Regarding the band's name, Adams stated that he "suggested the Cardinals because it was my high school football team". Initially, The Cardinals consisted of Ryan Adams, Brad Pemberton, JP Bowersock, Catherine Popper, and Cindy Cashdollar. The band toured in 2004 and recorded Cold Roses. Cashdollar left in 2005 and was replaced by Jon Graboff.
The band toured worldwide without Cashdollar to promote Cold Roses, and during this period returned to the studio to record their second album, Jacksonville City Nights. Bowersock left after the album was recorded, and was replaced by Neal Casal.
In 2006, Popper left the band and was replaced by Chris Feinstein prior to a European tour in 2006. In 2007, The Cardinals joined Ryan Adams to record his new album, Easy Tiger, and the album's producer, Jamie Candiloro, was added to the lineup on piano. Follow the Lights appeared later in the year, once again produced by Candiloro. The album, Cardinology, was released in October 28, 2008; III/IV followed in 2010.
On December 15, 2009, bassist Chris Feinstein died. A posthumous EP, Class Mythology, featuring Feinstein was released on April 16, 2011
Band members:
Ryan Adams – vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica and banjo (2004–2009)
Brad Pemberton – drums and percussion (2004–2009)
Neal Casal – guitar, piano and vocals (2005–2009)
Jon Graboff – pedal steel, mandolin, guitar and vocals (2005–2009)
Chris Feinstein – bass guitar and vocals (2006–2009); died December 15, 2009
Catherine Popper – bass guitar, vocals and piano (2004–2006)
J. P. Bowersock – guitar (2004–2005)
Cindy Cashdollar – steel guitar, lap steel, guitar and vocals (2004–2005)
Jamie Candiloro – piano and keyboards (2006-2007)
www.myspace.com/ryanadamsandthecardinals/
Blossom
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What will you blossom into?
Without anyone to hold you
How will you grow?
And in the Wildwood trees
The wild wind blows
And the nighttime crushes the hurricane rose
Who knows
Blossom for me rose
You're the picture of my love
Blossom for me rose
Stretch out underneath the stars
And when tomorrow comes
I will hold you up
Little blossom, shining in the sun
Without any place to go to
How will your soul return to
Without anyone to keep you
Where will you go
And in the shadows of the past
Where you're spinning so fast
It's hard to see it coming
And it never lasts
And with nothing to judge your life by
How will you know
Blossom for me rose
You're the picture of my life
Blossom for me rose
Stretch out underneath the stars
And when tomorrow comes
I will hold you up
Little blossom, shining in the sun
Without anyone to love you
What will you blossom into
Without anyone to hold you
How will you grow
The lyrics of Blossom by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals revolve around the theme of love and its significance in allowing individuals to bloom and grow. The opening lyrics of the song emphasize that one's ability to blossom and grow is directly related to the presence of love and care in their lives. The reference to the "Wildwood trees" and the "hurricane rose" represents the difficulty of survival in the absence of care or nurturing. The second verse delves deeper into the impact of the lack of love and how it can lead to a person feeling lost and lacking direction. The shadows of the past are alluded to as something that can hold a person back and make it difficult for them to move forward without someone to guide them.
The chorus, which is repeated throughout the song, speaks to the importance of having someone to care for you as a means of enabling personal growth and development. The image of the rose as a blossom is significant because it represents something that is delicate and beautiful, in need of care and protection to truly thrive. The concluding lyrics return to the opening theme and emphasize the consequences of the absence of love in one's life.
Overall, Blossom is a heartfelt and poignant song that speaks to the fundamental human need for love and care. It emphasizes the vital role that relationships play in allowing us to grow and develop, and the potentially dire consequences of not having someone to care for us.
Line by Line Meaning
Without anyone to love you
What will your potential be without someone to share it with?
What will you blossom into?
What will you become and achieve without love?
Without anyone to hold you
How will you learn and mature without the comfort of someone's support and guidance?
How will you grow?
How will you develop as a person without someone to nurture you?
And in the Wildwood trees
Nature and its unpredictable ways.
The wild wind blows
Life's unexpected events can throw us off balance.
And the nighttime crushes the hurricane rose
The song title 'hurricane rose' symbolizes something beautiful yet vulnerable. Nighttime can represent the struggles we face, and sometimes our hopes and dreams can be crushed during these tough times.
And with no one to care for you
When you're going through tough times, it can be hard not to feel lost and alone.
Who knows
The uncertainty of life is often hard to reconcile with.
Blossom for me rose
A plea for the beauty of life to shine through adversity.
You're the picture of my love
The rose represents love and the people who need it.
Stretch out underneath the stars
The night sky can be beautiful and reassuring.
And when tomorrow comes
Hope that the next day will be better than the last.
I will hold you up
Support and love through difficult times.
Little blossom, shining in the sun
A beautiful metaphor for life triumphing over struggle.
Without any place to go to
What happens when you're stranded and alone, with nowhere left to turn?
How will your soul return to
How can we find a way back to ourselves when we're lost?
Without anyone to keep you
Sometimes, the support we need can come from the most unlikely sources.
Where will you go
The search for belonging is universal, even when it seems impossible.
And in the shadows of the past
The things we carry with us from our past can be both beautiful and painful.
Where you're spinning so fast
The chaotic nature of life can be disorienting and exhausting.
It's hard to see it coming
Sometimes, the challenges we face can come out of nowhere, without warning.
And it never lasts
Things change all the time, and sometimes the most memorable moments are fleeting.
And with nothing to judge your life by
What happens when you have no external influence to hold yourself up against?
How will you know
How do we construct our own sense of purpose and meaning in life?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind