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.
Sylvia Plath
Ryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Busted tooth and a smile
And cigarette ashes in her drink
The kind that goes out and then sleeps for a week
The kind that goes out on her own
To give me a reason, for well, I dunno
And maybe she'd take me to France
In a mansion on the top of a hill
She'd ash on the carpets
And slip me a pill
Then she'd get me pretty loaded on gin
And maybe she'd give me a bath
How I wish I had a Sylvia Plath
And she and I would sleep on a boat
And swim in the sea without clothes
With rain falling fast on the sea
While she was swimming away, she'd be winking at me
Telling me it would all be okay
On the horizon and fading away
And I'd swim to the boat and I'd laugh
Gotta get me a Sylvia Plath
And maybe she'd take me to France
And maybe to Spain, she'd ask me to dance
In a mansion on the top of a hill
She'd ash on the carpets
And slip me a pill
Then she'd get me pretty loaded on gin
And maybe she'd give me a bath
How I wish I had a Sylvia Plath
I wish I had a Sylvia Plath
The song “Sylvia Plath” by Ryan Adams is an ode to the late poet and writer Sylvia Plath. The lyrics express a longing for a muse like Plath, someone who is troubled and complex but also beautiful and inspiring. The opening lines “I wish I had a Sylvia Plath, busted tooth and a smile, and cigarette ashes in her drink” are a vivid description of the type of woman the singer desires. He wants someone whose flaws make her interesting, someone with whom he can have a deep intellectual connection.
The lines “And maybe she’d take me to France, or maybe to Spain, she’d ask me to dance, in a mansion on the top of a hill, she’d ash on the carpets and slip me a pill” suggest a wild and exciting life with Plath, full of adventure and excess. The singer is willing to follow her anywhere, even if it means getting into trouble. The lyrics also describe a sense of comfort with Plath, as she would “give me a bath” and “get me pretty loaded on gin.” The final lines “And I’d swim to the boat and I’d laugh, gotta get me a Sylvia Plath” suggest that the singer recognizes the danger of becoming too attached to such a person, but cannot resist the allure of a muse like Plath.
The song’s reference to Sylvia Plath is significant as she is a highly revered figure in the literary world, known for her groundbreaking work and her tragic death by suicide at age 30. The song was released in 2003, the same year as the biopic “Sylvia” starring Gwyneth Paltrow as Plath. Ryan Adams has stated in interviews that the song was written after he read Plath’s journals and was inspired by her writing.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish I had a Sylvia Plath
The singer wishes to have someone like Sylvia Plath in their life
Busted tooth and a smile
The singer desires someone who is flawed yet happy
And cigarette ashes in her drink
The singer visualizes Sylvia Plath as someone who is careless and free-spirited
The kind that goes out and then sleeps for a week
The artist wants someone who can take a break from life and just rest
The kind that goes out on her own
The artist wants someone who is independent and not afraid to be alone
To give me a reason, for well, I dunno
The singer wants Sylvia Plath to provide a sense of direction in his life
And maybe she'd take me to France
The singer dreams of traveling to new places with Sylvia Plath
Or maybe to Spain, she'd ask me to dance
The artist imagines a romantic relationship with Sylvia Plath
In a mansion on the top of a hill
The artist envisions a luxurious lifestyle with Sylvia Plath
She'd ash on the carpets
The artist wants Sylvia Plath to be carefree and unafraid of making a mess
And slip me a pill
The singer desires Sylvia Plath's encouragement to let loose and enjoy life
Then she'd get me pretty loaded on gin
The artist wants to experience all of life's pleasures with Sylvia Plath
And maybe she'd give me a bath
The singer wants Sylvia Plath to take care of him and pamper him
How I wish I had a Sylvia Plath
The singer repeats his desire to have someone like Sylvia Plath in his life
And she and I would sleep on a boat
The singer considers possible adventures with Sylvia Plath
And swim in the sea without clothes
The artist wants to experience freedom and liberation with Sylvia Plath
With rain falling fast on the sea
The artist sets a scene for his dreamy getaway with Sylvia Plath
While she was swimming away, she'd be winking at me
The singer wants to feel desired and appreciated by Sylvia Plath
Telling me it would all be okay
The singer wants Sylvia Plath to reassure him that everything will be alright
On the horizon and fading away
The artist acknowledges the fleeting and transitory nature of happiness and joy
And I'd swim to the boat and I'd laugh
The artist dreams of sharing moments of joy and laughter with Sylvia Plath
Gotta get me a Sylvia Plath
The artist emphasizes his desire to find someone like Sylvia Plath in his life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD CAUSON, RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jennifer P. Canady
I wish I had a Sylvia Plath
Busted tooth and a smile
And cigarette ashes in her drink
The kind that goes out and then sleeps for a week
The kind that goes out on her own
To give me a reason, for well, I dunno
And maybe she'd take me to France
Or maybe to Spain, she'd ask me to dance
In a mansion on the top of a hill
She'd ash on the carpets
And slip me a pill
Then she'd get me pretty loaded on gin
And maybe she'd give me a bath
How I wish I had a Sylvia Plath
And she and I would sleep on a boat
And swim in the sea without clothes
With rain falling fast on the sea
While she was swimming away, she'd be winking at me
Telling me it would all be okay
On the horizon and fading away
And I'd swim to the boat and I'd laugh
Gotta get me a Sylvia Plath
And maybe she'd take me to France
And maybe to Spain, she'd ask me to dance
In a mansion on the top of a hill
She'd ash on the carpets
And slip me a pill
Then she'd get me pretty loaded on gin
And maybe she'd give me a bath
How I wish I had a Sylvia Plath
I wish I had a Sylvia Plath
stickypool
There's something hauntingly beautiful about this. Adams can sure write a song.
Jennifer P. Canady
I wish I had a Sylvia Plath
Busted tooth and a smile
And cigarette ashes in her drink
The kind that goes out and then sleeps for a week
The kind that goes out on her own
To give me a reason, for well, I dunno
And maybe she'd take me to France
Or maybe to Spain, she'd ask me to dance
In a mansion on the top of a hill
She'd ash on the carpets
And slip me a pill
Then she'd get me pretty loaded on gin
And maybe she'd give me a bath
How I wish I had a Sylvia Plath
And she and I would sleep on a boat
And swim in the sea without clothes
With rain falling fast on the sea
While she was swimming away, she'd be winking at me
Telling me it would all be okay
On the horizon and fading away
And I'd swim to the boat and I'd laugh
Gotta get me a Sylvia Plath
And maybe she'd take me to France
And maybe to Spain, she'd ask me to dance
In a mansion on the top of a hill
She'd ash on the carpets
And slip me a pill
Then she'd get me pretty loaded on gin
And maybe she'd give me a bath
How I wish I had a Sylvia Plath
I wish I had a Sylvia Plath
Jennifer Beetz
thank you so much for transcribing this- it's great to be able to read along as I listen...
bcimhe
A lovely tribute from a man who I believe knows what it's like to drown in one's own thoughts. Here's thanking them both for letting us know someone else went down down that beautiful rabbit hole...
EBAY STARS
Such a beautiful song supported by an undercurrent of strings. I researched more about the life and times of Sylvia Plath as I lived in London in 60's hippy hey days. What a wonderful lady, what a tragic way to end it...So many men would have a loved such a wonderful, interesting, dynamic and creative wife...
luluz7
such a beautiful melody.. it has almost hypnotic impact on me
Austin Brumfield
Ryan Adams is an underrated American troubador . Like his champion Elton John, he's very prolific, and his rootsy alt-country and tender ballads (Elton's strengths as well) are hit-or-miss, sounding generic sometimes and at other times, brilliant. Ryan's quavery smoker's voice is capable of tender expression. His masterpiece thus far is "Gold," an album where all his good eggs are in one basket, including the plaintive piano ballad "Sylvia Plath.". Adams, clearly a poetic lyricist, pines for the sensuous capricious woman he imagines the depressed but incandescent Plath to be. The song ends by imagining one of her famous suicide attempts as he swims out of sight.
Nathaniel Hornblower
+Austin Brumfield Nah mate, Heartbreaker rules!
John Hardesty
Plath & Sexton were geniuses who strolled away to their dark closets, suggest they were abused as children, yet they produced their gilded poetry in this dire and fomenting apocalyptic way, suggest that torture souls are best kept away from life and the binds of depression besiege all who pick up a quill to express it, shall be cursed forever!
melissa
Best song & lyrics ever written