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/
Hard Way to Fall
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The way the cars shine
And the scotch that she drinks
With her lips so fine
And her shoulders go weak
As she closes her eyes
Oh, my God, when she was mine
How she loses her keys
How she loses her cool
Watching blackbirds scatter through the trees
How she flips from the back to the front
Reading magazines
Oh, my God, I miss those things
And it's a hard way to fall
And this ain't the easy way down
And it's a hard thing to love anyone, anyhow
So if it's gotta be you
Treat her nice
Hold her hand
And tell her twice
That she doesn't have to worry
And it will be alright
It's alright this time
It's alright this time
See her smiling at him?
That used to be me
I could find her in a thunderstorm
Just by the way that the rain would fall
And we used to be something
But somethin' happened to me
Oh, my God, when I was free
And it's a hard way to fall
And this ain't easy way down
And it's a hard thing to love anyone, anyhow
And it's a hard way to fall
And this ain't the easy way down
And it's a hard thing to love anyone, anyhow
In "Hard Way to Fall," Ryan Adams & The Cardinals sing about heartbreak and the aftermath of a failed relationship. The song captures the conflicting emotions of missing someone who used to mean the world to you and watching them move on with someone else. The opening lines set the scene of a rainy night, and the singer is struck by the beauty of the woman he used to love as she drinks scotch and closes her eyes in ecstasy. He remembers the little things about her that he used to cherish, such as the way she moves through a room and loses her keys, or how she flips through magazines. But even as he reminisces, he recognizes that he's fallen hard and it's not an easy thing to love anyone right now. He advises whoever is with her to treat her well and assure her that everything will be alright.
Line by Line Meaning
See the rain on the street
Observing raindrops as they fa;; on the pavement.
The way the cars shine
Noticing the reflection of the cars on the wet ground while it motions.
And the scotch that she drinks
Acknowledging the woman's choice of drink - whiskey, which also hints towards her feelings of loneliness or need for warmth.
With her lips so fine
Describing the beauty of her lips while she sips her drink.
And her shoulders go weak
Seeing her physically weaken, possibly due to the effects of the drink or the memories that crawl back in her mind.
As she closes her eyes
Noticeably observing the expression of her eyes as they shut tightly, hinting at a feeling of sorrow or remorse.
Oh, my God, when she was mine
Expressing regret at the loss of this woman who was once his companion.
See how she moves through the door
Mentally recording her movement as she moves through the door.
How she loses her keys
Noticing how she frequently misplaces her things, highlighting her constant state of anxiety.
How she loses her cool
Noting how easily she loses her temper or her ability to remain calm in simple situations.
Watching blackbirds scatter through the trees
Appreciating the beauty of the blackbirds as they fly through the trees around her.
How she flips from the back to the front
Noticing her restlessness as she flips through the pages of magazines, looking for something to hold her attention.
Reading magazines
Observing her as she reads through magazines from the front to the back.
Oh, my God, I miss those things
Feeling a deep sense of nostalgia for the things that he once experienced with her.
And it's a hard way to fall
Accepting the difficulty of the path that led to his separation with her.
And this ain't the easy way down
Realizing that falling out of love is not an easy process and it leaves behind scars.
And it's a hard thing to love anyone, anyhow
Admitting the difficulty of accepting someone new into his life after experiencing the pain of separation.
So if it's gotta be you
Hypothetically addressing a new person who might enter his life.
Treat her nice
Counseling himself to treat his potential new partner with kindness and love.
Hold her hand
Advising himself to take care of his new partner emotionally.
And tell her twice
Reminding himself to reassure her of his love on multiple occasions.
That she doesn't have to worry
Assuring his new partner that he will take care of her needs and she does not need to worry about anything.
And it will be alright
Promising himself and his partner that everything will work out fine in their relationship.
It's alright this time
Giving himself the confidence that he can and will be able to start anew and revive his lost love.
See her smiling at him?
Watching the woman smile at someone, suggesting her acceptance to or involvement with that person.
That used to be me
Coming to terms with the end of his relationship and how things have changed for both of them.
I could find her in a thunderstorm
Reflecting on how he used to know his partner's behavior and habits, thus knowing her location even in a storm.
Just by the way that the rain would fall
Remembering a time when he had to locate his partner in a storm simply by the sound of the rain, which was unique to her.
And we used to be something
Acknowledging that he and his partner had a special bond between them that has changed over time.
But something happened to me
Feeling the change within himself that led to the breakup of their relationship.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BRADLEY SMITH PEMBERTON, CATHERINE ANNE POPPER, JOHN PAUL BOWERSOCK, JONATHAN GRABOFF, RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind