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.
Down In A Hole
Ryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I give this part of me to you
Sand rains down and here I sit
Holding rare flowers
In a tomb... In bloom
Down in a hole and I don't know if I can be saved
See my heart I decorate it like a grave
Thought I was supposed to be
Look at me now a man
Who wont let himself be
[Chorus]
Down in a hole, feelin' so small
Down in a hole, losin' my soul
Id like to fly,
But my wings have been so denied
Down in a hole and they've put all
The stones in their place
Ive eaten the sun so my tongue
Has been burned of the taste
I have been guilty
Of kicking myself in the teeth
I will speak no more
Of my feelings beneath
[Chorus]
Bury me softly in this womb
Oh I want to be inside of you
I give this part of me for you
Oh I want to be inside of you
Sand rains down and here I sit
Holding rare flowers (oh I want to be inside of you)
In a tomb... In bloom
Oh I want to be inside...
Down in a hole, feelin' so small
Down in a hole, losin' my soul
Down in a hole, feelin' so small
Down in a hole, outta control
I'd like to fly but my
Wings have been so denied
The lyrics of Ryan Adams's "Down in a Hole" depict a person who is overwhelmed by their situation and struggling to find a way out. At the beginning of the song, the singer likens their situation to being buried in a womb, giving themselves to someone else. Despite holding rare flowers representing their fragility, the sand is raining down upon them, and they are stuck in a tomb. The lyrics convey a sense of surrender and hopelessness, with imagery of being enclosed, trapped, and unable to break free.
The second verse furthers this sense of helplessness and perceived betrayal, with the singer feeling as though their heart has been turned into a grave. They don't feel understood by others, and are struggling against their own sense of identity. They want to fly away, but their wings have been denied, and they are encountering obstacles at every turn. The chorus emphasizes the smallness of the singer's situation, with feelings of loss and soullessness.
The closing verses return to the theme of wanting to be buried in a womb and being inside someone else. The singer feels that they have become consumed by their situation, and are no longer themselves. The final line of the song, "I'd like to fly but my wings have been so denied," emphasizes that despite wanting to break free, there are overpowering forces keeping them grounded.
Line by Line Meaning
Bury me softly in this womb
I want to surrender myself completely to someone else
I give this part of me to you
I am willingly giving a piece of myself to someone else
Sand rains down and here I sit Holding rare flowers In a tomb... In bloom
I am isolated and alone, holding onto beauty even in a place that is dark and dead
Down in a hole and I don't know if I can be saved
I am trapped in a place of despair and do not know if I will ever escape
See my heart I decorate it like a grave
I am protecting my heart with a strong exterior, even though it may lead to my downfall
You don't understand who they Thought I was supposed to be Look at me now a man Who wont let himself be
I am defying others' expectations of me and refusing to change who I am
Down in a hole, feelin' so small Down in a hole, losin' my soul
I am overcome by feelings of helplessness and despair, where I feel disconnected from my spiritual center
Id like to fly, But my wings have been so denied
I have always dreamed of achieving greatness, but obstacles have prevented me from doing so
Down in a hole and they've put all The stones in their place
Others have tried to bury me, both figuratively and literally, in order to constrain me
Ive eaten the sun so my tongue Has been burned of the taste
I have experienced intense emotions, but they have left me feeling drained
I have been guilty Of kicking myself in the teeth I will speak no more Of my feelings beneath
I have been hard on myself in the past, but I am determined to keep my struggles to myself from now on
Down in a hole, outta control
I am consumed by my sense of powerlessness and cannot figure out how to regain control of my life
I'd like to fly but my Wings have been so denied
Despite wanting to escape, I am unable to do so because of the obstacles in my path
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jerry Cantrell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind