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 Skyline
Ryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
born on the dirt roads, and i scraped my knees
well 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
figured i was old enough to go and work a job
well i floated down main street. pools of carlights
overcame me wishin' i was still back home
jacksonville's a city with a hopeless streetlight
seems like you're lucky if it ever changes red to green
i was born in an abundance of inherited sadness
with 50 cent picture frames bought at a five and dime
i ended up a soldier on the weekend
looking for a vacancy i wasn't able to find
somewhere the night sky hangs like a blanket
shoot it with my capgun just to make it
seem like stars
The lyrics of Jacksonville Skyline by Ryan Adams paint a vivid picture of the singer's hometown, Jacksonville. The banks of the river that run through the town evoke a sense of nostalgia for the singer as he remembers growing up in the town, playing on the dirt roads and scraping his knees. The roads have since been paved with neon signs, car dealerships, and diners, which highlights the changes that have taken place in the town.
The singer moved away from the town when he was just sixteen years old in search of a job. He remembers floating down Main Street and feeling overwhelmed by the pools of car lights, longing for the simplicity of his hometown. The city is described as having a hopeless streetlight that rarely changes from red to green, capturing the sense of stagnation and despair felt by the singer.
The singer describes himself as someone who was born with a sense of inherited sadness, and he's unable to shake this feeling even as he returns to his hometown on the weekends as a soldier. He's looking for a vacancy, a sense of belonging that he can't seem to find. The final lines of the song evoke a sense of childlike wonder as the singer shoots the night sky with his capgun, trying to make it seem like stars.
Line by Line Meaning
well the banks of the river run through my hometown
The river flows through my hometown, a place that has been very important to my life.
born on the dirt roads, and i scraped my knees
I grew up in a rural area, playing and getting hurt like all children do.
well they paved the roads eventually
Over time, my hometown started to change and modernize - one clear example being the paving of the dirt roads.
with neon signs and car dealerships and diners
However, the changes weren't always for the better: tacky neon signs, car lots, and chain restaurants infiltrated the town, which felt cheap and homogenized.
the soldiers fill the hotels on the weekends
Jacksonville is a military town, so on the weekends, many soldiers (potentially from Fort Bragg) come to stay in the hotels.
i saw the pretty women as i walked through town
As a teenager growing up in Jacksonville, I was acutely aware of pretty girls and young women residing in my hometown.
i moved away soon as i turned sixteen
At sixteen, I was ready to leave the city behind and start a new chapter in my life elsewhere.
figured i was old enough to go and work a job
My desire to leave Jacksonville was largely driven by my ambition - I felt like I was ready to start working and building a career.
well i floated down main street. pools of carlights
As I made my way through town, I felt awestruck and overwhelmed by the bright, colorful lights that illuminated my path.
overcame me wishin' i was still back home
Despite my eagerness to leave Jacksonville behind, I still had a sense of longing - the beauty and nostalgia of my hometown were hard to shake.
jacksonville's a city with a hopeless streetlight
Looking back, I recognize that Jacksonville can be a bleak and lonely place - the streetlights are a symbol of that hardship.
seems like you're lucky if it ever changes red to green
The streetlights don't change very often, which makes the journey feel even more monotonous and stagnant.
i was born in an abundance of inherited sadness
My family history is marked by pain, struggle, and trauma, which contributes to the melancholy and nostalgia that I feel for my hometown.
with 50 cent picture frames bought at a five and dime
My family may have been poor or thrifty, as evidenced by buying cheap picture frames from a discount store.
i ended up a soldier on the weekend
Although I left Jacksonville to pursue a civilian career, I later found myself working as a soldier, perhaps reflecting the military town that helped shape me.
looking for a vacancy i wasn't able to find
Even as I search for new experiences and opportunities, I can't quite escape the sense of longing and emptiness that comes from leaving one's hometown behind.
somewhere the night sky hangs like a blanket
The vast expanses of the sky are one of the few things that remain constant, even as we move through different phases of life and geographical locations.
shoot it with my capgun just to make it seem like stars
Perhaps as a child, I had a playful and creative approach to making the world around me more magical and exciting, even if only in my own imagination.
Contributed by Jordan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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)...