While studying anthropology at Franklin and Marshall College, McNally began singing and playing guitar in clubs. After graduating and honing her skills on the streets of Paris as a busker, she secured a deal with Capitol Records in 1997. McNally was intent on making an acoustic record and entered the studio with studio professionals including Jim Keltner, Benmont Tench, and Greg Leisz. The resulting album Jukebox Sparrows was not released at the time.
In the interim, McNally opened for Stevie Nicks and Ryan Adams, and was part of the 1999 Girl's Room tour with Tara MacLean, Kendall Payne, and Amy Correia. She also modeled for Urban Decay cosmetics. In 2000, McNally issued the holdover EP Bolder Than Paradise. When Capitol finally issued Jukebox Sparrows in January 2002, it did so into a market that had already embraced such roots-flavored material as Ryan Adams and the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack. McNally embarked on a press tour, and spent the summer of that year supporting John Mellencamp. In late 2002, she released the Ran on Pure Lightning EP, a collaboration with songwriter Neal Casal.
In 2005, McNally returned with the country, blues, and soul influences on the album Geronimo. The album's June release was accompanied by a summer's worth of live dates. Early 2006 saw the release of McNally's third album, North American Ghost Music. Tour dates with Son Volt also coincided its release.
McNally took off most of 2008 and 2009 after the birth of her first child. She has resumed performing and recording and toured with Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women. In 2009 she released the album Coldwater with her band Hot Sauce. McNally currently resides near Oxford, Mississippi.
In 2013, McNally released Small Town Talk, a tribute album to the songs of Bobby Charles. In an interview, McNally said that she was a longtime friend of Bobby Charles and Small Town Talk was inspired by Charles' first, self-titled album from 1973
Roll Away the Stone
Shannon McNally Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't gonna save my soul
So my baby daddy says
Wants me to settle down
A little Mississippi town, yeah
Stop all this runnin' around
Til' somebody calls the cops
Yes, it's a backbeat
Really brings a heat
Was the devil in a drivin' seat
I said oh, come on
Let's get down to the bone
Oh, come on
Tell me can you feel it?
Roll away the stone
Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll
Ain't gonna save my soul
So my baby daddy says
And he don't mean it
Doesn't see it
How rock 'n' roll can raise the dead
Yes it ain't no lie
It'll kill ya 'til you die
Oh yeah
Yes it'll shave you dry
So shake it 'til it bleeds, man
Can give you what you need
Then move over so your soul can feel
I said oh, come on
Let's get down to the bone
Oh, come on
Tell me can you feel it?
Roll away the stone
It ain't no lie
It'll kill ya 'til you die
Oh yeah
Yes it'll shave you dry
So shake it 'til it bleeds, man
Can give you what you need
Then move over so your need can feel
I said oh, come on
Let's get down to the bone
Oh, come on
Tell me can you feel it?
Roll away the stone
Shannon McNally's "Roll Away the Stone" is a song that speaks to the struggle of balancing the wild and free spirit of rock and roll with the responsibilities of everyday life. The song begins with the classic phrase, "sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll," which is a common trope that characterizes much of the rock and roll lifestyle. The lyrics, however, suggest that this lifestyle is not enough to save one's soul, as the singer's "baby daddy" advises her to settle down and stop "all this runnin' around" in a small town in Mississippi. Despite this advice, the singer can't seem to stop reaching for the top until someone calls the cops. The song's backbeat brings a heat that feels as though the devil is driving, which accentuates the song's sense of danger and illicitness.
The lyrics go on to suggest that rock and roll is more than just a lifestyle; it can raise the dead. However, the singer's baby daddy doesn't see it this way, warning that it will kill her until she dies and leave her dried up. Despite this possibility, the singer encourages the listener to keep shaking it until it bleeds and move over so your soul can feel. The song ultimately speaks to the tension between the freedom and excitement of rock and roll and the more grounded aspects of life that often require more responsibility.
Line by Line Meaning
Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll
Ain't gonna save my soul
So my baby daddy says
My partner thinks that indulging in excesses like sex, drugs and rock and roll won't do me any good in the long run and won't lead to spiritual enlightenment
Wants me to settle down
A little Mississippi town, yeah
Stop all this runnin' around
My partner wants me to calm down and live a quieter life by settling in a small town in Mississippi so that I won't keep moving around constantly
But I can't seem to stop reaching for the top
Til' somebody calls the cops
However, I'm unable to stop myself from pursuing success and fame until somebody intervenes to stop me, no matter the consequences
Yes, it's a backbeat
Really brings a heat
Was the devil in a drivin' seat
This music has an infectious beat which could be likened to the devil possessing the performer as they play, driving the rhythm
I said oh, come on
Let's get down to the bone
Oh, come on
Tell me can you feel it?
Roll away the stone
Let's strip away all the distractions and really delve into the heart and soul of this music, can you feel it? Let's find our own spiritual enlightenment through it like rolling away a stone
And he don't mean it
Doesn't see it
How rock 'n' roll can raise the dead
My partner doesn't understand how rock and roll music can have a spiritual effect on people and potentially revive their spirits after being emotionally dead
Yes it ain't no lie
It'll kill ya 'til you die
Oh yeah
Yes it'll shave you dry
Yes, it's true that rock and roll can be dangerous and drain everything from you, leaving you completely empty
So shake it 'til it bleeds, man
Can give you what you need
Then move over so your soul can feel
But you have to give your all, put everything into the music, until it hurts, in order to really experience the spiritual benefits and connect with your soul
I said oh, come on
Let's get down to the bone
Oh, come on
Tell me can you feel it?
Roll away the stone
Once again, let's strip away all the distractions and really delve into the heart and soul of this music, can you feel it? Let's find our own spiritual enlightenment through it like rolling away a stone
Writer(s): cary hudson, shannon mcnally
Contributed by Gavin A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.