In a review of his debut single, ''Say Anything,'' Billboard magazine praised the newcomer citing, ''It's a strong debut that displays McAnally's gifts as both a writer and vocalist.'' Billboard calls ''Are Your Eyes Still Blue,'' an appealing uptempo number... production is crisp and flatters McAnally's energetic performance... his voice perfectly conveys the sense of longing and resignation in the lyric.'' Of the most recent single, ''Run Away,'' radio veteran Tim Closson claims, ''Shane has created his own category.'' Now, with his long anticipated debut album, SHANE McANALLY due in stores October 24, he is ready to do just that.
McAnally began performing at the age of 12 and started writing songs when he was 6. By age 15, he was a featured performer at the Texans Theater in Branson, Missouri. After his run at the theater, he went back to Texas where he performed at the Johnny High Music Review, as well as at various festivals. ''It's hard to imagine a time when music didn't encompass some part of my day. As a kid, I was always singing,'' he remembers.
As Shane began to prepare for the future, it was hard for him to foresee music being a tangible career choice. However, he realized while studying accounting at the University of Texas at Austin that music was his passion, and he had to give it his all. ''One day at the end of my second semester I was in a chemistry class and, instead of taking notes, I found myself writing a song,'' he admits. ''Music is always something I have had a knack for and have truly enjoyed.''
Soon after his arrival in Nashville and a lucky break on the famed Bluebird stage, Shane met with Curb Music Publishing. There, he was provided with the encouragement to work on the craft of songwriting and introduced to Rich Herring, a singer/songwriter who wanted to produce. Herring and McAnally collaborated on the demo of Shane's song, ''Just One Touch.'' It was an unforgettable experience for him. ''Rich would put a guitar track down, I sang to it, then he produced around it. When he came to me with the finished song, I could not believe what I heard! It was exactly what I had dreamed of.''
Ultimately, a year later, that demo landed Shane a producer, a publishing deal and a recording contract. He began co-writing with Herring, as well as other songwriters. Shane found that collaborating allowed him to really stretch himself as a songwriter and to hone in on his musical style. McAnally prides himself on writing detailed songs about real situations. He is influenced by the vocals of Marty Robbins, Ronnie Milsap, and The Judds, as well as the entertaining style of Barbara Mandrell. ''The way the crowd would respond to those artists and the connection they had with their audiences
'' I want to do what they did,'' says McAnally. ''It's an extremely dramatic process,'' McAnally says of his musical evolution.
Along with Rich Herring, famed producer Brian Ahern (Emmylou Harris, Anne Murray) and Mark Bright are also part of Shane's musical team. ''He's a musical genius,'' says Shane of Ahern. ''He's very earthy and raw, just what I wanted. He took the time to say 'What do you want to do?' The sides we cut with Brian and Rich are amazing! It's not because of my vocals or because of the songs. It's because of the combination we all brought to the record.''
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Are Your Eyes Still Blue
Shane McAnally Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said you looked great, as if i care
He went on to tell me ?bout the changes that you've made
From your new job to the way you cut your hair
I've heard you were wearing someone else's ring
The whole town's talkin' ?bout how different you seem
I still remember how they used to shine
Or did that change too
After the day you said goodbye
You did what you had to do
Out with the old, in with the new
If I saw you, would I even know it's you
Are your eyes still blue
I dialed your number like a thousand times before
But the operator said I got it wrong
So I drove by your house
But you don't live there anymore
Looks like you really have moved on
I still remember the girl you used to be
I was so in love with the way you looked at me
Maybe it's true what they say
That nothing ever stays the same
Are your eyes still blue
I still remember how they used to shine
Or did that change too
After the day you said goodbye
You did what you had to do
Out with the old, in with the new
If I saw you, would I even know it's you
Are your eyes still blue
The song “Are Your Eyes Still Blue” by Shane McAnally is a reflective and poignant ballad about a break-up and moving on. The opening line, “Jessie Taylor said he saw you yesterday, said you looked great, as if I care” sets the tone of emotional distance between the singer and his former lover. The next line, “He went on to tell me ‘bout the changes that you’ve made, from your new job to the way you cut your hair”, is a reflection of how the singer is hurt by the fact that he no longer feels important enough in his ex-partner’s life for her to share these changes with him.
The lyrics of the chorus, “Are your eyes still blue, I still remember how they used to shine, or did that change too after the day you said goodbye...” is an evocative reminder of how much he once cared for her and his emotional vulnerability in recalling the past. The lines “Out with the old, in with the new, if I saw you, would I even know it’s you” demonstrate the inevitability of change, the difficulty of moving on, and uncertainty about the present reality, of how his former partner has moved on with her life. The song ends on an accepting note that change is inevitable, but memories of the past remain a crucial part of our lives, even if things never stay the same.
Line by Line Meaning
Jessie Taylor said he saw you yesterday
A mutual acquaintance claimed to have recently spotted you
Said you looked great, as if i care
He commented on your appearance, but I'm indifferent
He went on to tell me ?bout the changes that you've made
He proceeded to inform me about the alterations you've undergone
From your new job to the way you cut your hair
Including details like your current occupation and hairstyle
I've heard you were wearing someone else's ring
There are rumors circulating that you're wearing another person's engagement ring
The whole town's talkin' ?bout how different you seem
Everyone in town is talking about how much you have changed
Are your eyes still blue
I'm curious if your eyes are still the same shade of blue they used to be
I still remember how they used to shine
I recall how your eyes would sparkle in the light
Or did that change too
I'm wondering if your eye color has even changed
After the day you said goodbye
Subsequent to the moment you ended our relationship
You did what you had to do
You made whatever decisions necessary for you
Out with the old, in with the new
You left behind what was familiar and embraced change
If I saw you, would I even know it's you
I'm uncertain if I would recognize you if we passed each other
I dialed your number like a thousand times before
I attempted to call you repeatedly, without success
But the operator said I got it wrong
The operator informed me that I hadn't entered the correct number
So I drove by your house
Then, I proceeded to drive past your former residence
But you don't live there anymore
However, you no longer reside there
Looks like you really have moved on
It seems clear that you have indeed moved on
I still remember the girl you used to be
I still recall the person I fell in love with
I was so in love with the way you looked at me
I was enamored with the way you used to gaze at me
Maybe it's true what they say
Perhaps the saying is valid
That nothing ever stays the same
That everything undergoes inevitable alterations
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CARLIN AMERICA INC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE MANDILE, SHANE L MC ANALLY, JULIE VASSAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind