Ryan Adams (born David Ryan Adams on November 5, 1974) is an alt-country an… Read Full Bio ↴Ryan Adams (born David Ryan Adams on November 5, 1974) is an alt-country and rock and roll songwriter and singer from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, which was at the time considered one of the leaders of the alt-country genre, Adams left the band and released his first solo album, Heartbreaker, in 2000 (which was subsequently nominated for the Shortlist Music Prize). As well as his solo albums, Adams has released five albums as Ryan Adams & the Cardinals.

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.

Famous Eyes
Ryan Adams Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh the moon knows the night so well
And air is coming out to fight
Where, where is my love, famous eyes?

Oh the night and I what a pair
How come she, she won't ever share
But where, where is my heart, famous eyes?

All your kisses, they are candy sweet
But your love is hard as stone
Hurt me with your telephone, dear.

Oh the moon knows the night so well

Yeah and she, she has gone to bed
But where, where is my heart, famous eyes?

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Ryan Adams's track 'Famous Eyes' suggest a melancholic mood, with a sense of longing and disappointment for something that seems hard to get. The moon, personified here as a knowing entity, seems to be a witness to the singer's struggle, as the air is "coming out to fight." The mention of "famous eyes" adds a layer of intrigue to the lyrics, as if the person being addressed is someone of great importance or celebrity. Perhaps the person's fame makes it harder for them to truly connect with the singer or to reciprocate feelings of love.

As the song continues, the singer laments the lack of connection they feel with their lover ("How come she, she won't ever share"), and the contrast between sweet kisses and a love that is "hard as stone" adds to the sense of frustration and hurt. The line "Hurt me with your telephone, dear" suggests a modern-day anxiety or disconnection, as if the lover is distant and unreachable (perhaps due to their fame?). The repetition of the refrain "where, where is my heart, famous eyes?" underscores the theme of longing and unfulfilled desire, leaving the listener with a sense of unresolved tension.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh the moon knows the night so well
The moon regularly witnesses the night's events and understands them well.

And air is coming out to fight
There is tension in the atmosphere, and a feeling of conflict is arising.

Where, where is my love, famous eyes?
The singer is searching for their love, who has captivating and well-known eyes.

Oh the night and I what a pair
The singer and the night seem to be a fitting duo for some reason.

How come she, she won't ever share
The night refuses to open up and share its experiences with the singer.

But where, where is my heart, famous eyes?
The singer is still searching for their heart, which appears to be connected to their love's famous eyes.

All your kisses, they are candy sweet
The singer's love shows them affection, but it may not be completely genuine or sincere.

But your love is hard as stone
Despite the sweet gestures, the love being shown to the singer is cold and unfeeling.

Hurt me with your telephone, dear.
The singer's love is able to cause them pain without even being physically present.

Yeah and she, she has gone to bed
The night has come to an end, and everything has quieted down.

But where, where is my heart, famous eyes?
Even after the night has come to an end, the singer is still searching for their heart, which they associate with their love's famous eyes.

Contributed by William N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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