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.

Icebreaker
Ryan Adams Lyrics

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I don't see you've gone past me
I don't see it, don't see it
Don't see it, don't see it at all

I don't see them, they're lookin' for me
I don't see them, they don't see me
Guess it was invisible

Ice
The ice
Ice
Ice, ice, ice
Icicle, icicle

I don't see you've gone past me
I don't see it, don't see it
Don't panic, they know you are numb

I don't see them, they're looking for me
I don't see them, they don't see me
Guess it was invisible

Ice, ice, ice
Ice, ice, ice
Icicle, icicle

There's too many lights in here
And I don't understand
I don't understand
Where I'm goin', whether I'm dead

There's too many lights in here
And I don't understand
I think I hear an angel singin'

Hear an angel softly beside you
Hear an angel ? anymore
Underneath the ice, beneath all, you died twice

I don't see you walkin' past me
I don't see you, don't hear you
?

I don't hear them, they're lookin' for me
I don't hear them, they don't hear me
Underneath the icicle

The ice
Ice, ice , ice

Overall Meaning

"Icebreaker" by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals is a song that speaks about how the singer is struggling to perceive their surroundings. They assert that they can't see someone that has passed them, nor can they see the people who are looking for them, suggesting a sense of detachment from their environment. They express confusion about their whereabouts, questioning whether they are dead or alive. The mention of an angel's singing provides a glimmer of hope, but even that is fleeting because they cannot hear it clearly. The repetition of the word "ice" and "icicle" could represent the coldness of the singer's state of mind, and their inability to break free from it.

The song's lyrics are open-ended, leaving the listener to speculate on the singer's circumstances. The theme of detachment and confusion is prevalent throughout the track. It is unclear whether the singer is suffering from a mental illness or if they were involved in a traumatic event that has affected their perception of reality. The repeating chorus serves as a reminder of the singer's numbness, as if they're frozen in time, unable to move past their current state.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't see you've gone past me
I am unaware that you have moved on from me.

I don't see it, don't see it
I cannot see the changes happening in front of me.

Don't see it, don't see it at all
I am completely oblivious to what's going on.

I don't see them, they're looking for me
Others are searching for me, but I can't see them.

Guess it was invisible
Whatever is happening to me or around me seems hidden.

Ice
Frigid covers of frozen water.

The ice
Frozen water that covers everything.

Ice
A frozen and hard material.

Ice, ice, ice
Repetition of icy substance.

Icicle, icicle
Object with sharp edges from frozen water.

Don't panic, they know you are numb
I am advised not to worry about being numb as the others are aware of it.