Shawna Lee Colvin better known as Shawn Colvin (born January 10, 1956 in Ve… Read Full Bio ↴Shawna Lee Colvin better known as Shawn Colvin (born January 10, 1956 in Vermillion, South Dakota) is an American musician. Best known for her hit single "Sunny Came Home" from the album "A Few Small Repairs".

Colvin's formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age of 10. Her first public concert was at age 15 at the University of Illinois campus. Colvin cites Joni Mitchell as a primary influence on her music, and her initial performances closely mirrored Mitchell's inflections and guitar tunings.

Colvin began working in the music scene in earnest in the late 1970s, first in Austin, Texas and then nationally. She met music partner John Leventhal during this time; Leventhal would go on to be Colvin's producer on several albums. Colvin often lends her talent to contemporaries in the music business - she can be heard singing the backing vocals on the Suzanne Vega hit, "Luka" from 1987. Vega returned the favor, singing backup on Colvin's, "Diamond In The Rough", from her debut album, "Steady On". Colvin, again can be heard singing backing vocals on Mary Chapin Carpenter's, "The Hard Way" and "Come On Come On" and Mary Chapin returns the favor on Colvin's, "Climb On (A Back That's Strong)", from Colvin's "Fat City" album.

Colvin's first several albums were met with critical acclaim, but did not sell in substantial numbers. After several albums of original work, Colvin released "Cover Girl", a collection of cover songs, but the work was a departure for her and was not well received.

Colvin experienced breakthrough success with "A Few Small Repairs" in October of 1996. The single "Sunny Came Home" reached the US Top Ten, and won Grammy Awards for Song and Record of the Year. She has released several subsequent albums that were nominated for Grammys, and has also released a greatest-hits album and a collection of Christmas music.

A new album from Colvin, entitled "These Four Walls", was released on September 12, 2006.

She was the guest vocal artist on the Lisa Loeb single "Falling in Love" as well as appearing at various Lilith Fair music festivals. She also has been featured on the popular live music show Austin City Limits and played at the 2003 Austin City Limits Music Festival. She also appeared in a tribute to her idol Joni Mitchell in 2001 that was broadcast on the cable network TNT.

She has made two guest appearances on The Simpsons as Rachel Jordan, lead singer for a Christian rock band. She first appears in "Alone Again, Natura-diddly," where Rachel wins Ned Flanders' heart after the untimely death of his wife, Maude. Later, in the episode "I'm Going to Praiseland," Ned dates Rachel, only to scare her off when he tries to turn her into a version of Maude.

Colvin lives with her daughter, Caledonia, and husband, Mario Erwin in Austin, Texas, and still participates in the Austin music scene.

All He Wants Is You
Shawn Colvin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

He's sneaky like Tennessee whiskey
He always takes me by surprise
He feels safe, he feels risky
He's got the devil in his angel eyes

There's nothing I can't tell him
There's nothing he ain't heard
When he don't say nothin'

Man, I hang on every word

And he's got nothin' to prove
He's got nothin' to lose
He's got everything on a string
And all he wants is you

Everybody's got some baggage
But he knows how to travel light
He don't judge anyone
He knows wrong from right

He don't need your permission
He don't need no direction
He'll steal your soul in a heartbeat
Yet he ain't guilty of nothin'

And he's got nothin' to prove
He's got nothin' to lose
He's got everything on a string
But all he wants is you

No, he's got nothin' to prove
And he's got nothin' to lose

He's got everything on a string
And all he wants is you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Shawn Colvin's song All He Wants Is You speak to the intense attraction and magnetism that exists between two people. The poetic language used in the song paints a picture of a man who is both mysterious and enticing. The opening lines compare this man to Tennessee whiskey, a drink that is both familiar and unpredictable, setting the tone for the rest of the song.

The singer goes on to describe how she is drawn to this man, how he makes her feel simultaneously secure and unsafe. There is a palpable sexual tension in the lyrics, but it's not just physical attraction that draws the two together. The man is someone she can confide in, someone who doesn't judge her and who she trusts implicitly. She hangs on his every word, even when he doesn't say anything at all.

The chorus of the song is a testament to the strength of the man's appeal. He doesn't need anything else in his life except for the woman he desires. He has no reason to prove himself to anyone, and nothing left to lose. All he wants is her, all he needs is her, and everything else falls by the wayside in comparison.

Line by Line Meaning

He's sneaky like Tennessee whiskey
He is unpredictable, just like the taste of Tennessee whiskey

He always takes me by surprise
He consistently shocks me with his actions

He feels safe, he feels risky
He provides both comfort and excitement

He's got the devil in his angel eyes
He has a mischievous side that lies just beneath his good exterior

There's nothing I can't tell him
I can share anything with him without hesitation

There's nothing he ain't heard
He has already been through everything and heard every story

When he don't say nothin'
Even his silence has my attention

Man, I hang on every word
I am captivated by everything he says

And he's got nothin' to prove
He doesn't need to impress anyone

He's got nothin' to lose
He is not afraid to take risks

He's got everything on a string
He is in complete control of his life