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
Start All Over
Shannon McNally Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But is it dreaming if it's all I ever do?
The days are bleeding they just run together
The nights are cold in the deep of Minnesota
From where I lie I can see the airport
I watch them land and I see them leave
So many things that I've never done
So much ends before it's begun
I'm so tired I lie awake at night
Watching the moonlight circle my head
It's just about as blue as blue can get
When I get out of this bed it's gonna
Start all over again?
Mississippi sun doesn't shine this far north
I'm dreaming of peaches and bare tanned knees
A place that's warm where they just let you be
Where you can stay forever cause the rent is free
And I'm so tired I could cry
I' m so tired all I can do is sigh
Watching the moonlight circle my head
It's just about as blue as blue can get
When I get out of this bed it's gonna
Start all over again?
The lyrics of Shannon McNally's "Start All Over" convey a sense of frustration and longing. The singer is dreaming of escaping her mundane existence in Minnesota, where she feels stuck and unfulfilled. The constant routine of her days is exhausting her, and she is yearning for something different, something more.
The imagery in the song is powerful, with the singer watching the planes take off and land at the airport, symbolizing the possibility of escape. She longs for a place where she can be free and feel the warmth of the sun on her skin. The repetition of the line "I'm so tired" emphasizes the singer's exhaustion and her desire for change.
Line by Line Meaning
All this dreaming will drive me crazy
Constantly daydreaming is making me feel mentally unstable.
But is it dreaming if it's all I ever do?
Questioning if my constant daydreaming is actually dreaming if it's all I ever do.
The days are bleeding they just run together
The days all blend together and pass by very quickly.
The nights are cold in the deep of Minnesota
The nights are chilly and long during the deep winter of Minnesota.
From where I lie I can see the airport
I have a view of the airport from my current position.
I watch them land and I see them leave
I observe planes arriving and departing from the airport.
So many things that I've never done
I have not experienced many things in life.
So much ends before it's begun
Many opportunities fade away before they even start.
And I'm so tired I could cry
I am extremely exhausted and could break down in tears.
I'm so tired I lie awake at night
I am so exhausted that I struggle to sleep at night.
Watching the moonlight circle my head
I am observing the moonlight shining on my surroundings.
It's just about as blue as blue can get
The moonlight is a very deep blue color.
When I get out of this bed it's gonna
Start all over again?
Questioning if life will just continue in the same monotonous cycle.
Mississippi sun doesn't shine this far north
Being in a northern state, I do not experience the same warmth as Mississippi does.
I'm dreaming of peaches and bare tanned knees
I am dreaming of a warm destination where people wear shorts and spend their days indulging in fresh fruit.
A place that's warm where they just let you be
I yearn for a location with warm weather and relaxed atmosphere.
Where you can stay forever cause the rent is free
Anticipating a place where I could stay for an extended duration due to free rent.
I'm so tired all I can do is sigh
I am so exhausted that I can only let out a deep, heavy sigh.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SHANNON MCNALLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind