Working with player/producers Jimmy Bralower and Johnny Gale, Ryan dug deep into the “soul mine” for overlooked gems by obscure artists like the Combo Kings and the Sharpees along with more familiar songs made famous by Wilson Pickett, Jackie Wilson, and Bobby Womack. Ryan’s original tunes—“Nobody” (the first single), “We Got Love,” and “Over and Done” —are most definitely of the moment but built on the old-school values of strong melodies and meaningful lyrics.
Ryan delivers every song with the kind of emotional commitment and vocal panache that have nearly van¬ished from the mainstream musical landscape. Compositional craft and studio technology blend in an album of irresistible appeal from the opening dance blast of “Do the 45” to the heart-wrenching ballad “I Am Your Man” and “Over and Done,” the upbeat Ryan Shaw original that closes the set on a joyful, triumphant note.
On stage, Ryan brings it all together with a combination of Southern warmth and New York vitality. Using just a small rhythm section and two male backing vocalists, he’s able to effectively reproduce the sound of his album while stretching some tunes into full-on vocal rave-ups. Ryan’s thrilling voice and charismatic presence are all that he needs to get over with an audi¬ence. There’s no posturing or mindless booty-shaking, no need for contrived antics: Ryan Shaw is the real deal.
It Gets Better
Ryan Shaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They try to tell me I'm living in the past
They say boy you better
change if you wanna last
But I know it's worth the fight to do what in my
heart
Gimme my microphone and watch this fire start
Cuz when I'm
doing my thing
Their words seem to past
And I got a real good feeling
This
is gonna last
Cuz they don't understand when it's real
Hook
It gets
Better
Verse 2
How you gone tell me that I imitate
I'm influenced maybe
so
But you ain't ever seen my show
And what sad is that you run the
industry
Verse 1
They try to tell me I'm living in the past
They say boy you better
change if you wanna last
But I know it's worth the fight to do what in my
heart
Gimme my microphone and watch this fire start
Pre 1
Cuz when I'm
doing my thing
Their words seem to past
And I got a real good feeling
This
is gonna last
Cuz they don't understand when it's real
Hook
It gets
Better
Verse 2
How you gone tell me that I imitate
I'm influenced maybe
so
But you ain't ever seen my show
And what sad is that you run the
industry
But you fail by over looking
what the business really needs
Pre
2
But I'm gone follow what's inside of me
For I know what the lord has put
there
Will set me free
And when it's all said and done Ima make you see
It
gets better
Verse 3
It's like finding love that you've been looking
for
And you know right from that moment you'll be looking no more
It's like
Verse 1
They try to tell me I'm living in the past
They say boy you better
change if you wanna last
But I know it's worth the fight to do what in my
heart
Gimme my microphone and watch this fire start
Pre 1
Cuz when I'm
doing my thing
Their words seem to past
And I got a real good feeling
This
is gonna last
Cuz they don't understand when it's real
Hook
It gets
Better
Verse 2
How you gone tell me that I imitate
I'm influenced maybe
so
But you ain't ever seen my show
And what sad is that you run the
industry
But you fail by over looking
what the business really needs
Pre
2
But I'm gone follow what's inside of me
For I know what the lord has put
there
Will set me free
And when it's all said and done Ima make you see
It
gets better
Verse 3
It's like finding love that you've been looking
for
And you know right from that moment you'll be looking no more
It's like
finding that one thing you were meant to do
And you know with everything you
must follow through
Pre 3
That's what I'm feeling deep
down in my
soul
and this burning I will never let it burn cold
If they knew what I knew
then they would know
It gets better
Bridge
I'm taking myself out of
the box
I'm ripping chains I'm breaking the locks
And I won't to like
everybody
I don't care every body ain't me
The song "It Gets Better" by Ryan Shaw encourages listeners to follow their hearts, even when facing criticism from others. In the first verse, Shaw acknowledges that he's been told to change to keep up with the times, but he believes it's worth fighting for what's in his heart. He asserts that his true passion is in his music and that he's ready to ignite the fire within him. In the pre-chorus, he becomes confident that his music will last and that naysayers won't be able to touch him. In the chorus, the song title "It Gets Better" is repeated, emphasizing the message that things will improve for those who follow their dreams.
In the second verse, Shaw calls out the music industry for being too focused on imitation and not enough on the genuine artistry. He asserts that they have overlooked the business's real needs. He contrasts himself with those who only imitate others, stating that he is true to himself and his unique performance style, which has never been seen before. In the second pre-chorus, he discloses that he will follow his heart and what the Lord has placed within him, which he believes will set him free. He ends the song by expressing that he will continue to follow his dreams, and when he achieves them, everyone will see that "It Gets Better."
Line by Line Meaning
They try to tell me I'm living in the past
Others tell me to change my ways to stay relevant
They say boy you better change if you wanna last
They advise that I change my approach to succeed
But I know it's worth the fight to do what in my heart
I believe in my passion and it's worth the struggle to follow it
Gimme my microphone and watch this fire start
I'll show them what I'm capable of with my talent and passion
Cuz when I'm doing my thing
When I'm in my element
Their words seem to past
I ignore their criticism
And I got a real good feeling
I have a confidence
This is gonna last
My success will endure
Cuz they don't understand when it's real
They don't comprehend genuine passion
It gets Better
Life ultimately improves with time
How you gone tell me that I imitate
They accuse me of copying others
I'm influenced maybe so
I admit my inspirations
But you ain't ever seen my show
You haven't witnessed my talent firsthand
And what sad is that you run the industry
It's unfortunate that you're in a position of power
But you fail by over looking what the business really needs
You overlook the true needs of the industry
But I'm gone follow what's inside of me
I'll trust my inner voice
For I know what the lord has put there
I trust that God put it there for a reason
Will set me free
It will liberate me
And when it's all said and done Ima make you see It gets better
I'll prove to you that things improve over time
It's like finding love that you've been looking for
It's akin to finding true love
And you know right from that moment you'll be looking no more
You recognize it immediately and don't need to search anymore
It's like finding that one thing you were meant to do
It's like discovering your life's purpose
And you know with everything you must follow through
You know you must see it through to the end
That's what I'm feeling deep down in my soul
I have a strong conviction in my heart
And this burning I will never let it burn cold
I won't let my passion fade
If they knew what I knew then they would know
If others understood my perspective
I'm taking myself out of the box
I'm breaking free from limitations
I'm ripping chains I'm breaking the locks
I'm breaking free from constraints
And I won't to like everybody
I'm not trying to please everyone
I don't care every body ain't me
I accept that not everyone will understand me
Writer(s): Ryan Arlandus Shaw, Ryan Shaw Copyright: B Shaw Pub, Round Hill Songs
Contributed by Alyssa L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
cagwa
Ryan Shaw is amazing. He should be a HUGE giant in the industry. If Michael Buble can make millions with his retro sound, so can Ryan Shaw.
Cindy Cooley
I absolutely love this artist! His music is for all generations!
n3nshat11
love his upbeat music. so good
Royce Lynch
It's a fun and energetic sound and it's a good message too!
Fyercat
2 time Grammy nominee!! Go Ryan! I hope to see him on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise again!
Philip Alexander
This guy is crazy good,esp live. Would love to see him again.
Clark Steven
this guy is awesome. put em on the damn radio already
Jimmy van den Bergh
Eindelijk weer muziek... ben blij dat er ook nog nummers als deze uitgebracht worden en niet alleen die Kermis/botsauto muziek van Britney spears, Lasgo, Agnes, etc.. met allemaal dezelfde soort opbouw en wat altijd op tmf komt! DIT IS MUZIEK!
Robert van Someren
I love it!
suusjezan
HE IS AMAZING