Two :: Ryan Adams

Guest Blogger: Krista!!!
I've never been a big country fan, but lately I find myself digging what they're calling "Alt-country." Where newer mainstream country has ridiculous socially and melodically offensive songs like "The Angry American" and "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," I really like the way Alt-country kind of hearkens back to simple musicality and sincere lyrics instead of cranking up the slide guitar between verses and then forcing manufactured pop junk into a catchy chorus.

Case in point: Ryan Adam's "Two." I love his lyrics for their misleading simplicity. If you take anything simply at face value here, I think you're missing out on a lot. When Adams sings the chorus, I think most people assume he's singing about entering a relationship and giving up some independence. However, it's also a reference to his drug and alcohol addiction and time in rehab. "It takes two when it used to take one:" these are very simple words, but Adams is able to create an extremely powerful double meaning with them--and he does this throughout the whole song. This thoughtfulness in his lyrics just astonishes me.

I get the loneliness here, too; I feel there's a desire to reach out, but there's also the embarrassment and shame in admitting you need something or someone.

I just hope this isn't my gateway drug into other country music. I hope my friends will hold an intervention for me if I start huffing Toby Keith.



Lyrics:
If you take me back
Back to your place
I'll try not to bother you, I promise
'Cause it's cold in here
And I wish it was hot
The sink's broke
It's leaking from the faucet

And I'm fractured from the fall
And I wanna go home
But it takes two when it used to take one
It takes two when it used to take only one

Well, my money's no good when I'm up to no good
No good ever comes from it, honest
I got a really good heart
I just can't catch a break
If I could I'd treat you like you wanted me to, I promise

But I'm fractured from the fall
And I wanna go home
I'm fractured from the fall
And I wanna go home
But it takes two when it used to take one
It takes two when it used to take one
It takes two when it used to take one
It takes two when it used to take only one