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.
Shiver And Shake
Ryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hear your voice, run your fingers through my hair
I reach out for your hand but I know it isn't there
I pick up my phone and I shiver and I stare
Morning coming early every day
I can barely sleep, I been lying here awake
I close my eyes, I see you with some guy
Maybe I'm a fool, doesn't matter anyway
My chest is all tight, my heart still aches
These are the days, you need double what it takes
I've missed you so much I shiver and I shake
I've missed you so much I shiver and I shake
I've been waiting here like a dog at the door
You used to throw me scraps, you don't do it anymore
I miss your loving touch, I miss your embrace
But if I wait here any longer I'm gonna fade away
If I wait here any longer I'll just fade away
"Shiver And Shake" by Ryan Adams is a poignant song that explores feelings of longing, heartbreak, and the struggle to move on from a lost love. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the singer's emotional state and his inability to let go.
In the opening lines, the ominous feeling of midnight approaching sets the tone for the song. The singer senses something is about to happen, a realization that is reinforced by the sound of the beloved's voice and the memory of their touch. However, the painful truth is that the person he desires is not there, and this absence leaves him feeling empty and alone. The act of picking up his phone symbolizes his desperate attempt to connect with the person he longs for, but the realization that they won't be there intensifies his emotional turmoil.
As morning arrives, the singer's restlessness persists. Sleep evades him as his mind is consumed by thoughts of his lost love. In his mind's eye, he sees them with someone else, laughing together without any acknowledgement of his existence. This image further deepens his heartache, highlighting the contrast between their happiness and his own misery.
The singer reflects on his own foolishness and acknowledges that it doesn't really matter. His emotions are overwhelming, causing tightness in his chest and persistent pain in his heart. He resents the days that demand more strength to endure, signifying that every day is a struggle without the presence of his loved one. The repetition of "I've missed you so much I shiver and I shake" underscores the intensity of his longing, emphasizing how deeply he yearns for their return.
The final stanza evokes a sense of helplessness and resignation. The singer compares himself to a dog waiting at the door, hoping in vain for affection and attention. The scraps, or small acts of affection, that were once given to him are now absent. He yearns for the loving touch and embrace he once knew but realizes that waiting any longer will only lead to his own demise. The metaphorical fading away indicates his recognition that he cannot continue to hold onto a love that has already departed.
Overall, "Shiver And Shake" delves into themes of unrequited love, longing, and the pain of holding onto something that no longer exists. It captures the emotional rollercoaster of heartbreak and the difficulty of finding closure and moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight coming, I can feel it in the air
I sense the approaching darkness, a heaviness in the atmosphere
I hear your voice, run your fingers through my hair
Echoes of your words and the tender touch linger in my memory
I reach out for your hand but I know it isn't there
Though I long for your presence, I am painfully aware of your absence
I pick up my phone and I shiver and I stare
As I hold my phone, I am frozen with anticipation and longing
Morning coming early every day
I wake to the early hours of each day
I can barely sleep, I been lying here awake
Sleep eludes me, I lie in bed wide awake
I close my eyes, I see you with some guy
When I shut my eyes, visions of you with another haunt me
Laughing like you never even knew I was alive
Your laughter intertwines with his, as if my existence never mattered
Maybe I'm a fool, doesn't matter anyway
Perhaps I am foolish, but it holds no significance
My chest is all tight, my heart still aches
My chest constricts, my heart continues to throb in pain
These are the days, you need double what it takes
These are the difficult times that demand twice the strength
I've missed you so much I shiver and I shake
The overwhelming yearning for you makes me tremble and quiver
I've been waiting here like a dog at the door
I have been waiting patiently, like a loyal dog by the entrance
You used to throw me scraps, you don't do it anymore
Once, you offered me meager affection, but now it is no longer given
I miss your loving touch, I miss your embrace
I long for the tenderness of your touch, the warmth of your embrace
But if I wait here any longer I'm gonna fade away
However, if I remain here any longer, I will slowly vanish
If I wait here any longer I'll just fade away
If I continue to wait, my existence will simply dissolve
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ryan Adams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben Thompson
[Verse 1]
Midnight coming, I can feel it in the air
I hear your voice, run your fingers through my hair
I reach out for your hand but I know it isn't there
I pick up my phone and I shiver and I stare
[Verse 2]
Morning coming early every day
I can barely sleep, I been lying here awake
I close my eyes, I see you with some guy
Laughing like you never even knew I was alive
[Verse 3]
Maybe I'm a fool, doesn't matter anyway
My chest is all tight, my heart still aches
These are the days, you need double what it takes
I've missed you so much I shiver and I shake
I've missed you so much I shiver and I shake
[Verse 4]
I've been waiting here like a dog at the door
You used to throw me scraps, you don’t do it anymore
I miss your loving touch, I miss your embrace
But if I wait here any longer I'm gonna fade away
If I wait here any longer I'll just fade away
Ron Belin
pox on the cards
'cause dealers deal the ruse
oxford never really was that hard
well. on the souls of shoes
now harvard has a clever crue, sartorial, imbued
last night the oscars plowed themselves
with mastic trumps in hand
the act a very unenthusiastic
blunder, who to choose
hollied, wooden, crumpled now, the stars all huddled
frumpy parts all huddled up
and jolly farscape-bundled muses playing to abusive, pundit muddled views: escaping arts so at an end
the screen has scened a run
the crud accrued on all those scriptic, styptic, cryptic martyred a la carte encryptions: lunch money that our children had to spend. obstrusely scarred with jewsy truths unbarred and fake
the landscape looks like, no more. just pretend then
start again. attend to that you are awake.
compose this one, well, in part,( mikerowed) maestro adams..i'll only need 10%
Ron Belin
pox on the cards
'cause dealers deal the ruse
oxford never really was that hard
well. on the souls of shoes
now harvard has a clever clue, sartorial, imbued
last night the oscars plowed themselves
with mastic trumps in hand
the act a very unenthusiastic
blunder, who to choose
hollied, wooden, crumpled now, the stars all huddled
frumpy parts all huddled up
and jolly farscape-bundled muses playing to abusive, pundit muddled views: escaping arts so at an end
the screen has scened a run
the crud accrued on all those scriptic, styptic, cryptic martyred a la carte encryptions: lunch money that our children had to spend. obstrusely scarred with jewsy truths unbarred and fake
the landscape looks like, no more. just pretend
start again
Ben Thompson
[Verse 1]
Midnight coming, I can feel it in the air
I hear your voice, run your fingers through my hair
I reach out for your hand but I know it isn't there
I pick up my phone and I shiver and I stare
[Verse 2]
Morning coming early every day
I can barely sleep, I been lying here awake
I close my eyes, I see you with some guy
Laughing like you never even knew I was alive
[Verse 3]
Maybe I'm a fool, doesn't matter anyway
My chest is all tight, my heart still aches
These are the days, you need double what it takes
I've missed you so much I shiver and I shake
I've missed you so much I shiver and I shake
[Verse 4]
I've been waiting here like a dog at the door
You used to throw me scraps, you don’t do it anymore
I miss your loving touch, I miss your embrace
But if I wait here any longer I'm gonna fade away
If I wait here any longer I'll just fade away
robinpreese
If the girl doesn’t take him back after THIS song than she’s crazy . ( he wrote this after his breakup with Mandy Moore )
Daniel Freire
ISSO AÍ QUE MÚSICA DE SOFRÊNCIA!!!
Lucy Smith
This song got me through so much shit and for that I salute you Ryan Adams
*casterisk*
this is my favorite song-makes me feel everything
Michael Emonds
Ryan Adams a musical genius.
T- man
@M C why?
M C
@T- man listen to I'm on fire by Bruce Springsteen and then this.
T- man
@M C ?
M C
Step one slow it down
Step two listen to at the very least two Bruce Springsteen album
And wallah