In 1991, she released her debut album, Wakened by the Wi… Read Full Bio ↴1991-1993[edit]
In 1991, she released her debut album, Wakened by the Wind, which became the top-selling debut in the history of the Sparrow Records label, with Ashton repeatedly reaching number one in the Christian charts that year. She was nominated for a Dove award for New Artist of the Year and won a CCM readers and reporters poll for Best New Artist. Ashton claimed that her fondest memories with Sparrow Records were during the recording of her first album, "That was so special and since I was so young and green, there was a real innocence in that process that's still beautiful to me. I can listen to anything on that record, and it's all very clear with distinct emotions attached to making it. I love everything about the lyrics, musicianship and instrumentation. There's one song, "No One Knows My Heart," where the drummer played a shoebox. On "Suffer in Silence," one of the instruments credited was a "pencil guitar."[1]
In 1992, her second album, Angels of Mercy, produced four CCM number one singles and was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Pop Gospel Album category.
On her eponymous 1993 release, Ashton was quoted during the recording of the album track "Heart Like a Rock, "I was messing around doing vocals and singing along trying to sound like an electric guitar. We actually recorded it and that sound of me imitating the guitar is still kept in the final record. There was so much fun stuff on all those records and they were all a reflection of growth and maturity and life experience through those years."[1]
Ashton won the 1993 CCM readers award for Favorite Inspirational Album and a reporters poll for Best Female Artist. Later that year, she married John David Cunningham.
1994-1997[edit]
In 1994, Ashton, in collaboration with CCM artists Margaret Becker and Out of the Grey's Christine Denté, released a trio album Along the Road. The title track is a remake of the composition by Dan Fogelberg, while the remaining songs are original to this album. Lead vocals are split evenly among the three singers.
Also in 1994, Garth Brooks approached Ashton to open for him on his European Tour. She stated in 2005,"I did a leg of his '94 European tour, but we weren't playing to his largest crowds. But there was still something very special about his audience. Initially I was a little nerve-wracked, worrying they'd boo me off the stage, but I got a wonderful response. I was also really nervous about meeting him, but he was so nice and supportive. He told me if there was anything I ever needed, just to let him know."
So Far... The Best of Susan Ashton Volume 1, an album of mostly previously released singles, was released in 1995, and featured a newly recorded track entitled "Stand."
A Distant Call was released in 1996. This album included two songs co-written by Sheryl Crow, and one with the late Kevin Gilbert who wrote many hit songs for Crow. Wayne Kirkpatrick once again provided significant songwriting for the album, co-writing several songs with Ashton. Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith also provided co-writing credits on one song each. Alison Krauss provided background vocals for "Love Profound." Garth Brooks would release his own version of Ashton's single "You Move Me" on his own album "Sevens" the following year, which became an international hit.
Ashton provided vocals along with Collin Raye for the 1997 Jim Brickman single "The Gift", from Brickman's album of the same name. That single was number one on the pop charts for three consecutive weeks.
1997-2003[edit]
In 1999, Capital released her first non-CCM album Closer. She reached the country music charts with "You're Lucky I Love You," which peaked at No. 38. Included on this album is Ashton's cover of Can't Cry Hard Enough, a song previously covered by Julie Miller. This album was not a commercial success. When asked about this, Ashton responded in 2005, "My perspective is that it did not turn out what I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be a great country record because I'm from Texas and I love that music. But the producers I was working with—who I wholeheartedly believed wanted the best for me—loved my Christian records [with Sparrow], and they were trying to emulate those a little bit. I'm proud of those records, but they aren't country records."[1] Song writing for this album includes Kim Richey, Matraca Berg, Bill Mann and Diane Warren. Ashton only co-wrote one song. Closer was produced by Emory Gordy, Jr., husband and producer to Patty Loveless.
Around this time, Ashton and her husband divorced.[2]
Ashton widened her audience even further when, in 2000, she debuted on the PBS music television program Austin City Limits.
A second album for Capital was recorded, but the album was shelved and has never been released (although the first single "She Is", was released).[3] Ashton has stated, "I spent three years making a follow-up record for Capitol and then early last year they dropped me from the label. So I've spent the last year being a nanny, sitting, waiting and hearing what God wants me to do with my life. It was really difficult, but at the same time I've I needed some healing and clarity. This past year has been really emotional and ultimately turned out really good. I think I was probably aware that I was going to lose my deal, but it's a whole different story knowing you're going to lose it and then actually having it be gone."[1] This interview came after years of silence from Ashton.
2005-2009[edit]
In 2005 Ashton released a second trio album. Originally released only in Australia and Europe as Kisses from Heaven, the album was eventually released in the United States as Lost in Wonder: Voices of Worship. This album was recorded with Michelle Tumes and Christine Denté. The album was conceived in 2003. When asked how the project came about, Ashton replied, "About two years ago I became friends with [the project's producer] John Hartley. Before I lost my record deal, I was asked to sing some demos for what would become a worship project releasing in England. When I lost my deal, John asked if I would still be interested in continuing with the project. God had been healing me, growing me and helping me find my center again, and this seemed to fit as part of his plan."[1] Ashton did not record the vocals in person with Denté and Tumes. The three were only together for the cover's photo shoot.
In 2006 Sparrow Records released Susan Ashton: The Ultimate Collection, a two-CD set of previously released material.
Ashton started a myspace.com page in 2006, on which she posted two demo versions of new songs.
In 2009, she appeared on Collin Raye's album Never Going Back, sing a duet with Raye on a cover of "Without You".
2013-present[edit]
On March 5, 2013, Ashton released Thief, a self-distributed six-song EP. This marks her return to the music business.[citation needed]
Breathless
Susan Ashton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's the steepest hill on a roller coaster ride
He makes me want to scream and shout
And throw my heads in the air
He's a hundred-foot drop to the river below
He's the feeling you get, when the water's ice cold
He says jump, I say how high when and where
He keeps me runnin' and gunnin'
And goin' and comin' and knowing that it's alright
He's got me learnin' and burnin' and tossin'
And turnin' and yearnin' for him all night
His kind of lovin' leaves me breathless
And I never knew, I could be so wild and reckless
Well I'm out of control like a runaway train
With the wheels barely touchin' the rails
And I'm in a tornado in a hurricane
And got a tiger by the tail
He's like drivin' too fast down an icy road
A hundred pounds of dynamite about to blow
You'd think with a man like that I'd be runnin' scared
But I'm gonna stick around to see what happens next
His razzle and his dazzle and his special effects
It's a tilt-a-whirl dog-and-squirrel around-the-world love affair
He keeps me runnin' and gunnin'
And goin' and comin' and knowing that it's alright
He's got me learnin' and burnin' and tossin'
And turnin' and yearnin' for him all night
His kind of lovin' leaves me breathless
And I never knew, I could be so wild and reckless
Well I'm out of control like a runaway train
With the wheels barely touchin' the rails
And I'm in a tornado in a hurricane
And got a tiger by the tail
His kind of lovin' leaves me breathless
And I never knew, I could be so wild and reckless
Well I'm out of control like a runaway train
With the wheels barely touchin' the rails
And I'm in a tornado in a hurricane
And got a tiger by the tail
Well I'm out of control like a runaway train
With the wheels barely touchin' the rails
And I'm in a tornado in a hurricane
And got a tiger by the tail
I'm breathless
The song "Breathless" by Susan Ashton is a passionate ode to a lover who fills her with wild and reckless feelings. The lyrics are full of metaphors that show how the singer is swept away by this overwhelming attraction. The opening lines compare him to Fourth of July fireworks and a steep hill on a roller coaster ride, indicating that he is thrilling and exciting. The subsequent lines describe him as the feeling of jumping into ice-cold water or the rush of a hundred-foot drop to a river below. He is the kind of man who inspires her to scream and shout and throw her hands in the air with abandon.
The singer further describes the experience of being with this man as being like driving on an icy road with a hundred pounds of dynamite about to blow up. She is out of control like a runaway train, and yet she is not afraid. Instead, she is curious to see what will happen next, drawn in by his razzle-dazzle and special effects. The song's repeated refrain emphasizes the intensity of the singer's feelings and suggests that she is willing to take risks to be with him. His love leaves her breathless, and she never knew she could be so wild and reckless.
Overall, "Breathless" is a powerful expression of the mesmerizing effect that a passionate love affair can have on a person. It captures the exhilaration that comes with feeling intensely alive, and the willingness to throw caution to the wind to experience that feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
He's the fireworks on the 4th of July
He brings excitement and bursts of joy to my life like fireworks on a national holiday.
He's the steepest hill on a roller coaster ride
He takes me on a thrilling adventure, throwing me up and down like a roller coaster's steep slope.
He makes me want to scream and shout
He excites me to the point where I cannot contain my emotions, causing me to want to shout and scream.
And throw my heads in the air
I feel so alive when I'm with him that I want to throw my hands up in the air and let everything go.
He's a hundred-foot drop to the river below
Being with him is just like taking a perilous plunge, like free-falling a hundred feet into a river.
He's the feeling you get when the water's ice cold
Being with him is like the shock of cold water, overwhelming and intense.
He says jump, I say how high when and where
I will do anything for him because I am willing to jump whenever he wants me to, however high he asks me to, and wherever he wants me to.
He keeps me runnin' and gunnin'
He keeps me on my feet, always running and ready to go forward in life.
And goin' and comin' and knowing that it's alright
With him by my side, I am confident that everything will work out and that we can handle anything that comes our way.
He's got me learnin' and burnin' and tossin'
Being with him allows me to learn more and more about myself, igniting new passions and feelings within me, often causing me to feel tossed around with emotions.
And turnin' and yearnin' for him all night
My desire for him never fades, even throughout the night when I'm alone and lying in bed yearning for him.
His kind of lovin' leaves me breathless
The way he loves me is unlike any other, taking my breath away and leaving me wanting more.
And I never knew, I could be so wild and reckless
Being with him has brought out a side of me I didn't know existed, making me feel wild and free-spirited, willing to take risks and be reckless.
Well I'm out of control like a runaway train
His love has caused me to feel like a speeding train that's out of control, unable to slow down or stop.
With the wheels barely touchin' the rails
I feel like my life is moving so quickly and intensely that it's hard to keep it on track and stable.
And I'm in a tornado in a hurricane
Being with him is like being swept up in a storm, tossed around in a tornado, and caught in a hurricane.
And got a tiger by the tail
I have taken on a challenge and adventure like holding onto the tail of a powerful tiger.
I'm breathless
Being with him leaves me feeling overwhelmed and breathless with emotions and feelings.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: KELLY SHIVER, KENT BLAZY, NEIL THRASHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wes Edens
Thanks for posting this! I will never understand how this song never got any traction! It is my favorite one on her Closer CD! Great beat, fantastic vocals (of course), catchy melody, what's not to love!
Brett Turner
This was a killer album with no bad songs! Very disappointing this never got airplay because its as good and relevant now as when it came out.
ogredad55
I love Susan Ashton's music. I can't believe no one has commented! I'm a Christian. I've played drums in a Christian band. It was such a blessing! Thanks so much for posting this gem! God bless you!