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.
Nobody Girl
Ryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And she shatters like broken glass
Better play it cool, better let it pass
Have you been screening your smokes?
And whispers in an all night bar
Better off as the fool
Than the owner of that kind of heart
They don't know you and they don't watch you walk away
Just a nobody girl
With a radar to the scene
When the emptiness finds you
You find all the numbers you need
Say you follow your heart
Well, honey you're just being los
You could follow your gut
But how much would it cost?
They don't know you anyway
They don't know you
They don't watch you walk away
You're nobody, girl
You're nobody, girl
You're a nobody, girl
You're nobody, girl
You're nobody, girl
You're a nobody, girl
The night plays games
And the people they come and go
Well, they trade in their pieces
For a late-night ride on your rodeo
If your horses could talk,
I wonder if they would complain
I know they're rested and ready
They've been going nowhere for days
They don't know you anyway
They don't know you,
They don't even mind the weight
'Cause you're a nobody, girl
You're nobody, girl
You're a nobody, girl
You're a nobody, girl
Nobody, girl
Nobody, girl
You're a nobody, girl
Nobody girl
You're a nobody, girl
You're a nobody, girl
Nobody girl
You're a nobody, girl
You're a nobody, girl
You're a nobody girl
You're nobody, girl
Ryan Adams's "Nobody Girl" is a melancholic and introspective song about a woman who is emotionally detached and seeks validation from fleeting relationships. The night is a recurring theme that serves as a metaphor for the passing of time and missed opportunities. The woman is portrayed as someone who is constantly searching for love in all the wrong places, and is unable to find true fulfillment. The shattered glass is symbolic of her fragmented heart and the emotional walls that she has built around herself.
Adams conveys a sense of loneliness and isolation by using repetition in the chorus, where he repeatedly sings "You're a nobody, girl" in a melancholic and almost defeated tone. The lyrics hint at a sense of resignation and suggest that the woman has given up on finding real love, as she now merely seeks temporary validation from fleeting encounters. The line "If your horses could talk, I wonder if they would complain" is a clever analogy for the woman's emotional baggage, which she carries with her from one relationship to the next.
Overall, "Nobody Girl" is a poignant and introspective song that speaks to the universal human experience of searching for love and validation in a world that often seems indifferent and uncaring.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, the night makes moves
The night is unpredictable
And she shatters like broken glass
She breaks easily
Better play it cool, better let it pass
It's best not to get too invested
Have you been screening your smokes?
Are you hiding from your problems with cigarettes?
And whispers in an all night bar
Late nights lead to secrets
Better off as the fool
It's better to be naive
Than the owner of that kind of heart
Than to be hurt by love
They don't know you anyway
They can't understand you
They don't know you and they don't watch you walk away
You're not worth their attention
Just a nobody girl
You're not special
With a radar to the scene
But you're always aware
When the emptiness finds you
When you feel alone
You find all the numbers you need
You look for something to comfort you
Say you follow your heart
You think you make wise decisions
Well, honey you're just being los
You're actually clueless
You could follow your gut
You could trust your instincts
But how much would it cost?
But it could lead to regret
You're nobody, girl
You're not important
You're a nobody, girl
You're still not important
The night plays games
The night is unreliable
And the people they come and go
And people are fleeting
Well, they trade in their pieces
They try to fill their voids
For a late-night ride on your rodeo
With a late-night fling with you
If your horses could talk,
If your passions could speak
I wonder if they would complain
They might be tired of being used
I know they're rested and ready
But they're always there
They've been going nowhere for days
But they haven't made any progress
'Cause you're a nobody, girl
To them, you're just insignificant
Nobody, girl
Completely unimportant
You're a nobody, girl
Still not worth paying attention to
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: E. JOHNS, R. ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@raspberry481
Well, the night makes moves
And it shatters like broken glass
Better play it cool... better let it pass
Have you been screening your smokes?
And whispers in an all night bar
Better off as the fool
Than the owner of that kind of heart
They don't know you anyway
They don't know you and they don't watch you walk away
Just a nobody girl
With a radar to the scene
When the emptiness finds you
You find all the numbers you need
Say you follow your heart
Well, honey you're just being lost
Say you follow your gut
Well, how much would it cost?
They don't know you anyway
They don't know you
And they don't watch you walk away
You're nobody, girl
You're nobody, girl
You're a nobody, girl
The night plays games
And the people they come and go
Well, they trade in their pieces
For a late-night ride on your rodeo
If your horses could talk,
I wonder if they would complain
I know you're rested and ready
They've been going nowhere for days
They don't know you anyway
They don't know you,
They don't even mind the weight
Nobody, girl
You're nobody, girl
Nobody, girl
@hollyturkovich
When I saw Joan Osborne performed this song with Phil lesh and Friends at the LC in Columbus Ohio it changed my entire life. (~):}
@cruisinokc405
i just recently discovered this artist and my oh my what a talent this man shares with us! i could sit listen to him for hours on end......thank you!!!!!
@AlicePerryAMP
I heard this song for the first time in a junk shop in Penzance. It was a brilliant junk shop, and this is a brilliant song.
@rl1058
One of the greatest songs ever, top shelf.
@danr3106
one of my favourite tunes of the last 10 yrs
@kmacmuzikmafia27
I think this song is terribly underrated. Probably one of my favorites by him besides "Gonna Make You Love Me," "Note to Self: Don't Die," and "Dance All Night."
@bobkat1911
Best singer-song writer since Dyaln.
@wlgj1341
Kat..astute, your observation is most welcome
@sabrinaingalls5187
bob kat lol Dylan couldn't sing.
@ms.lisamurphy269
bob kat well...he sucked,so you’re absolutely correct