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.
September
Ryan Adams Lyrics
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Mimics a noose with the telephone cord
Doctor's on the phone
And she hangs up and says
"I ain't never gonna see the winter again"
Then, I don't know how, but she smiles
September, September
They carved your name into a stone and then they put it in the ground,
I run my fingers through the grooves
When no one's around
Drink till I am sick and I talk to myself in the dog days of the summer
And I feel you coming but I don't know how
September, September
September, September
The lyrics of September by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals depict a heart-wrenching scene where Laura lies on the foot of the bed, mimicking a noose with the telephone cord, and declares that she won't see another winter. These lines evoke an image of hopelessness and despair. However, the emotions of the song become more complex when "she smiles." This creates a feeling of paradox as there is clearly an issue Laura is struggling with, and this sudden and perhaps unexpected joy seems out of place. This paradoxical feeling is further emphasized by the repetition of the month "September." It is a time of transition – a time of both endings and beginnings – which creates an ambiguity that questions whether the song is about endings or beginnings, joy or despair.
The lyrics continued with a second character. They have carved your name into a stone and put it into the ground. The imagery here is about death, and again, it evokes powerful feelings of pain and sadness. The image of running fingers through the grooves of the name on the tombstone provides an intimate touch that further emphasizes the sense of loss. The final verse also references the "dog days of the summer" and "I feel you coming but I don't know how." This is a somewhat ambiguous line that is open to interpretation, but it could refer to the sense of impending doom that characterizes the end of summer, the beginning of autumn, and the onset of winter. Despite all this, the repetition of "September" throughout the song suggests that there is hope and that transitions, however painful, are necessary.
Line by Line Meaning
Laura lays on the foot of the bed
Laura is lying down at the end of the bed
Mimics a noose with the telephone cord
She pretends to hang herself with the phone cord
Doctor's on the phone
She is talking to the doctor on the phone
And she hangs up and says
She ends the call and says
"I ain't never gonna see the winter again"
She says she will not live to see the winter season again
Then, I don't know how, but she smiles
Somehow, she manages to smile even though she is in pain
September, September
Repeated chorus line
They carved your name into a stone and then they put it in the ground,
Your name was engraved on a stone and laid in the soil
I run my fingers through the grooves
I touch the carved letters with my fingers
When no one's around
When no one is watching
Drink till I am sick and I talk to myself in the dog days of the summer
I drink excessively in the hot summer months and talk to myself when I get sick
And I feel you coming but I don't know how
I sense your presence but I can't explain how
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRADLEY SMITH PEMBERTON, CATHERINE ANNE POPPER, JOHN PAUL BOWERSOCK, JONATHAN GRABOFF, RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind