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.
Rock'n'roll
Ryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody's cool playing rock n roll
I don't feel cool at all
I don't feel cool at all
Send all of my best out to the band
I don't think I'll make it out to the show
There's this girl I can't get out of my head
And I don't feel cool at all
The lyrics of Ryan Adams's song Rock'n'Roll are reflective of the theme that haunts most of his songs – anxiety and alienation in one’s own skin. Adams immediately sets the stage by contrasting the lines “Everybody's cool playing rock n roll” against the line “I don't feel cool at all”. By doing so, he emphasizes the underlying sense of loneliness and detachment that exists within the world of rock music. This sense is particularly apparent when he sends his best out to the band, but admits that he doesn’t think he’ll be able to join them.
The song takes a more personal turn in the second verse when he sings about a girl that he can't get out of his head - “There's this girl I can't get out of my head”. It’s unclear whether Adams is writing about a lost love or a persistent infatuation, but either way the theme of feeling alone and disconnected from the world around him is clear. Throughout the song, Ryan Adams leaves a strong impression of internal conflict that is not easily resolved - the tension between the desire to belong and the gnawing feeling of distance from those around him.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's cool playing rock n roll
The act of playing rock n roll is perceived as cool by everyone
Everybody's cool playing rock n roll
This sentiment is reiterated to emphasize its prevalence
I don't feel cool at all
Despite rock n roll being widely accepted as cool, the singer does not personally feel this way
Send all of my best out to the band
The artist is sending their well-wishes to the band performing
I don't think I'll make it out to the show
However, despite this, the artist does not plan on attending the show
There's this girl I can't get out of my head
The singer is preoccupied with thoughts of a particular girl
There's this girl I can't get out of my head
This is reiterated to emphasize the intensity of the distraction
And I don't feel cool at all
The presence of this girl in the artist's thoughts further diminishes any sense of coolness they might have felt otherwise
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind