[edit] Career
Wariner began performing as a youth in his father's band and in local clubs. In 1971, he was hired as a bassist for Dottie West's band. He also worked heavily with Chet Atkins (one of his childhood influences) and he played with Bob Luman's band.
His first major recording contract was with RCA Records in 1978. His first single releases failed to chart in the top 40 of Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles chart, although the song "I'm Already Taken" was re-released in 1999, peaking at #3 that year. His first No. 1 hit came in December, 1981, with "All Roads Lead to You."
However, his real popularity didn't take off until the mid-1980s, when he began recording for MCA Records. During his six-year stint with MCA, he scored 19 consecutive top 10 hits, eight of them going to No. 1 on Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles chart. The most successful of those songs included "Some Fools Never Learn" (1985, his second No. 1 hit), "What I Didn't Do" (1985), "You Can Dream of Me" (1986), "Lynda" (1987) and "I Got Dreams" (1989).
In the early 1990s, Wariner continued his success with Arista Records, with several of his songs reaching the top 10. But his success soon tapered off, as radio programmers became more interested in newer performers.
Wariner, however, continued to maintain his popularity through his instrumental talents. One example was 1991's "Restless," a collaboration with Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill and Mark O'Connor (from O'Connor's album The New Nashville Cats). "Restless" won Wariner (as well as Skaggs and Gill) his first Grammy Award in 1991 for Best Country Vocal Collaboration. In 1996, Wariner released an album of all instrumental tracks called No More Mr. Nice Guy. Though well-received by critics, it proved to be Wariner's last album for Arista.
Wariner also remained in the public eye with his songwriting talents. His composition, "Longneck Bottle" (a No. 1 hit by Garth Brooks), along with a No. 1 duet from early 1998 with singer Anita Cochran called "What If I Said" (his first No. 1 in more than eight years) reinvigorated Wariner's career.
The highlight of Wariner's career came in the spring of 1998. Now recording for Capitol Records, his song "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" - a song about dealing with grief of close friends and relatives - promptly shot to No. 2 and won the Country Music Association awards for Single of the Year and Song of the Year.
Wariner also collaborated with other well-known singers and songwriters, including Clint Black and Bill Anderson; he also scored several more hits, most notably 1999's "Two Teardrops" and "I'm Already Taken" (the latter a re-recording of his 1978 debut release).
[edit] Discography
Main article: Steve Wariner discography
[edit] External links
The Official Fan Club Website
Grand Ole Opry Bio
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Wariner"
Longer Letter Later
Steve Wariner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's so much on my mind
I want to call you I'm dropping you this line
Lieu of walls I can't climb
Thought I'd let you know since I let you go
I've come to rue the day
A silly card I guess but I must confess
There's so much more to say
I blew it I know it and all I have to show
Is this heartache I feel
I may be crazy
But everything I know tells me try and appeal
Are you having fun have you found someone
To shed new light on you
Maybe pen and ink will make you stop and think
Of all that we've been through
Longer letter later
If only you could see this brand new me
I know you'd change your plan
Here's the postscript now meant to show you how
I'm a different man
Longer letter later
Longer letter later
The lyrics to Steve Wariner's song "Longer Letter Later" are a powerful and emotional expression of regret and longing. The singer, who addresses someone named Annie, admits to having made a mistake and letting go of someone he deeply cared for. He acknowledges that he should have said more at the time and is now left with only his thoughts and feelings. The line "lieu of walls I can't climb" speaks to the barriers that exist between him and Annie that prevent him from reaching out directly. He hopes that his words can make her stop and think about their relationship and all that they have been through together.
The second verse reveals the extent of the singer's regret and his desire to try and make amends. The line "I may be crazy, but everything I know tells me to try and appeal" shows that he is willing to take risks and put himself on the line to win Annie back. He wonders whether she is happy or has found someone else and hopes that his words will make her see that he is a changed man. Despite his desire to say more, he recognizes that a longer letter is necessary to truly express all that he feels.
Overall, the lyrics of "Longer Letter Later" capture the intense emotions of regret, longing, and hope that often accompany a failed relationship. The singer's words are honest and raw, and the song is a powerful reminder of the importance of communication and the dangers of leaving things unsaid.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear Annie I'm sorry it's been a long long time
I apologize for not keeping in touch with you for a very long time, Annie.
There's so much on my mind
I have a lot of thoughts that I want to share with you.
I want to call you I'm dropping you this line
I wish I could call you, but I cannot. Instead, I am writing you this letter.
Lieu of walls I can't climb
I feel like there are certain obstacles preventing me from reaching out to you directly.
Thought I'd let you know since I let you go
I want to inform you that ever since we parted ways, I have been regretful of my decision.
I've come to rue the day
I deeply regret the day I let you go, and it has been haunting me.
A silly card I guess but I must confess
Although this may seem insignificant, I must admit that it is important to me to let you know how I feel.
There's so much more to say
There is a lot more I want to express to you, but I cannot do it right now.
Longer letter later
I will write a longer letter to you at a later time when I can express my feelings better.
I blew it I know it and all I have to show
I acknowledge that I messed up and all I have left now is this pain I feel.
Is this heartache I feel
This is the pain and sorrow that I feel ever since we parted.
I may be crazy
Some might think I am crazy for wanting to reach out to you again.
But everything I know tells me try and appeal
Despite this, my instincts tell me to try and connect with you again.
Are you having fun have you found someone
I wonder if you have moved on and found someone else to make you happy.
To shed new light on you
I hope this new person brings new happiness and illumination to your life.
Maybe pen and ink will make you stop and think
Perhaps this letter will make you stop and contemplate about our past and what we had.
Of all that we've been through
I want you to remember all the good times we shared and how much we meant to each other.
If only you could see this brand new me
I have changed a lot and I hope you could see the new and better version of myself.
I know you'd change your plan
If you could see how much I have changed, I am sure you would consider giving me another chance.
Here's the postscript now meant to show you how
This postscript is meant to convey to you how much I care for you and how much I want to make things right.
I'm a different man
I have transformed into a better version of myself and I hope you could see that.
Longer letter later
I will write to you again in the future when I can express myself more clearly and eloquently.
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CROWELL, WARINER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind