[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"
Make It Look Easy
Steve Wariner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But by the way I'm carrying on
You'd think I was you'd think I'd lost my mind
Since you've been gone
Why can't I just walk away
You know people do things a lot harder every day
And somehow they make it look so easy
Dale Jarret does it on the race car track
Tom Hanks sure knows how to act
And he makes it look easy
Dan Rather does it on the evening news
Ray Charles does it when he's singing the blues
The great ones do it any time they choose
So why can't I forget you
And make it look easy
I've got a secret and I want to keep it
So I try to be cool
I don't want to show want no one to know
That I'll always be your fool
I wish that I could just walk away
People do things a lot harder every day
And you know they make it look so easy
Michael Jordan did it and he carried the team
Spielberg does it on the movie screen
Oprah she's the TV queen
And she makes it look easy
Tiger Woods does it with a little golf ball
Seems like Elway did it every fall
The great ones do it any time they choose
So why can't I forget you
And make it look easy
Princess Di she did it with class
Leno knows the right questions to ask
Nolan Ryan did it with a pitch so fast
That he made it look easy
Chet Atkins does it with a guitar pick
Wayne Gretzky did it with a hockey stick
The great ones do it anytime they choose
So why can't I forget you
And make it look easy
In Steve Wariner's song "Make It Look Easy," the singer asks why he cannot move on from his lost girlfriend, despite knowing that people get through harder things and make it look easy. He compares himself to successful individuals from different fields who make their work seem effortless: baseball player Mark McGuire, race car driver Dale Jarret, actor Tom Hanks, news anchor Dan Rather, musician Ray Charles, basketball player Michael Jordan, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, talk show host Oprah Winfrey, golfer Tiger Woods, football player John Elway, Princess Diana, talk show host Jay Leno, pitcher Nolan Ryan, guitarist Chet Atkins, and hockey player Wayne Gretzky. He wishes that he could keep his feelings hidden like a secret and move on just like the great ones he admires, but he finds it impossible to forget his ex.
This song is a reminder that people often judge themselves too harshly by comparing their struggles to others' highlights. It is not fair to compare behind-the-scenes challenges to someone else's public success. Also, it takes time to move on from emotional pain, and the process looks different for everyone. This song celebrates not just the great ones' triumphs but also their diligent effort to perfect their craft, and it encourages listeners to learn from their dedication and discipline.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not the first guy who ever lost a girlfriend
I'm not unique, heartbreak happens to a lot of people
But by the way I'm carrying on
Despite it being a common occurrence, I'm not coping well
You'd think I was you'd think I'd lost my mind
My outward behavior appears irrational, as if I'm unhinged
Since you've been gone
My struggles began after you left me
Why can't I just walk away
I can't seem to let go and move on
You know people do things a lot harder every day
There are people who face more difficult challenges than moving on from a break-up
And somehow they make it look so easy
Despite greater difficulties, others seem to handle them with ease
Mark McGuire does it with a baseball bat
Mark McGuire handles hitting a baseball like it's easy
Dale Jarret does it on the race car track
Dale Jarret handles racing a car like it's easy
Tom Hanks sure knows how to act
Tom Hanks handles acting like it's easy
Dan Rather does it on the evening news
Dan Rather handles news anchoring like it's easy
Ray Charles does it when he's singing the blues
Ray Charles handles singing the blues like it's easy
The great ones do it any time they choose
These talented individuals excel at their craft effortlessly
So why can't I forget you
Why am I struggling to move on?
And make it look easy
Why can't I handle this break-up with ease like others do with their challenges?
I've got a secret and I want to keep it
I have a hidden truth about my feelings, and I don't want others to know
So I try to be cool
I try to hide my emotions and act as if I'm unaffected
I don't want to show want no one to know
I want to keep my pain hidden from others
That I'll always be your fool
I know I look foolish for still being in love with someone who has left me
Michael Jordan did it and he carried the team
Michael Jordan handles basketball like it's easy, leading his team to success
Spielberg does it on the movie screen
Steven Spielberg handles movie-making like it's easy
Oprah she's the TV queen
Oprah Winfrey handles TV hosting like it's easy
Tiger Woods does it with a little golf ball
Tiger Woods handles golf like it's easy, manipulating the ball with precision
Seems like Elway did it every fall
John Elway handles football like it's easy, performing well during the autumn season
Princess Di she did it with class
Princess Diana handles being royal like it's easy, with poise and grace
Leno knows the right questions to ask
Jay Leno handles hosting a talk show like it's easy, with charisma and wit
Nolan Ryan did it with a pitch so fast
Nolan Ryan handles baseball pitching like it's easy, with impressive speed
Chet Atkins does it with a guitar pick
Chet Atkins handles playing a guitar like it's easy, with skillful strumming
Wayne Gretzky did it with a hockey stick
Wayne Gretzky handles ice hockey like it's easy, moving the puck with ease
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind