Lynne's first recording for Epic was a duet with George Jones, "If I Could Bottle This Up", which became a top-50 hit in 1988. In 2000 she won a Grammy award for "Best New Artist", despite the fact that she had been recording and releasing records for more than ten years
With Tears, Lies, and Alibis the follow-up to 2008's Just A Little Lovin' and the first release on her own label, Everso Records, Shelby Lynne affirms her position as a visionary, iconoclastic artist who deftly weaves country, soul, rock, blues, pop and folk influences to forge her own unique style. Like Identity Crisis (2003) and Suit Yourself (2005), this sparse, unguarded collection was produced by Lynne, who evokes a live-in-the-studio vibe from a stellar group of musicians. Born in Quantico, VA, she grew up in Jackson, AL and headed to Nashville at an early age. At 18, Lynne s demos landed her an appearance on TNN s Nashville Now series, which led to a Top 50 duet ( "If I Could Bottle This Up" ) with George Jones and a record deal. Following the release of the critically acclaimed I Am Shelby Lynne in 2000, she won the GRAMMY® for Best New Artist. She made her acting debut in 2005, playing Johnny Cash's mother in the Fox Searchlight motion picture Walk the Line.
Thought It Would Be Easier
Shelby Lynne Lyrics
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After you were gone
Thought I could pull myself together
And do fine on my my own
Sometimes I do alright then I remember
How I dreamed it, how I needed it
I thought it would be easier
They never told me I'd be lonely,
Torn up and wasted
But when you saw something
Else you liked
You couldn't wait to taste it
How was I to know about the way
You were scheming
I guess I must have been dreaming
I thought it would be easier
I thought it would be easier
I found that old shirt you used to wear
And it really brought me down
Ooh does she like blue like I do
I bet she gets around
All I know today is that I,
I can't stand it
This ain't how I planned it
I thought it would be easier
I thought it would be easier
The song "Thought It Would Be Easier" by Shelby Lynne depicts the painful aftermath of a failed relationship. The singer muses about how she believed that she would be better off without her former partner and was convinced that she could easily recover from the separation. However, she now realizes that the process of healing is much more challenging than she anticipated. While sometimes she manages to cope with the loneliness and despair, memories of what she dreamed and needed in the past, break her down. As she finds herself struggling to move forward, the singer reflects on how her ex-partner betrayed her trust and ultimately shattered the dreams she had for their future together.
The lines "They never told me I'd be lonely, Torn up and wasted" convey the sense of disappointment and frustration the singer feels about her present reality. She thought that the relief of being free from a toxic relationship would be enough to make up for the pain of the breakup. Instead, facing the empty space left behind by her lover has left her in shambles. She realizes that moving on is much harder than she ever imagined. As she encounters reminders of her past relationship, such as finding an old shirt her ex used to wear, she is forced to confront the possibility that her former partner may have found someone new that replaces her. All she knows for sure is that this is not at all what she expected life to be like.
Overall, "Thought It Would Be Easier" portrays a vision of a post-breakup life that is far from the surface-level cliches of "good riddance" and "I'm better off without you." Instead, the song communicates the raw vulnerability and pain of untangling from a partnership that was once central to one's existence. The lyrics are a nod that there is no one path to healing, and the journey of moving on is often full of twists and turns that no one anticipates.
Line by Line Meaning
I always thought is would be easier
I believed that dealing with your absence would be an effortless feat
After you were gone
After your departure from my life
Thought I could pull myself together
I believed that I could compose myself
And do fine on my my own
And live without you just fine
Sometimes I do alright then I remember
There are moments where I manage well but then I recall
How I dreamed it, how I needed it
How much I dreamed of being with you, how much I needed you
I thought it would be easier
I believed it would be less difficult
They never told me I'd be lonely,
Nobody mentioned that I'll feel alone
Torn up and wasted
Heartbroken and drained
But when you saw something
The moment you found someone else
Else you liked
That you preferred
You couldn't wait to taste it
You couldn't wait to try it out
How was I to know about the way
How was I supposed to know how
You were scheming
You were planning behind my back
I guess I must have been dreaming
I probably was deluded
I thought it would be easier
I believed it would be less difficult
I found that old shirt you used to wear
I discovered the old shirt you used to put on
And it really brought me down
It made me really depressed
Ooh does she like blue like I do
Perhaps she likes the color blue like I do
I bet she gets around
I bet she's promiscuous
All I know today is that I,
What I know for sure today is that I,
I can't stand it
I can't tolerate it
This ain't how I planned it
This isn't how I envisioned it
I thought it would be easier
I believed it would be less difficult
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SHELBY LYNNE, BILL BOTTRELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind