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.
Political Scientist
Ryan Adams Lyrics
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From the tributary it comes through the rusted pipes
Outside the window he sees the water
That's supposed to be clean by the chemicals
Polluted by the candy factory lines
Someplace on the edge of town
Someplace on the edge of town
Political scientists
So now she is crawling on her hands and her knees
She is dirtying her jeans choking on her own perfume
With a pen she writes below the sink
In someones restaurant
This place is inconvenient for my name
She forgets to write it anyway
She forgets to write it anyway
The government supplies the cocaine
Political scientists
There's no guarantees
There's no guarantees
There's no guarantees
Banging hard upon a crooked drum
She feels them tearing down
Salvation Army houses back in Michigan
Her husband's divorced
But he treats her that way of course
Because he needs her just like he needs medicine
She forgets to write him anyway
She forgets to write him anyway
What's red and white and nearly over?
Political scientist
Political scientist
Political scientist
There's no guarantees
There's no guarantees
There's no guarantees
The song "Political Scientist" by Ryan Adams is a commentary on the current state of American politics and the degrading state of the environment. The opening lyrics illustrate how man-made pollution is affecting nature and how people are forced to consume contaminated water. Adams suggests that the candy factory is the entity responsible for the pollutants being dumped into the river, which are then consumed by the people living in the city. The political scientists referenced in the song are symbolic of the people who are paid to understand and shape politics, but often fail to solve the very problems they are studying. They are placed on the edge of town, disconnected from the reality of the city they are supposed to understand.
The second verse shifts the focus to a woman who is struggling to find her place in society. She is writing on the walls of a restaurant and is unable to make a name for herself. The government, which is supposed to provide protection and resources for its people, is instead responsible for bringing in illegal drugs, such as cocaine. The chorus of the song emphasizes that there are no guarantees in life.
The final verse highlights the struggles faced by those who are marginalized and forgotten by society. The Salvation Army houses are being torn down and the singer's husband treats her poorly because he needs her like medicine. The song ends with the repetition of the final verse and the chorus, reminding us that the political scientists and the government have failed to provide any guarantees or solutions for the problems that people face.
Line by Line Meaning
He is drinking water from the faucet from the river
He is drinking polluted water from the river, which comes through rusted pipes.
From the tributary it comes through the rusted pipes
The water comes from a tributary and travels through rusted pipes that pollute it along the way.
Outside the window he sees the water
He sees the polluted water outside the window.
That's supposed to be clean by the chemicals
The water is supposed to be clean due to the chemicals used to treat it, but it's still polluted.
Polluted by the candy factory lines
Pollution from the candy factory is contributing to the water contamination.
Someplace on the edge of town
There are political scientists who live on the edge of town.
Someplace on the edge of town
The political scientists live in a specific location on the edge of town.
Is where they live
The edge of town is where the political scientists reside.
So now she is crawling on her hands and her knees
A woman is crawling on the ground.
She is dirtying her jeans choking on her own perfume
The woman is making herself dirty by crawling, and the perfume she's wearing is making it difficult for her to breathe.
With a pen she writes below the sink
The woman writes something with a pen under the sink in a restaurant.
In someones restaurant
The woman is in a restaurant that doesn't belong to her.
This place is inconvenient for my name
The woman thinks that this restaurant is not an appropriate place for her to be.
She forgets to write it anyway
She forgets to write something to someone even though she intended to.
She forgets to write it anyway
The woman forgets to write something even though she tries to remind herself.
The government supplies the cocaine
The government is involved in the cocaine trade.
Political scientists
The song refers to political scientists who study politics.
There's no guarantees
There are no guarantees in life.
Banging hard upon a crooked drum
Someone is playing a crooked drum very hard.
She feels them tearing down
The woman senses something being destroyed around her.
Salvation Army houses back in Michigan
The Salvation Army has houses in Michigan.
Her husband's divorced
The woman's husband is divorced.
But he treats her that way of course
The woman's ex-husband doesn't treat her well.
Because he needs her just like he needs medicine
Her ex-husband needs her as much as he needs medicine.
What's red and white and nearly over?
The song asks a riddle, but it's unclear what the answer is.
Political scientist
The song refers to political scientists again.
Political scientist
The song refers to political scientists a third time.
Political scientist
The song refers to political scientists a fourth time.
There's no guarantees
The song reminds us once again that life offers no guarantees.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind