish it was me
With the windows clear
And the mannequins eyes
Do they all look like mine
You know you could
I wish you would
Come pick me up
Take me out
Fuck me up
Steal my records
Screw all my friends
Behind my back
With a smile on your face
And then do it again
I wish you would
I wish you'd make my bed
So I could make up my mind
Try it for sleeping instead
Maybe you'll rest sometime
Oh, I wish I could
I wish I could
I wish I could
The lyrics of "Come Pick Me Up" by Ryan Adams speak of longing for someone who has left, mixed with a sense of anger and betrayal. The song seems to be about a failed relationship, where the singer has been left behind and is unable to move on. The opening lines ask if, when the person is called upon, they will come with a smile on their face or cower in fear. It is clear that the person is still loved, though the relationship may have been tumultuous.
The chorus expresses a desire to be taken out and messed up, indicating a desire to be freed from the emotional pain that the singer is feeling. The second verse speaks of walking downtown and seeing mannequins that look like the singer. This could indicate the person left behind feels as though they are nothing without the other, and sees reminders of that love everywhere they go.
The bridge of the song speaks of making one's bed, which is perhaps an allegory for making peace with oneself and moving on from the relationship. The overall vibe of "Come Pick Me Up" is one of emotional longing and frustration, with a hint of bitterness about the way things ended.
Line by Line Meaning
When they call your name
When someone calls for you
Will you walk right up?
Will you go to them immediately?
With a smile on your face?
Will you approach them with a happy expression?
Will you cower in fear?
Or will you be afraid and avoid them?
In your favorite sweater
While wearing your favorite piece of clothing
With an old love letter
And holding a letter from a previous lover
I wish you would
I hope you will choose to come to me
Come pick me up
Come get me and take me somewhere
Take me out
Take me on a date or out somewhere
Fuck me up
Mess with my emotions or cause chaos in my life
Steal my records
Take my music collection
Screw all my friends
Betray me by being intimate with my friends
They're all full of shit
Insinuating that the friends are not trustworthy
Behind my back
Unbeknownst to me
And then do it again
Repeat these actions
When you're walking downtown
When you are walking in the city
Do you wish I was there
Do you wish I could be with you?
Do you wish it was me
Do you wish that you were with me instead of someone else?
With the windows clear
Looking through a window that is not obstructed
And the mannequins eyes
Seeing the eyes of mannequins in a store window
Do they all look like mine
Do these mannequin eyes remind you of me?
You know you could
You have the ability to come to me
I wish you would
I hope you will choose to come to me
I wish you'd make my bed
I wish you would make my bed for me
So I could make up my mind
So I can have time to think and make a decision
Try it for sleeping instead
I could use the bed for sleeping, instead of just for thinking
Maybe you'll rest sometime
Perhaps you will come and rest with me
Oh, I wish I could
I also wish I could rest and be with you
I wish I could
Again, expressing the wish to be with the other person
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ryan Adams, Van Alston
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Damnitssyd
13 years later and I’m still here for it
@mauromaxwell521
Hello how are you doing today I hope you are having a nice day today
@featuresfordayz...13
Just lost my daughter. And I can't keep going through songs that make me cry.
@hazelnutadventures8335
I lost my dad twelve years ago, when I was twelve. It still hurts me up to this day. I hope you're hanging in there. Sending you healing energy. 🙏
@SMacCuUladh
I'm so sorry for your loss, I hope you're doing okay.
@Kadisha212
Love to you I am sorry were suffering hope you are doing better now
@redpinkynail
I hope you're doing better Aaron x sorry for your loss...
@morganbolderman3990
Aaron hope you're ok
@BoozehammerOfGalem
It's really cool that a female vocalist accompanies him on this track. It acknowledges that both men and women can feel these dependent, self-destructive and yet spiritually transcendant feelings about being bound to a lover that uses them. It fordbids a gender specific reading of the song and lets the bittersweet emotions stand on their own.
@TheFirstGroover
This album saved my life...a couple of times... when I was all alone.. in a different city... far away from home... really! Thx Ryan!