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/
The Hardest Part
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ain't got no money don't want no more
Pay my respects to the company boys now just move along
I worked hard for every little bit I got
And got lucky once on some advice
Met a dark haired girl that the Mississippi moon
Musta left by mistake one night
In a hurry, Lord
And that ain't the hardest part
The hardest part is loving
Somebody that cares for you so much
Promises don't pay cash at the bank
If they did I'm bidding your word
They couldn't pay me for the time that it took to write a check
To buy a babydoll for my girl
And I worked hard for every little bit I got
The things I got are gonna stay
And it's been flooding so hard on them company mines
That you know it's gonna flood someday
And you're gonna miss someone
And that ain't the hardest part
The hardest part is loving somebody that cares for you
And that ain't the hardest part
The hardest part is working and I've worked enough
I could stretch that penny like a silver line
Rolling through the pages of my life
Underneath your name where it's underlined
I've been turned around
I've been mystified by a true love
And that ain't the hardest part
Talkin' bout a true love
And that ain't the hardest part
And that ain't the hardest part
And that ain't the hardest part
In "The Hardest Part" by Ryan Adams and The Cardinals, the lyrics begin by paying respect to the company store, a reference to the old practice of mining towns where workers would purchase their goods from stores founded by the company that employed them. The singer sings that he has worked hard for everything he has, and while he got lucky with some advice, he did meet a girl he loved, who left him abruptly. However, he believes that the hardest part of it all is loving someone who cares for him so much, and that his hard work has taught him to make a penny stretch like a silver line.
The song is ultimately about the difficulties that come with love and loss, as well as the struggles of the working-class. The lyrics subtly touch on themes of economic exploitation and the way that love can be both a source of inspiration and pain. The chorus of the song emphasizes these themes, repeating the idea that the hardest part is loving and working, through a simple yet powerful melody. The song's slow and melancholic melody conveys a deep sense of longing and sorrow, perfectly matching the wistful yet resigned tone of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Pay my respect to the company store
Acknowledging the trade of labor for wages, showing respect to the employer
I ain't got no money don't want no more
Having earned enough, refusing to continue trading labor for wages
Pay my respects to the company boys now just move along
Showing respect to fellow workers, encouraging them to keep working
I worked hard for every little bit I got
Having put in effort to earn every single wage
And got lucky once on some advice
Having received fortuitous guidance that helped to improve earnings
Met a dark haired girl that the Mississippi moon
Having been acquainted with an attractive woman who disappeared suddenly
Musta left by mistake one night
Assuming that the woman left inadvertently
In a hurry, Lord
Assuming that the woman left rapidly
And that ain't the hardest part
Contrasting the ease of these past circumstances with present struggles
The hardest part is loving
Identifying love as a difficult challenge
Somebody that cares for you so much
Referring specifically to the difficulty of loving someone who loves in return
Promises don't pay cash at the bank
Noting that promises are of little monetary value
If they did I'm bidding your word
Assuming the person addressed is not trustworthy with monetary promises
They couldn't pay me for the time that it took to write a check
Noting the time and effort required to write a check, and likening it to the value of the item purchased
To buy a babydoll for my girl
Narrating a past act of generosity to a romantic partner
And I worked hard for every little bit I got
Reaffirming the hard-earned status of past wages
The things I got are gonna stay
Expressing confidence in having earned that which will remain in his possession
And it's been flooding so hard on them company mines
Likening a catastrophic flood to the potential for economic hardship affecting his place of work
That you know it's gonna flood someday
Expecting the worst with respect to economic volatility
And you're gonna miss someone
Acknowledging the inevitability of loss
Talkin' bout a true love
Drawing attention to the concept of genuine, reciprocated romantic love
And that ain't the hardest part
Conceding that this can be difficult but not as difficult as other challenges
And that ain't the hardest part
Reiterating the previous statement
And that ain't the hardest part
Again reiterating the previous statement
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BRAD PEMBERTON, CATHERINE POPPER, J.P. BOWERSOCK, JON GRABOFF, RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind