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.
Sewers at the Bottom of the Wishing Well
Ryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always hopeless in a hurry
There's no one to blame
For an empty heart
Well, well, well
Nothing's gonna change
Nothing's gonna change our way out
My heart isn't black
It's just dirty from the floors
Nobody walks across
Nobody walks across or sleeps on anymore
Well, well, well
Nothing's gonna change
Nothing's gonna change, oh well
Into the sewers at the bottom of the wishing well
Wishing well
Wishing well
At the bottom of the wishing well
No one left to blame
No body to dismember
Just a shadow on the floor
A shadow on the floor
From a light that wasn't on, oh well
Well, well
Nothing's gonna change
Oh well
Into the sewers at the bottom of the wishing well
The bottom of the wishing well
Wishing well
At the bottom of the wishing well
Ooh
Ooh
Oh
The song "Sewers at the Bottom of the Wishing Well" by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals is a somber reflection on hopelessness and loneliness. The lyrics touch on the transient nature of life and relationships and the feelings of emptiness and desperation that can accompany them. The lines "Always hopeless in a hurry" and "My heart isn't black, it's just dirty from the floors/Nobody walks across or sleeps on anymore" suggest a sense of abandonment and isolation, while the repeated refrain of "Nothing's gonna change" underscores the lack of agency or control in the situation.
The title of the song is a metaphor for the depths of despair - the idea that even at the bottom of the wishing well, where people usually go to make a wish, there is nothing left to hope for. The mention of sewers in the title also implies a sense of filth and decay, emphasizing the feelings of degradation and hopelessness that the song evokes.
Overall, "Sewers at the Bottom of the Wishing Well" is a poignant and introspective meditation on the darker aspects of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
No time to explain
I don't have time to go into detail
Always hopeless in a hurry
My sense of hopelessness is always present while I go about my day quickly
There's no one to blame
I cannot point fingers at anyone
For an empty heart
I feel empty inside
Well, well, well
an introduction to the next stanza
Nothing's gonna change
Things will remain the same
Nothing's gonna change our way out
We cannot find a solution to our problems
Into the sewers at the bottom of the wishing well
We will continue our downward spiral, reaching the worst possible situation
My heart isn't black
I am not evil or malicious
It's just dirty from the floors
My heart is just stained from the things I've gone through in life
Nobody walks across
No one goes near me
Nobody walks across or sleeps on anymore
People used to approach me or rely on me, but not anymore
No one left to blame
No one is accountable for my situation
No body to dismember
I am not seeking revenge
Just a shadow on the floor
All that's left of me is a mere outline on the ground
From a light that wasn't on, oh well
I am barely visible, hence why there wasn't any light shining upon me
Well, well
Another introduction to the next stanza
Oh well
A sense of defeat
The bottom of the wishing well
The lowest point imaginable
Wishing well
A reminder of how broken I am
Ooh
A non-linguistic sound of pain or worry
Ooh
A non-linguistic sound of pain or worry
Oh
An interjection of sadness or disappointment
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind