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.

Sweet Illusions
Ryan Adams Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Let me go I'm only letting you down
I got nothing to say to you now
Lose the feelings that are weighing me down
When I'm sane

It's turning morning all the birds sing
I'm not complicating anything
I'll have another and then I'll go to bed

And dream of you

Cause it's almost over
Yeah it's almost gone

I can feel the sweet illusion
Sweet confusion
Sweet illusion coming down
And I ain't got nothing but love for you now

You and I used to shine like a jewel
But time's been nothing to us but cruel
So play it out and never play the fool
Cause you'll lose everytime

We were nothing,we were only the past
Hard times like that don't last
I've been forgiven,I've been surpassed
By my heart
Have you?

Cause it's almost over
Yeah it's almost gone

I can feel the sweet illusion
Sweet confusion
Sweet illusion coming down
And I ain't got nothing but love

Love for you that I can't use
Lonely nights multiplied by the blues
I can't resolve

You never knew me but you did you're best
I'm just lonely inside I guess
You gave me everything you really tried
Thanks

If we are nothing and we're only the past
Well I'm just living in a dream I guess
A long black dream that takes me down the river to you

Where it's almost over
And it's almost gone

And I can feel the sweet illusion
Sweet confusion
Sweet illusion coming down

Sweet illusion
Sweet confusion

Sweet illusion coming down
And I ain't got nothing but love for you now

Overall Meaning

The song Sweet Illusions by Ryan Adams and The Cardinals is a poignant reflection on a past relationship that has now run its course. The opening lines express the need to end the relationship and move on, as the feelings that were once shared have now become a burden. The singer acknowledges that it is almost over and that soon he will be free from the sweet illusion of love that has kept him bound.

As the morning dawns, the singer reaffirms that he is not making things complicated, but instead seeks solace in the arms of another lover who can offer temporary respite from the pain of a broken relationship. The chorus repeats the phrase "sweet illusion," which can be interpreted as both the false hope of rekindling the romance, as well as the bittersweet memories that are fading away. The song's melancholic tone is highlighted as the singer admits to feelings of loneliness, amplified by the blues.

In the final verses, the singer reflects on the lost love, acknowledging that hard times have come and gone. The relationship was once reminiscent of a shining jewel, but time has been cruel, and both parties have moved on. Despite this, the singer still has nothing but love for the other person, even if it is now just an unrequited and unusable emotion. The song ends with a longing for a dream that takes the singer down the river to the past, where the sweet illusion of love can be relived once more.

Line by Line Meaning

Let me go I'm only letting you down
I'm not good for you, so it's better if we part ways

I got nothing to say to you now
I have no words left to express my thoughts or feelings to you

Lose the feelings that are weighing me down
I need to get rid of the emotions that are making me feel trapped and unhappy

When I'm sane
Only when I'm thinking rationally and clearly

It's turning morning all the birds sing
A new day is starting and nature is waking up with joy

I'm not complicating anything
I'm keeping things simple and straightforward

I'll have another and then I'll go to bed
I'll have a drink to relax and then I'll go to sleep

And dream of you
You'll still occupy my thoughts even when I'm sleeping

Cause it's almost over
Our relationship has run its course and is coming to an end

Yeah it's almost gone
Our love has faded away and is disappearing

I can feel the sweet illusion
I'm sensing a pleasant but false sense of reality

Sweet confusion
A state of mental unrest and uncertainty

Sweet illusion coming down
The false reality is starting to unravel

And I ain't got nothing but love for you now
Despite everything, I still have affection for you

You and I used to shine like a jewel
Our love used to be perfect and brilliant

But time's been nothing to us but cruel
With time, our love has deteriorated and become harsh

So play it out and never play the fool
Finish things properly and don't make silly mistakes

Cause you'll lose everytime
If you don't play your cards right, you'll come out as the loser

We were nothing,we were only the past
We were meaningless, just a part of history

Hard times like that don't last
Difficult situations come and go

I've been forgiven,I've been surpassed
I've been pardoned and others have done better than me

By my heart
But my heart is still true

Have you?
Has your heart remained faithful as well?

Love for you that I can't use
I still love you, but it's not practical or possible to act on it

Lonely nights multiplied by the blues
My nights are long and lonely, making my sadness worse

I can't resolve
I can't find a solution or a way forward

You never knew me but you did you're best
You didn't really understand me, but you tried your hardest

I'm just lonely inside I guess
I'm feeling lonely and sad, but I suppose that's just how I am

You gave me everything you really tried
You did your best to give me all that you could, and I appreciate that

Thanks
Thank you for everything you did for me, even if it didn't work out in the end

If we are nothing and we're only the past
If our love meant nothing and it's just a part of our history

Well I'm just living in a dream I guess
Then I must be living in a false illusion of what could have been

A long black dream that takes me down the river to you
A never-ending nightmare that brings me back to memories of you

And I can feel the sweet illusion
The false belief that things between us could have worked out

Sweet confusion
The mixed emotions that come with this false belief

Sweet illusion coming down
Realizing that the sweet illusion is falling apart

And I ain't got nothing but love for you now
Although everything is coming to an end, I still have love for you

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRADLEY SMITH PEMBERTON, CATHERINE ANNE POPPER, CINDY CASHDOLLAR, JOHN P BOWERSOCK, RYAN ADAMS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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