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.
Tell Me How You Want Me
Ryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Makes me blue
Walking you home after school
Love you too
Tell my how you want me to feel
Then tell me why
Tell my how you want me to feel
Then tell me why
Summer came late, I'm in bed
Feel my head
Wounded but not too weak to stand
Understand
Tell my how you want me to feel
Then tell me why
Tell my how you want me to feel
Then tell me why
In the song, "Tell Me How You Want Me" by Ryan Adams, the artist explores the complexities of a relationship that appears to be in turmoil. The opening lines "I see your silver and your gold, makes me blue" reveal that the singer is envious of his partner's worldly possessions, which has caused him to feel downcast. The second line, "Walking you home after school, love you too" seems to suggest that although the singer is feeling downcast, he still loves his partner and likely wants things to work out between them.
As the song progresses, the singer shares a couple of internal reflections about how he has been feeling lately - "Summer came late, I'm in bed, feel my head/ Wounded but not too weak to stand, understand." These lines could be interpreted as a metaphor for how the singer's feelings for his partner have been delayed, causing him to feel unwell. However, he is still able to endure the pain and remain standing. The lines "Tell my how you want me to feel, then tell me why" are repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the singer's confusion about his partner's desires and motivations.
Overall, "Tell Me How You Want Me" is a haunting song that speaks to the difficulty of understanding the emotional complexities of a relationship. Adams's plaintive voice and the song's minimal instrumentation underscore the raw emotion at the heart of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I see your silver and your gold
I notice the wealth you possess
Makes me blue
It makes me sad or envious
Walking you home after school
Accompanying you
Love you too
Expressing love back
Tell my how you want me to feel
Instruct me on how to feel in response to your actions
Then tell me why
Explain the reasoning behind your request
Summer came late, I'm in bed
Summer arrived late, leaving me in bed due to an illness or feeling down
Feel my head
Checking for a fever or illness
Wounded but not too weak to stand
Experiencing emotional pain, but still able to persevere
Understand
Asking for comprehension or empathy
Contributed by Aiden S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.