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.
Jacksonville
Ryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's like I don't know it anymore
Your house, two cars in the drive, blankets in the window
Even though you don't answer, we tried
You have gone missing from my life
You have gone missing from my life
You have gone missing from my life
Oh, Jacksonville
Oh, Jacksonville
In my hometown, it's all slow motion
Driving to my house, it's empty now
No one's inside
Looking through the windows in the back
Right into the kitchen where the tables and chairs were at
You have gone missing from my life
You have gone missing from my life
Buried my feelings I can't cry
Oh, Jacksonville
Oh, Jacksonville
Oh, oh
They're tearing down another building in the neighborhood
It's like I don't remember, but I should
My life, a letter you could write
On how to keep your hands up in front of your face when you fight
Oh, Jacksonville
Oh, Jacksonville
Oh, oh
Oh, Jacksonville
Oh, Jacksonville
Oh, oh
The lyrics of Ryan Adams's song "Jacksonville" are filled with nostalgia and longing for a place and people that are no longer present. The song's opening lines talk about a building in Adams's hometown being torn down, and the artist's feeling of disconnect with his old stomping grounds. He then turns his attention to a specific house with "two cars in the drive" and "blankets in the window." Despite trying to reach out, his attempts are met with no answer, and the people seem to have gone missing from his life.
The second verse finds Adams driving towards his old house, which now lies empty. He describes looking through the windows and seeing where the table and chairs used to sit. The chorus repeats the refrain "you have gone missing from my life" and ends with an elegiac repetition of the phrase "oh, Jacksonville." The final verse speaks to a sense of loss and acceptance, as Adams reflects that life has moved on and things are changing.
This song is a powerful meditation on the longing and melancholy that can accompany memories of home and the people we love. Adams's use of imagery is particularly effective, with the "blankets in the window" and "looking through the windows in the back" evoking a sense of both intimacy and detachment. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the sense of absence, while the final verse is a poignant reminder that we all have to learn to let go and move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
They're tearing down another building in my hometown
The physical landscape of my hometown is constantly changing and it's unsettling.
It's like I don't know it anymore
These changes make me feel like I don't belong or recognize the place I grew up in.
Your house, two cars in the drive, blankets in the window
I remember the details of your home, but it's been so long since we've connected that I don't know if they're still accurate.
Even though you don't answer, we tried
I've tried to reach out to you, but you haven't responded and it's hard to know what to do next.
You have gone missing from my life
Your absence in my life is deeply felt.
My life
Everything that defines my existence has been altered by your absence.
Oh, Jacksonville
The name of my hometown is a reminder of the past and everything that's changed since then.
In my hometown, it's all slow motion
Time seems to have slowed down in my hometown and life moves at a much different pace.
Driving to my house, it's empty now
The residence where I once lived is vacant and devoid of life.
No one's inside
There's nobody home, and the loneliness is palpable.
Looking through the windows in the back
Trying to peer into the past to conjure up memories of what once was.
Right into the kitchen where the tables and chairs were at
Recalling a specific place in the house and the memories it holds.
Buried my feelings I can't cry
The pain of your absence has been too heavy to bear, so I've buried my feelings and refused to confront them.
They're tearing down another building in the neighborhood
The changes in my hometown are relentless and it seems like everything familiar is disappearing.
It's like I don't remember, but I should
The changes are so extreme that it's hard to even remember things the way they were before.
My life, a letter you could write
Everything that has happened to me since you left could be summarized into a letter.
On how to keep your hands up in front of your face when you fight
Offering advice on how to protect yourself from the hardships and struggles that come with life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ChandraShekher Mishra
Banks of the river run through my hometown
As a boy I ran the dirt roads, and I scraped my knees
They paved the roads eventually
With neon signs and car dealerships and diners
The soldiers fill the hotels on the weekends
I saw the pretty women as I walked through town
Well, I moved away soon as I turned sixteen
Figured I was old enough to go to work a job
I wandered down main street, pools of carlights
Overcame me, wishin' I was still back home
The soldiers fill the hotels on the weekends
I saw the pretty women as I walked through town
Well, Jacksonville's a city with a hopeless streetlight
Seems like you're lucky
If it ever change from red to green
I was born in an abundance of inherited sadness
And 50-cent picture frames bought at a five and dime
I ended up a soldier on the weekend
Looking for a vacancy I was unable to find
Somewhere the night sky hangs like a blanket
Shoot it with my capgun just to make it
Seem like stars
charles donahue
He is the soundtrack of my sad life sometimes, I appreciate it so much.!
muchadesign
If someone looped this song for 10 hours I would listen to it. Beautiful. Minimal. Timeless.
Brian Clark
I've done it.
Mark Bower
Me too ❤
randomviewer2007
Of all of the songs he's written, I think this is one of his best.
14wAYNE
certainly one of the best...there are so many good ones!
Samuel Walkingstick
Yeah my thoughts too, this guy has so many great songs its hard to pick out the best ones
airedog666
Kudos to the engineers....this song sounds amazing, one of the best live performances I have heard on a V show video.
Lesley Patterson
I watched this show over and over again when I discovered this wonderful man. I never get tired of it!
DEACON006
Whiskeytown can not be replaced. That blend of rock/country/punk music is priceless. Thank You Gram...(and Dave)...