Love is Hell: Part III

So, you’re Ryan Adams. Come on, pull yourself up off of the floor. Sure, that empty bottle of Jack Daniels next to you is probably the cause of your pounding head but remember, you are Ryan Adams. Think about where your career has gone. You started out as some kid from North Carolina who played guitar, getting razzed by your buddies with “Play Summer of ‘69” or “Dude, your Robin Hood song was awesome.” You formed Whiskeytown, which went from being a low rent Uncle Tupelo to one of the better alt country bands around. Then you started a solo career, became this up and coming music star, and in the process dated both Parker Posey and Beth Orton.

Realize that you did break up with Beth Orton and know that for every day for the rest of your life you will realize that that decision was the dumbest move you have ever made.

But a few years back you wrote a really good song for the Gold album called “When the Stars Go Blue.” It was a nice little song, got some airplay, and some people even use it for a cell phone ringer. Then The Corrs and Bono covered the song and you didn’t have a problem with it. I mean, the girls in the Corrs are really cute and having Bono’s stamp of approval on your songwriting is a nice little touch. And then you wake up one day to find that Tim McGraw has covered your song.

Oh yeah, that’s why you emptied the bottle of Jack. You realized that Tim McGraw is now singing your song and from now on more people will think of his version than yours. And your only comforting thought is, “At least it wasn’t Toby Keith.”


I’m a Ryan Adams fan, though I am a few albums behind as he releases five a year and it takes time to get to all of them. And I understand that having big name artists cover your song turns into a nice paycheck. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill covered Bruce Robison’s “Angry All the Time” but at least in that instance I figured that it gave someone who would otherwise never get airplay a nice paycheck. But Ryan Adams is a known quantity and it bothers me that people won’t know the version of his song that is actually his.

That’s about it for what has been a rather quiet week. Yes, as quiet as Katie Holmes will be when she gives birth. For the record, I have no clue what that whole silent birth thing is all about. Apparently, noise is really harmful for the baby. But hey, who am I to judge Tom Cruise. He plays important people in movies so he has to be right. Anyway, time to call it a night and to get some sleep. Have a happy Easter everyone.