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 Stuff You Gotta Watch
Shannon McNally Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(You should be mine, you should be mine)
Ya know the girl you love don't treat you right sometimes
(You should be mine, you should be mine)
There′s some stuff you gotta watch cause your girl loves to lie
Ya know the girl you love just stays out all night long
(You should be mine, you should be mine)
(You should be mine, you should be mine)
That stuff you gotta watch because your girl's treating you wrong
You need your hat (you need your hat)
You need your coat (you need your coat)
Yeah, cause you done found out that she don't want it anymore
That′s the stuff you gotta watch
That′s the stuff you gotta watch
That's the stuff you gotta watch if you don′t wanna lose your mind
Ya know the girl's no good but you don′t make no change
(You should be mine, you should be mine)
Yeah, the girl's no good but you don′t make no change
(You should be mine, you should be mine)
That's the stuff you gotta watch cause you justify it all the same
Well, she'll spend your dough (she′ll spend your dough)
She′ll drink your gin (she'll drink your gin)
Yeah, she rolled around the corner, baby there she goes again
That′s the stuff you gotta watch
That's the stuff you gotta watch
That′s the stuff you gotta watch if you don't wanna lose your mind
That′s the stuff you gotta watch if you don't wanna lose your mind
That's the stuff you gotta watch if you don′t wanna lose your mind
The song "The Stuff You Gotta Watch" by Shannon McNally is a warning to a man in love whose girl is not treating him right. The song emphasizes that there are certain things that he needs to look out for because his girl loves to lie. The lyrics point out that the man's girl stays out all night long, spends his money, drinks his gin, and justifies her actions, yet the man still hasn't changed anything. The chorus emphasizes the importance of paying attention to these things because they can drive a person insane.
The first two verses emphasize the girl's negative actions, specifically not treating the man right and staying out all night long. The third and fourth verses emphasize the man's justifications for her actions and his inability to make a change. The repetition of the phrase "you should be mine" is a call to action for the man to make a change and choose someone who will treat him right. Overall, the song's message is that a person must be careful and cautious in love, or they will end up losing their mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Ya know the girl you love don′t treat you right sometimes
The woman you love does not always treat you well
(You should be mine, you should be mine)
The singer suggests that the man should be with her instead
There′s some stuff you gotta watch cause your girl loves to lie
The man's girlfriend lies frequently and he needs to be cautious
Ya know the girl you love just stays out all night long
The man's girlfriend spends whole nights out of the house
That stuff you gotta watch because your girl's treating you wrong
This behavior is a sign that the man's girlfriend is not treating him well
You need your hat (you need your hat)
The man needs to leave the house
You need your coat (you need your coat)
The man needs to put on warm clothes
Yeah, cause you done found out that she don't want it anymore
The man's girlfriend has lost interest in their relationship
That′s the stuff you gotta watch
The man needs to be careful and vigilant about his relationship
That′s the stuff you gotta watch if you don′t wanna lose your mind
If the man does not pay attention, he could become mentally overwhelmed
Ya know the girl's no good but you don′t make no change
The man knows his girlfriend is not good for him, but he has not taken action to end things
That's the stuff you gotta watch cause you justify it all the same
The man rationalizes his girlfriend's behavior instead of acknowledging it as harmful
Well, she'll spend your dough (she′ll spend your dough)
The man's girlfriend will spend his money without permission
She′ll drink your gin (she'll drink your gin)
The man's girlfriend will consume his alcohol without permission
Yeah, she rolled around the corner, baby there she goes again
The man's girlfriend is engaging in this behavior repeatedly
That′s the stuff you gotta watch if you don't wanna lose your mind
The man needs to be vigilant about his girlfriend's harmful behavior to preserve his mental health
Writer(s): Mckinley Morganfield, Muddy Waters
Contributed by Makayla C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.