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.
Shakedown on 9th Street
Ryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lets go out kicking with the boys and the gals
Wear your dress and bring my ring
Someone's gonna get it ain't gonna be me
Lucy Lucy my gal
Lucy Lucy my sweet
Lucy Lucy my gal
I was just gonna hit him but I'm gonna kill him now
We all met about half past three
Lucy she was rocking by my kicking machine
Too many straits and not enough grease
That's when Lucy got it in the chest I think
Lucy Lucy my gal
Lucy Lucy my sweet
Lucy Lucy my gal
I was just gonna hit him but I'm gonna kill him now
Lucy they started fighting I was screaming for him
Boots all dirty sexy and thin
Then on come the lights from the straits in their cars
I was just a laughing when I hit the floor
Lucy Lucy my gal
Lucy Lucy my sweet
Lucy Lucy my gal
I was just gonna hit him but I'm gonna kill him now
The lyrics to Ryan Adams's song "Shakedown on 9th Street" tell the story of a night out on the town that takes a violent turn. The singer invites his companion to join him on 9th street to party with their friends. He instructs her to wear a dress and bring his ring, setting a tone of recklessness and danger. As the night wears on, tensions build, and a fight breaks out. Lucy, the singer's love interest, gets caught in the crossfire and is injured. The singer expresses his love for Lucy as she's injured but also reveals his plans for revenge.
Overall, the lyrics of the song capture the sense of danger and excitement that comes with a night out on the town. The singer and his friends are full of bravado, ready to take on anyone who comes their way. However, they soon discover that their actions have consequences, and that their recklessness can lead to serious harm.
Line by Line Meaning
Head on down to 9th street gal
Let's go to Ninth Street and have fun
Lets go out kicking with the boys and the gals
Let's go out partying with everyone
Wear your dress and bring my ring
Dress up and bring my ring to show you're mine
Someone's gonna get it ain't gonna be me
Someone will be in trouble, but it won't be me
Lucy Lucy my gal
Addressing a woman named Lucy
Lucy Lucy my sweet
Complimenting Lucy by calling her sweet
Lucy Lucy my gal
Stressing the importance of Lucy
I was just gonna hit him but I'm gonna kill him now
I planned on hitting him, but now I plan to kill him
We all met about half past three
We all got together around 3:30
Lucy she was rocking by my kicking machine
Lucy was dancing near his motorcycle
Too many straits and not enough grease
The situation is tense and unbalanced
That's when Lucy got it in the chest I think
Lucy was hurt, maybe shot in the chest
Lucy Lucy my gal
Repeated emphasis on the importance of Lucy
Lucy Lucy my sweet
Continued compliment to Lucy
Lucy Lucy my gal
Re-emphasizing Lucy's importance
I was just gonna hit him but I'm gonna kill him now
Repeating the desire to kill the person who hurt Lucy
Lucy they started fighting I was screaming for him
Lucy and the attacker started fighting, and he called out for help
Boots all dirty sexy and thin
Describing someone's boots
Then on come the lights from the straits in their cars
Police cars arrived
I was just a laughing when I hit the floor
He got knocked down and laughed about it
Lucy Lucy my gal
Concluding with the importance of Lucy
Lucy Lucy my sweet
Closing with a compliment to Lucy
Lucy Lucy my gal
Final reminder of the importance of Lucy
I was just gonna hit him but I'm gonna kill him now
Final repetition of the desire to kill the attacker
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind