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
The Hard Way
Shannon McNally Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
with a feather around his neck
I traded his misspent youth for my better sense
I got a thank you very much
then he split and left me with the check
why do I feel so bad, feel so sad
you know he told me that I would
cause at the time it felt so good
a young mother with a nursing child sat plainly on the ground
she rocked and rocked that child to sleep sweet, on her bossom brown
our eye's met for a moment then she looked away
the child cried out in hunger there was nothing else to say
why do I feel so bad, feel so sad
you know he told me that I would
i never learn nothing but the hard way
cause at the time it felt so good
I dreampt I saw a bandit he was pointing with his gun
I don't think he meant me well no it seemed my luck was done
the channel surfers raged on as he shot the children down
there ain't nothing makes me sadder than to watch my mother frown
why do I feel so bad, feel so sad
you know he told me that I would
i never learn nothing but the hard way
cause at the time it felt so good
i know this guy he keeps asking to see my inner self
he's lookin, lookin, lookin and the book's right on the shelf
so I point out diagram forty two line seventeen
it's a graph of intent baby is this what you need?
why do I feel so bad, feel so sad
you know he told me that I would
i never learn nothing but the hard way
cause at the time it felt so good
bored ficticious characters inhabiting the earth
misplacing value and finding girth
longing for silence they build jack hammer fences
to tie, tear and castigate their long tortured senses
why do I feel so bad, feel so sad
you know he told me that I would
i never learn nothing but the hard way
cause at the time it felt so good
I headed down to New Orleans to see what do I know
it turns out not very much oh the river told me so
no surprise oh no surprise this I already knew
you can run but you can never hide when the river comes for you
why do I feel so bad, feel so sad
you know he told me that I would
i never learn nothing but the hard way
cause at the time it felt so good
The song "The Hard Way" by Shannon McNally discusses the idea of learning from life's experiences, but often learning through hardship and pain. In the first verse, McNally speaks of a man who stole from her and left her with the bill, despite having given him her trust. She laments her naivety and inability to learn from others' mistakes, and the feeling of sadness that accompanies it. In the second verse, McNally sings of a struggling mother with a child who cannot provide for her child, leaving her helpless and ashamed. McNally's choice of words paints a picture of despair and hopelessness, perhaps reflecting the cycle of poverty that plagues so many.
The third verse then shifts to a more disturbing image of a bandit pointing his gun at McNally, leaving the listener with the impression that danger can lurk around any corner. The next verse touches on the futility of self-exploration when confronted by someone who already has all the answers. McNally then turns her attention to society and its misplaced priorities, culminating with the idea that one can never run from one's past, no matter how hard they try.
Overall, the song suggests that life is often cruel and unfair, but one can still learn from these experiences and perhaps become stronger through them. While the lyrics are somewhat bleak, McNally's bluesy voice and musical backing create an atmosphere of redemption and hope, giving the song a sense of inspiration rather than despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I stand judged and bothered by a man
with a feather around his neck
I traded his misspent youth for my better sense
I got a thank you very much
then he split and left me with the check
The singer is being judged and annoyed by a man who has a feather around his neck. She traded his misspent youth for her better sense and he left her with the check after thanking her. She feels used and cheated.
why do I feel so bad, feel so sad
you know he told me that I would
i never learn nothing but the hard way
cause at the time it felt so good
The singer is questioning why she feels so bad and sad. The man warned her that she would feel this way as she never learns anything unless it's the hard way. She only learns from experiences that felt good at the time.
a young mother with a nursing child sat plainly on the ground
she rocked and rocked that child to sleep sweet, on her bossom brown
our eye's met for a moment then she looked away
the child cried out in hunger there was nothing else to say
The singer observed a young mother nursing her child on the ground. They made eye contact briefly before the mother looked away. The child cried out in hunger and there was nothing else to say. The scene highlights the struggles and hardships of motherhood.
I dreampt I saw a bandit he was pointing with his gun
I don't think he meant me well no it seemed my luck was done
the channel surfers raged on as he shot the children down
there ain't nothing makes me sadder than to watch my mother frown
The artist had a dream about a bandit pointing a gun at her. She felt like her luck had run out and feared for her life. Meanwhile, people were watching TV and children were getting shot on the screen. The artist feels the most sadness when her mother is unhappy.
i know this guy he keeps asking to see my inner self
he's lookin, lookin, lookin and the book's right on the shelf
so I point out diagram forty two line seventeen
it's a graph of intent baby is this what you need?
The artist knows a guy who keeps asking to see her inner self. He keeps searching but the answer is right there on the shelf. She shows him a specific diagram from a book that explains intent. She wonders if it's what he was looking for.
bored ficticious characters inhabiting the earth
misplacing value and finding girth
longing for silence they build jack hammer fences
to tie, tear and castigate their long tortured senses
The singer describes fictional characters who are bored and misplaced. They long for silence but instead build walls that are loud and destructive. They are tortured by their own desires.
I headed down to New Orleans to see what do I know
it turns out not very much oh the river told me so
no surprise oh no surprise this I already knew
you can run but you can never hide when the river comes for you
The singer went to New Orleans to try and find herself. However, she learned that she doesn't know much, as the river told her. She already suspected this, as you can never truly run from yourself when reality catches up to you.
Contributed by Colton A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.