Ryan Amador is a progressive pop artist based in Brooklyn, NY.

Ry… Read Full Bio ↴Ryan Amador is a progressive pop artist based in Brooklyn, NY.

Ryan grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles called "Palos Verdes," writing original songs on the piano at only 9 years old. In 2011, after 12 years of songwriting, he collaborated with music producer Justin Goldner and singer/songwriter Shaina Taub to release his first EP, “Symptoms of a Wide Eyed Being." The album was re-released in 2012 alongside a short collection of older songs, "Palos Verdes: A Teenage Retrospective," produced by David Baloche.

His interest in human rights led to the release of his most recent single, "Define Me," a duet with accomplished singer Jo Lampert of AVAN LAVA. The song is an LGBT anthem proposing a removal of labels that divide us. Jo and Ryan have performed the song at the True Colors LGBT Youth Conference on March 22 and at St. John The Divine for the first ever Spirit of Pride: Queer First Celebration curated by The Trevor Project. The video for the "Define Me" has reached over 133,000 views in its five months on youtube and was featured in the Huffington Post.

On June 28th, 2013, Ryan released his first full length album, "Ryan Amador" with an album release concert at Joe's Pub in New York.. The album features eleven new songs, including "Define Me" and live hits, "Instead" & "Skylark". Ryan was recently featured in the ASCAP EXPO's Singer/Songwriter Showcase and as an opening act for Adam Lambert at Pittsburgh Pride.

On the Surface
Ryan Amador Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

On The Surface
On the surface
The new life is the same
With different meaning
And dried up new terrain
And I can tell you
That I've been doing just fine, but I'd be lyin'
We're drawing circles

Our shits still on the peak
Jumping' hurdles
But you're still leaving me
And I can do it without you, but I can't say what I'd be going through
Cause the day you left was the last one I could know
But the body rises from its ashes in the snow
And to all of these survivors, who've lasted through the year
I ask you now to help me strip away unwanted fears
And give me strength to stand this
And courage to obey
Empower me with wisdom that can take away my pain
Cause you know that I'm out here asleep
And you held the only love to awaken me
There's no need to cry out I'm too weak, tired, and lonely
On the surface
I can make it seem like I'm A-OK but I can't get better with you watching me
I know you're looking closely
Like a spy with a broken eye
Just remember I'm trying to find a better topic than the lack of you and I
And I can't remember the way you're skin felt touching me
Or your moody temper, that had me pleading down at your knees
Or the stories you would tell to a crowd so eagerly
I wish they still could be apart of me
And I know in my heart there's a piece missing I think
But did you lose it when you dove in and started sinking
To all of these survivors, who've lasted through the year
I ask you now to help me strip away unwanted fears oh
And give me strength to stand this
And courage to obey
Empower me with wisdom that can take away my pain
Cause you know that I'm out here asleep
And you held the only love to awaken me

There's no need to cry out I'm too weak and tired
Oh there's no need to cry cause I'm too weak, tired, and lonely

Overall Meaning

Ryan Amador's song "On the Surface" is a confession of pain and heartbreak that comes with a break-up. The first verse of the song lays out the pretence of being fine, hiding the pain and the hurt under the surface. Even though Ryan claims to be doing fine, it is evident that he is hurting more than what he is willing to let out. He juxtaposes the feeling of surviving with the feeling of failing by saying "I can do it without you, but I can't say what I'd be going through."

The chorus of the song is a cry for help. Ryan pleads for strength, courage, and healing, calling out to other survivors who have been through similar experiences, to give him the power to overcome. The second verse of the song reveals the missing pieces of himself since the break-up. He talks about the physicality of the relationship, the feel of skin, the temper, and the stories that his partner would share with the world, which he wishes could still be a part of him. These memories are painful, and he struggles to recollect them, asking if these fragments of his former relationship are what caused the break-up in the first place.

The final line of the song is a plea for understanding and patience from his ex-partner. Ryan expresses that even though he may appear to be fine, it is a facade, and he is struggling with his emotions deep down. He asks his partner not to watch him closely as he tries to pick up the surviving pieces of his life.

Line by Line Meaning

On the surface
Despite appearances, things are not as they seem

The new life is the same
Despite changes, things remain constant

With different meaning
Despite similarities, things have taken on new significance

And dried up new terrain
Despite new opportunities, everything seems barren and unexciting

And I can tell you
I can share with you

That I've been doing just fine, but I'd be lyin'
I've been putting on a brave face, but the truth is I'm struggling

We're drawing circles
We're not making any real progress

Our shits still on the peak
Despite obstacles, we're still at the top of our game

Jumping' hurdles
Overcoming challenges

But you're still leaving me
Despite my efforts, you're still absent

And I can do it without you, but I can't say what I'd be going through
I'm capable of moving on, but I'm not sure how difficult it will be

Cause the day you left was the last one I could know
Since you left, my life has been characterized by uncertainty and confusion

But the body rises from its ashes in the snow
Despite adversity, we have the capacity to rise again

And to all of these survivors, who've lasted through the year
To those who have endured and persevered despite obstacles

I ask you now to help me strip away unwanted fears
I'm appealing to those who have overcome challenges to help me overcome my fears

And give me strength to stand this
I need help facing my current situation

And courage to obey
I need the courage to accept and obey what life has in store for me

Empower me with wisdom that can take away my pain
I need the healing power of wisdom to alleviate my pain

Cause you know that I'm out here asleep
I'm not really living, just going through the motions

And you held the only love to awaken me
You were the only one who could really make me feel alive

There's no need to cry out I'm too weak, tired, and lonely
There's no point in feeling sorry for myself, since it won't change anything

I can make it seem like I'm A-OK but I can't get better with you watching me
I may appear to be doing fine, but I can't truly heal until I move on from you

I know you're looking closely
I know you're watching me

Like a spy with a broken eye
Your perspective is distorted and not entirely reliable

Just remember I'm trying to find a better topic than the lack of you and I
I'm doing my best to move on and find something else to focus on besides our past relationship

And I can't remember the way you're skin felt touching me
I'm struggling to remember the good times we had

Or your moody temper, that had me pleading down at your knees
I'm struggling to move on from the intense emotions I had while we were together

Or the stories you would tell to a crowd so eagerly
I'm struggling to forget the things that made us close and connected

I wish they still could be apart of me
I wish I could hold onto the memories and feelings we shared, but I know I need to let them go

And I know in my heart there's a piece missing I think
I know I'm not complete without you

But did you lose it when you dove in and started sinking
I wonder if our connection was never as strong as I thought it was, or if you abandoned it for some reason

Oh there's no need to cry cause I'm too weak, tired, and lonely
I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me, since I'm well aware of my current state

Contributed by William F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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