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
Sweet Forgiveness
Shannon McNally Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everyday I wake to more of the same
The garden don't grow
'Cause greed never gets old
And my weapon of choice
Has got a lonely voice
It's lost in the brambles and buried in the noise
So forgive my love, forgive my broken heart
Forgive my love, was anything ever so hard
I'm angry to the bone
Feeling all alone, sweet forgiveness, yeah
Forgiving my love doesn't make them right
For taking what was ours and wounding the light
But it all comes back around in many unseen ways
They get theirs, they get theirs, they get theirs
May we never seek revenge
Bill never be paid
If this ache in our hearts is ever to go away
We only feed their greed by carrying that rage
So forgive my love, forgive my broken heart
Forgive my love, was anything ever so hard
I'm angry to the bone
Feeling all alone, sweet forgiveness, yeah
Sweet forgiveness, sweet forgiveness
May this melody reveal
And help me to heal with forgiveness, yeah, alright
'Cause I don't want a life that's soft and high
If it means that others must suffer and die for my comfort
'Cause I just don't know how to shut my eyes
Shut my eyes, shut my eyes
So forgive my love, forgive my broken heart
Forgive my love, was anything ever so hard
I'm angry to the bone
Feeling all alone, sweet forgiveness, yeah
Sweet forgiveness, sweet forgiveness
May this melody reveal
And help me to heal with forgiveness
Yeah, alright, alright, baby
The song "Sweet Forgiveness" by Shannon McNally is a reflective piece about the concept of forgiveness. The lyrics highlight how the endless cycle of greed and anger can lead to a feeling of isolation and despair. The opening lines reveal the news as being an unrelenting force that has turned cold in the singer's veins. The garden no longer grows, symbolizing how the actions of the greedy affect more than just themselves. The weapon of choice might be a literal tool or a figurative one, either way, it possesses a lonely voice, buried in the brambles and forgotten in the noise. The singer hears its call faintly, reminding them of the importance of forgiveness.
The chorus acknowledges the difficulty of forgiveness. The singer asks for forgiveness for their broken heart while acknowledging that forgiving others doesn't make what they did right. Revenge wouldn't fix the hurt caused, instead, it would feed the greedy's desire for more. The bridge highlights the danger of living a comfortable life, ignoring the suffering of others. The singer doesn't want a soft and easy life that comes with a cost. The song's overall message is one of acceptance and personal responsibility. Holding onto anger and bitterness only leads to more suffering, while forgiveness allows for healing and growth.
Line by Line Meaning
The news blows cold in my veins
Every bit of news I hear feels cold and unwelcome, making me feel detached and indifferent.
Everyday I wake to more of the same
Each day brings more of the same old, repetitive things that make me feel lost and uninspired.
The garden don't grow
Nothing grows or improves for me, lacking the essential qualities of nurturing and growth.
'Cause greed never gets old
Greed is an unchanged attribute that continues to dominate everything that I encounter.
And my weapon of choice
The tool I would use to fight back or confront the issue at hand.
Has got a lonely voice
My instrument or solution is helpless, standing alone and unable to make an impact.
It's lost in the brambles and buried in the noise
My method of dealing with things is invisible, drowned out by the clutter and noise around me.
But I hear it still, faint, but steady calling
Despite this, I can still hear my means of protest calling out to me, faintly but consistently.
So forgive my love, forgive my broken heart
I implore you to forgive me for my shortcomings and heartbreak.
Forgiving my love doesn't make them right
Thinking of my loved ones, I understand that forgiving them doesn't justify what they did.
For taking what was ours and wounding the light
Their actions have robbed us of something important and it has left us feeling hurt.
But it all comes back around in many unseen ways
However, we believe that karma will catch up with them in unexpected ways.
They get theirs, they get theirs, they get theirs
Eventually, they will get what's coming for them.
May we never seek revenge
We should never try to seek revenge ourselves.
Bill never be paid
We shouldn't want their debt to be repaid either.
If this ache in our hearts is ever to go away
The only way to heal our pain is to move on and forgive.
We only feed their greed by carrying that rage
Maintaining our anger just gives them more fuel to continue their corrupt actions.
Sweet forgiveness, sweet forgiveness
Forgiveness is what we desire.
May this melody reveal
Let this song be a way to show our desire for forgiveness.
And help me to heal with forgiveness
We believe that forgiveness will be the way to move on and feel whole again.
'Cause I don't want a life that's soft and high
We do not want a luxurious, privileged life at the expense of others.
If it means that others must suffer and die for my comfort
If that's the toll we have to pay to experience wealth of luxury, we do not want it.
'Cause I just don't know how to shut my eyes
We cannot ignore the plight and suffering of others, it's hard to shut out the world.
Sweet forgiveness, sweet forgiveness
Forgiveness is what we need.
Yeah, alright, alright, baby
We say it in acceptance of the accompanying feeling and its goodness.
Contributed by Victoria F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.