Ryan Adams (born David Ryan Adams on November 5, 1974) is an alt-country an… Read Full Bio ↴Ryan Adams (born David Ryan Adams on November 5, 1974) is an alt-country and rock and roll songwriter and singer from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, which was at the time considered one of the leaders of the alt-country genre, Adams left the band and released his first solo album, Heartbreaker, in 2000 (which was subsequently nominated for the Shortlist Music Prize). As well as his solo albums, Adams has released five albums as Ryan Adams & the Cardinals.

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.

Silver Bullets
Ryan Adams Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Go and get the gun
Cause its only getting worse
Go and fill it up with silver bullets
Cause I can't see the sun
But I know its going away
And I can't make you love me
And you can't make me stay
I'm the wolves at the door

You're not supposed to let in
But you can't make me feel if I'm not feeling
And I can't see the sun
But I know its going away
And I can't make you love me
And you can't make me stay

Other Live Lyrics:
It's only getting worse
So I get loaded up
On silver bullets

And I can't see the sun
I know it's gone away
I can't be the one
If you won't let me stay

So go draw yourself a bath
And find the kitchen drawer
Cause you can't make me smile
Anymore

And I can't see the sun
I know it's gone away
And I can't be the one
If you won't let me stay

So honey, go find the gun
I think it's in your purse
And get loaded up
With silver bullets

And I can't see the sun
I know it's gone away

And I can't be the one
You can't make me stay

Overall Meaning

The song "Silver Bullets" by Ryan Adams and The Cardinals is an emotional and introspective piece that reflects on a deteriorating relationship. The lyrics evoke vivid imagery of darkness and desperation, as the singer describes feeling trapped and helpless. The opening lines "go and get the gun, cause it's only getting worse" suggest a sense of hopelessness and a desire to escape. The use of "Silver Bullets" in the song title and throughout the lyrics could be interpreted as a reference to a werewolf, as silver bullets are often the only way to kill them, or it could be a metaphor for a desperate attempt to end the pain of a doomed love affair.

As the song progresses, the lyrics express a sense of resignation. The singer acknowledges that they cannot control how the other person feels and that they cannot force themselves to stay in a relationship that isn't working. The line "I'm the wolves at the door, you're not supposed to let in" suggests that the singer may be aware of their own destructive tendencies in the relationship. However, they also assert their own agency by acknowledging that no one can make them feel anything they aren't already feeling.

Overall, "Silver Bullets" is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the complexities of human relationships and the ways in which we struggle to control our own emotions and desires.

Line by Line Meaning

Go and get the gun
Take the gun and prepare for the worst

Cause its only getting worse
Things are not getting better, they are getting worse

Go and fill it up with silver bullets
Load the gun with silver bullets

Cause I can't see the sun
The future looks bleak and there is no hope

But I know its going away
Things are about to change for the worse

And I can't make you love me
I cannot force you to love me

And you can't make me stay
You cannot force me to stay when I want to leave

I'm the wolves at the door
I represent a danger that should not be let in

You're not supposed to let in
You should not be letting me in, but you are

But you can't make me feel if I'm not feeling
You cannot make me feel something I do not feel

Other Live Lyrics:
These are lyrics from another version of the song

It's only getting worse
Things are deteriorating

So I get loaded up
I take drastic measures

On silver bullets
Loading the gun with silver bullets

And I can't be the one
I cannot be the one you want me to be

If you won't let me stay
If you do not allow me to stay

So go draw yourself a bath
Take a bath to relax

And find the kitchen drawer
Look in the kitchen drawer for something

Cause you can't make me smile
You cannot make me happy

Anymore
It used to be different, but not anymore

So honey, go find the gun
Go and get the gun

I think it's in your purse
I believe the gun is in your handbag

And get loaded up
Load the gun with bullets

And I can't be the one
I cannot be the person you want me to be

You can't make me stay
You cannot force me to stay

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

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