She moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1991 with the goal of becoming a country artist. Songwriter Harlan Howard heard Sara as she sung a demo of one of his songs, "Tiger By the Tail" at County Q Studios**, and decided she should sing his music. She went under contract with RCA.
In 1997 Evans released her first album Three Chords and the Truth. Critics praised the album for returning to traditional country and recognized it on many of their top ten of the year lists. Unfortunately, it did not catch on with country radio at the time and none of the three singles made the top 40.
In 1998 Evans released her sophomore album No Place That Far. Critics slammed her for choosing a more pop/country oriented album. Her first single "Cryin' Game" hardly charted. It would be her next single "No Place That Far," a duet with Vince Gill, that would be her first number one single. The album has been certified gold. She actually had been a backup singer for Vince Gill, which definitely played a role in showcasing her talents and leading her ever growing popularity and success.
Evans released her "make it or break it" album, Born To Fly in 2000. Her first single "Born To Fly" hit the number one spot and proved to be her biggest hit until "Suds in the Bucket." The hits kept coming in as her next single "I Could Not Ask For More" hit the number two spot. "Saints and Angels," Evans' favorite song on the album, hit the number sixteen spot and the last single "I Keep Looking" made it to the number five spot. Thus far, the album has been certified double platinum.
Evans led the pack as the most nominated artist at the 2001 Country Music Association awards with seven nominations, and won her first CMA award when her song “Born to Fly” won the award for Video of the Year.
In 2003 Evans released Restless. This album showed her versatility as the songs combined different genres such as country, pop, blues, and soul. The album's first single "Backseat of a Greyhound Bus" went to number sixteen. The next single, "Perfect," went to number two. The next single "Suds in the Bucket" went to number one and became her biggest hit since "Born to Fly" and quickly became a fan favorite among her songs. The next single "Tonight" failed to reach the top 40. Restless has been certified platinum.
In 2004 Evans was the most played female singer on country music radio thanks to singles such as "Suds in the Bucket" and "Perfect."
In 2005, Sara Evans struck gold with the country ballad "A Real Fine Place to Start". With help from this single her album Real Fine Place was propelled to No.1 on the top of the country charts and No. 3 on the pop charts with over 130,000 copies sold in the first week, nearly tripling the sales from her last album debut Restless. Real Fine Place was the best debuting album of her career. The single from the album stood on top of the Billboard and Radio and Record Charts for two weeks. Evans was nominated for two CMA awards, including the prestigious "Female Vocalist of the Year" and prized "Musical Event of the Year" (the latter in part due to her duet with Brad Paisley, "New Again"). However, she lost in both categories. Sara went on the road with Brad Paisley and newcomers Sugarland on Brad's "Time Well Wasted Tour". Her current single "Cheatin'" has quickly become the fastest rising single of her career. Real Fine Place has recently been certified gold.
On December 6, 2005 Sara released Feels Like Home through Cracker Barrel stores. The album consists of alternate versions of some of her most memorable songs. For example, there is an acoustic version of "No Place That Far," a live version of "Born To Fly," and several other versions of her most popular songs.
Need To Be Next To You
Sara Evans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Telling my heart I didn't need you
Pretending I was better off alone
But I know that it's just a lie
So afraid to take a chance again
So afraid of what I feel inside
But I need to be next to you
I need to share every breath with you
Oh I, oh I
I need to know I can see your smile each morning
Look into your eyes each night
For the rest of my life
Here with you near with you
Oh I, I need to be next to you
Right here with you is where I belong
I'll lose my mind if I can't see you
Without you there is nothing in this life
That would make life worth living for
I can't bear the thought of you not there
I can't fight what I feel anymore
But I need to be next to you
Oh I, oh I
I need to share every breath with you
Oh I, oh I
I need to know I can see your smile each morning
Look into your eyes each night
For the rest of my life
Here with you near with you
Oh I, I need to be next to you
Oh I, I need to be next to you
I need to have your heart next to mine
For all time
Love you for all of my life
But I need to be next to you
Oh I, oh I
I need to share every breath with you
Oh I, oh I
I need to know I can see your smile each morning
Look into your eyes each night
For the rest of my life
Here with you near with you
Oh I, I need to be next to you
"Need To Be Next To You" is a song by American country singer Sara Evans. It was first released in 2000, as a part of her album "Born to Fly." The lyrics express the intense desire of the singer to be close to the person she loves, after having run from her feelings for a long time. She admits that she pretended to be better off alone but knows deep down that it's just a lie. Despite being afraid of taking a chance again, she declares that she needs to be next to her lover and share every breath with him. The chorus of the song repeats this need to see his smile each morning and look into his eyes each night for the rest of her life.
Through the lyrics, we can feel the emotional turmoil of the singer. She tells her heart that she didn't need him and pretends to be okay without him, but her true feelings continue to surface. The lyrics also emphasize the importance of being close to someone you love, of sharing intimate moments with them daily. The singer is ready to take a chance and admit her feelings and make a commitment for the rest of her life.
Line by Line Meaning
Been running from these feelings for so long
I have been avoiding my emotions towards you for a lengthy period.
Telling my heart I didn't need you
I have been convincing myself that I could live without you.
Pretending I was better off alone
I pretended that being alone was better for me than being with you.
But I know that it's just a lie
I am aware that this is not true.
So afraid to take a chance again
I am too scared to give us another opportunity.
So afraid of what I feel inside
I am afraid of the emotions that I have for you.
I need to be next to you
It is mandatory for me to be by your side.
I need to share every breath with you
I want to spend every moment with you, breathing the same air.
I need to know I can see your smile each morning
It is essential for me to see your beautiful smile every morning.
Look into your eyes each night
I want to gaze deep into your eyes every night.
For the rest of my life
This is my desire for the entirety of my existence.
Here with you near with you
I want to be near you at all times.
Right here with you is where I belong
I feel complete and content when I am by your side.
I'll lose my mind if I can't see you
I will go insane if I cannot see you.
Without you there is nothing in this life
You are the only thing that makes my life worth living.
That would make life worth living for
You are the reason I find value in living.
I can't bear the thought of you not there
The idea of you not being with me is unbearable.
I can't fight what I feel anymore
I am done trying to suppress my feelings for you.
I need to have your heart next to mine
I need our hearts to be intertwined.
For all time
Forever.
Love you for all of my life
I will love you for the entirety of my existence.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Realsongs
Written by: Diane Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind