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/
Peaceful Valley
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the peaceful valley
Down the winding river
To your city your soul
I've grown so tired
And my hearts grown heavy
To walk any longer
To your cities of gold
But I can never seem to get enough
All my life I've been rocked into the darkness
With a gun to my head
Trying to find a peaceful song
Trying to find a peaceful song
To sing when everything goes wrong
Till the peaceful valley calls me home
Up there in the clouds
In that glorious kingdom
Tell me there ain't nothing but an easy recline
Can I still smoke my cigarettes and have my coffee
Up there in heaven with a bottle of wine
Cause all my life, I've longed for forgiveness
But I can never seem to get enough
All my life I've been rushed into the darkness
With a gun to my head
Trying to find a peaceful song
Trying to find a peaceful song
To sing when everything goes wrong
Till the peaceful valley calls me home
Oh take me home to the peaceful valley
Down the winding river
To your city or soul
Ryan Adams's song Peaceful Valley is a touching and introspective piece that speaks to the desire for forgiveness and the dream of finding a peaceful place of rest. The song opens with the singer expressing his longing to be taken home to the peaceful valley, a place of comfort and solace, away from the cities of gold that have left him tired and heavy-hearted. He has spent his whole life searching for forgiveness, but it seems like he can never get enough. The second verse has the singer wondering about the afterlife and whether he will be able to smoke cigarettes, have his coffee and wine in heaven. The song closes with the refrain "Trying to find a peaceful song, To sing when everything goes wrong, Till the peaceful valley calls me home".
Through his lyrics, Ryan Adams speaks to the human experience of longing for comfort and forgiveness. The peaceful valley represents a dream of a better place, a place to rest and find peace. The lyrics also touch on the vulnerability of the human struggle as the singer speaks of being rushed into darkness with a "gun to his head". There is a sense of urgency and longing to the song that is amplified through the repetition of the refrain which shows that despite the need to find a peaceful place of rest, the search is ongoing.
Overall, Peaceful Valley is a stirring and poignant song that speaks to the experience of being human: the mounting weight of life's hardships, the quest for peace and forgiveness, and the search for a place of rest.
Line by Line Meaning
Lord take me home
The singer is asking God to take him to his eternal home
To the peaceful valley
The singer wants to be in a serene and tranquil environment
Down the winding river
The singer prefers to travel in a peaceful and scenic way
To your city your soul
The artist wants to be in the presence of God
I've grown so tired
The artist is exhausted and has had enough of his worldly experiences
And my hearts grown heavy
The singer's heart is weighed down by his burdens and regrets
To walk any longer
The singer cannot continue his current path
To your cities of gold
The artist does not desire material wealth, which could be interpreted as a reference to Heaven
All my life I've loved for forgiveness
The artist has spent his life searching for redemption
But I can never seem to get enough
The artist feels that he has not yet achieved absolution for his past transgressions
All my life I've been rocked into the darkness
The singer has struggled with inner turmoil throughout his lifetime
With a gun to my head
The artist may be alluding to suicidal thoughts or simply the feeling of being under constant stress and pressure
Trying to find a peaceful song
The singer is searching for comfort through music
To sing when everything goes wrong
The singer wants to have a source of solace during difficult times
Till the peaceful valley calls me home
The singer is eagerly awaiting the end of his journey so he can reach his final resting place
Up there in the clouds
The artist is referencing Heaven, which is commonly depicted as being above the clouds
In that glorious kingdom
The artist is referring to Heaven as a place of grandeur and majesty
Tell me there ain't nothing but an easy recline
The singer is suggesting that he hopes Heaven is a place of comfort and rest
Can I still smoke my cigarettes and have my coffee
The singer is questioning whether his earthly habits will still be present in the afterlife
Up there in heaven with a bottle of wine
The artist is describing a hypothetical scenario where he is able to enjoy one of life's pleasures even in death
Cause all my life, I've longed for forgiveness
The artist reiterates his desire for absolution in preparation for the afterlife
All my life I've been rushed into the darkness
The artist has felt constantly overwhelmed by his struggles and baggage
Trying to find a peaceful song
The singer is still seeking solace in music
Till the peaceful valley calls me home
The artist is restating his ultimate goal of making it to his final destination
Oh take me home to the peaceful valley
The singer is directly addressing God and begging for his assistance
To your city or soul
The singer desires to be in the presence of God
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRADLEY SMITH PEMBERTON, CATHERINE ANNE POPPER, JOHN PAUL BOWERSOCK, JONATHAN GRABOFF, RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Debra Sarris
I love this song and the modern sounds of bluegrass that Ryan Adams has brought to me. I've only recently started to listen to him and his music, what a fortunate discovery for me.
alice robinson
❤️❤️❤️