Released September 14, 1999
Produced by Martina McBride and Paul Worley
Album photography by Mathew Rolston
1. Do What You Do
2. Anything's Better Than Feelin' The Blues
3. I Love You
4. Make Me Believe
5. Love's The Only House
6. There You Are
7. It's My Time
8. I Ain't Goin' Nowhere
9. Anything And Everything
10. From The Ashes
11. Goodbye
12. This Uncivil War
Bonus Track (Available at K-Mart Only): For The Love Of A Woman
The Album
“It’s always been hard for me to describe my own music. I only know that I am irresistibly drawn to these songs. This collection of songs moves me so much and touches me in ways I haven’t experienced with my music before. So when I was trying to decide on a title “Emotion” seemed perfect because, to me, that’s what this album is all about. I sincerely hope you enjoy it and take it for what it is…another step forward in my musical journey, and an album full of songs that come form my heart
I didn't set out to do something drastically different with this record, but I always want to grow as an artist, to reach and go beyond what I've already done. I don't ever set out to make a particular kind of album. This time I knew I wanted this album to be simpler. Evolution was very produced. It was a very big-sounding record. With Emotion we used a very small band to cut the tracks, so it's a simpler sound. We used the same studios; the same musicians that we always use, but musically, gave everyone room to breathe. Everyone played such amazing parts and played with such heart. So when we went in to overdub, virtually everything we tried to add just wouldn't stick. What the musicians played was so great, there was nothing we could add to it that brought these songs to a better place, which was a unique experience for us because we usually add lots of layers to each song. So it ended up being an interesting creative experience for me and Paul." Martina McBride
Emma's giggle can be heard at the end of the "Emotion" album.
Do What You Do
Written by Angelo and Georgia Middleman
Slow down, that's right
Give it all you got
Yeah, you got the right stuff
Kick back, let go
Trust yourself to know
Yeah what you got is good enough
Chorus
Hey, don't give them what they think they want
'Cause they don't have a clue
Yeah, if you really wanna give 'em something different
Something to sink their teeth into
Well baby, then you just do what you do
All eyes, were on Alice
They laughed and made her cry
Yeah she was a little different
But, hey you know what
She found a way to fly
You see Alice, she got her strength from the inside
Chorus
Bridge
The cost of living just went up today
Soon as you started doing things your way
You'll be shaking 'em off your coattails from every side
They'll be trying to catch that free ride
Chorus
Do what you do, yeah
Do what you do
Yeah yeah yeah yeah Yeah yeah yeah...
Anything's Better Than Feelin'
The Blues
Written by Matraca Berg and Randy Scruggs
I send myself a dozen roses
Right before the office closes
Just to make my girlfriends green with envy
Ever since I lost you
All the crazy things I do
I didn't even know I had it in me...Oh but
Chorus:
Hey, it's alright
It's just another Saturday night
Got nobody...got no nothin' to lose
I'm gonna get dressed up go downtown
Spread a little misery around
Anything's better than feelin' the blues
Found a restaurant on my way
(I) Told 'em it was my birthday
Just to hear the waiter sing off-key
Sprung a loose wire...that's a fact
Got a strange little monkey on my back
But I kinda like the company...And I guess
Chorus 2
Hey, it's alright
It's just another Saturday night
Got nobody...got no nothin' to lose
I'm gonna get dressed up go downtown
Dance the little monkey around
Anything's better than feelin' the blues
Chorus 3
Hey, it's alright
It's just another Saturday night
Got nobody...got no nothin' to lose
I'm gonna get dressed up go downtown
Live it up and never live it down
Anything's better than feelin' the blues
Anything's better than feelin' the blues
I Love You
Written by Tammy Hyler, Adrienne Follese and Keith Follese
Background Vocals: Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Martina McBride
The sun is shinin' everyday
Clouds never get in the way for you and me
I've known you just a week or two
But baby I'm so into you
Can hardly breathe
Chorus 1:
And I'm in so totally
Wrapped up emotionally
Attracted so physically
Actin' so recklessly
I need you so desperately
Sure as the sky is blue
Baby, I love you, I love you
I never knew that I could feel like this
Can hardly wait till our next kiss
You're so cool
If I'm dreaming please don't wake me up
Cause baby I can't get enough
Of what you do
Chorus 2:
And I'm in so electrically
Charged up kinetically
Actin' erratically
Need you fanatically
You get to me magically
Sure as the sky is blue
Baby, I love you
Bridge:
I can't believe that this is real,
the way I feel
Baby I'm gone head over heals
And I'm in so totally
Wrapped up emotionally
Attracted so physically
Actin' so recklessly
I need you so desperately
Sure as the sky is blue
(Yeah)
And I'm in so electrically
Charged up kinetically
Actin' eratically
Need you fanatically
You get to me magically
Sure as the sky is blue
Baby, I love you
Baby, I love you
Do you love me too
Baby, I love you
“I felt this was a smash the first time I heard it. It went on to speed 5 consecutive weeks at #1. It was really a challenge for me to sing and I really had a hard time with it. Not so much with the melody as with the attitude. Stephanie Bentley had sung the demo with this sweet little-girl voice and everyone, including me, just fell in love with it. So I wanted to try and duplicate that attitude but it isn't something that comes naturally for me. So I felt totally ridiculous singing it but I knew I had to get it. It was really frustrating. I ended up just pretty much smiling through the whole song and that gave it a real light, happy feel. I love what Carolyn and i did with the background vocals in the bridge. When she came in to sing on this it was the first time I'd met her and was really blown away by her talent. This song will always be special to me because I performed it on the CMA awards the year I won Female Vocalist Of The Year. It was such a magical night and I loved what I wore and I loved my haircut, and I just felt really pretty. Like a princess. And when I won, I was overcome with emotion, not only for myself but for all the people that have worked their butts off and who have wanted it for me for so long. John, myself, Bruce Allen, Joe Galante, and Paul were all sitting within rows of each other and when they said my name we all had this big hugfest and we were all crying in the isle and Paul said, "You need to get up there and get your awarded!" I was like, "Oh yeah..." It was unbelievable and I still get emotional when I remember it. And most times when I sing it live or hear it on the radio, that memory is with me-if only for a moment.” Martina McBride
“Special thanks to Tammy Hayler, Adrienne and Keith Follesé for holding this
song for nearly a year. And special thanks to Glen Brunman, Debbie Patton,
and Sony Filmtracks for connecting this song with the movie Runaway Bride.
We recorded this song three different ways, and we mixed it for over ten
days. Somewhere in the tape vault is a whacked-out techno pop version
(complete with singing sweet potatoes). Runaway McBride!” Paul Worley
Make Me Believe
Written by James Leblanc and Don Srygley
(I'm still waiting...)
Tell me you love me and make me feel it
Convince me that your heart is true
Don't say you need me if you really don't mean it
'Cause boy I ain't nobody's fool, yeah
Chorus:
Baby I'm trying to find a place inside your heart
Oh but it's hard to start a fire without a spark
If you wanna be the man that rocks me to my knees
Baby just make me believe
('Cause I'm still waiting...)
Every night I bring you all my broken pieces
But you just put them on your shelf
Tell me why you put this wall between us
And keep your reasons to yourself, ah...
Chorus
Bridge:
You say you feel the same but my heart's full of doubt
You say you'll find the time
So we can work it out
(But I'm still waiting...)
Chorus
Chorus
Love's The Only House
Written by Tom Douglas and Buzz Cason
I was standing in the grocery store line
The one they marked express
When this woman came though with about 25 things
And I said don't you know that more is less
She said this world is moving so fast
I just get more behind everyday
And every mornin' when I make my coffee
I can't believe my life's turned out this way
All I could say was
Chorus:
Love's the only house big enough for all the pain in the world
Love's the only house big enough for all the pain
He was walking by the other day and I said
Hey baby...how you been?
Yeah, I got me a little girl now and she's 4 years old
And she's got her daddy's little grin
You only wanted what you can't have
And baby you can't have me now
I gave my heart to another
Yeah I'm a mother
And he's a father and we're a family and we got each other
And I found out the hard way that
Chorus
You drive three miles from all this prosperity
Down across the river and you see a ghetto there
An' We got children walking around with guns
And they got knives and drugs and pain to spare
And here I am in my clean, white shirt,
With a little money in my pocket and a nice warm home
And we got teenagers walking around in a culture of darkness
Living together alone...all I could say is
Chorus
Bridge:
And I can't explain it, and I can't understand
But I'll come down and get my hands dirty and together we'll make a stand
Somewhere 'cross the parking lot, some bands playin' out of tune
City streets are gonna burn if we don't do something soon
Senorita can't quit crying, baby's due now any day
Don Juan left, got sick of trying...no one there to show him the way
She came down to the grocery store and
She said I, I wanna buy a little carton of milk, but I don't have any money
I said Hey I'll cover you honey, cause the pain's gotta go somewhere
Yeah the pains gotta go someplace...
So come on down to my house
Don't ya know that
Chorus
“This had been one of my favorite Tom Douglas songs for some time. I knew you would like it, Martina, but I wasn’t sure you’d want to record it. Of course you did…right away. This song still makes me cry for joy at the end. It’s fun to hear the non ‘edited-for-radio’ version again.” Paul Worley
"The theme that unites the song is there is really a lot of pain, there's a lot of, you know, people feel (...), people feel alone. But there is a call that action in the song is.... We need to get involved in each other's lives. We need to better neighbors. And love for God is really... You know, that's the only house, that's the only thing big enough to contain and to help each other through the pain that we all experience on a day to day basis." Tom Douglas
“This song has been around for a couple of years I had never heard it, Paul Worley my co-producer new of this song and really just wanted to play it for me, to share it with me, I don’t think he really thought specifically of me recording it , but when heard it auh I just said ah I have to record this song I have got to record this song and it was you know publisher said it was really a guy song you know its really not a women song .. so we, I worked with the writer, one of the writers of song Tom Douglas and kind of changed the lyrics a bit to make it even more personal and its just something that needs to be said something that the world that they need to hear. Its really a special song I’m just still kinda in shock that nobody had recorded it before me and that its that I go to recorded it and it is you know it is a bit of a departure in the fact that its got it has some spoken lyrics which I’ve never done before but its really cool I think the people are gonna like it.
Love's The Only House" is a song filled with hope and promise for anyone in pain." Martina McBride
(When Martina first heard “Love’s the Only House”) “Well it just. it really affected me I mean I thought that its so cool how it has two different kind of angles you know it has a very personal part in the beginning and then it moves into more of a world view and you know when it talks about some of the issues that our children face and also you know earlier in the song it talks about being able to find out the hard way what really matters in life and with a family and I don’t’ it just really affect me I thought wow this is something I really want to say and I think it really needs to be heard” Martina McBride
There You Are
Written by Mark D. Sanders, Bob Dipiero and Ed Hill
There you are in the early light
of day
There you are in the quiet words I pray
I've been blessed by the simple happiness
Of the perfect love we've made
Chorus:
Every time I turn around
When I'm lost and when I'm found
Like an angel standing guard
There you are
Every time I take a breath
And when I forget to breathe
You're watching over me
There you are
When I'm looking for the light
In the middle of the night
Searching for the brightest star
There you are
There you are standing in a crowded room
There you are, the earth and I'm the moon
My desire is to stand by the fire
That burns inside of you
Chorus
When I'm looking for the light in the middle of the night
Searching for the brightest star
There you are
There you are
There you are
"Folks, when you read Martina’s notes on this (yeah I cheated and read ahead) you’ll probably realize that she’s never satisfied with her vocal performance. Hard to believe, isn’t it? I used to get frustrated. Now I’m just patient. Martina, you really are one of the world’s best singers!" Paul Worley
"I love this melody and the words remind me of the relationship I have with john. I think it’s a beautiful love song, although I’m not crazy about my vocal performance on it. I sang it real soft in the studio for most of it. It has evolved live into a more powerful performance, vocally, and I wish I had recorded it that way. Oh well…one more reason to come to a show!
Just that constant support. There is a line in it that says, 'Every time I take a breath and when I forget to breathe you're watching over me.' I feel that way sometimes. I feel like my life is so harried and so frantic and so busy, and he kind of helps me keep perspective and helps me through a lot of things, so he is very supportive. It just reminds me of him." Martina McBride
It's My Time
Written by Billy Crain, Tammy Hyler and Kim Tribble
Red sun setting on the road behind her
A hundred miles out of her hometown
Drops a quarter in a beat up pay phone
Listens to it rattle on down
Voice's cold as the phone she's holding
The connection's way to clear
He's yelling where's my dinner
She's too far gone to care
She says listen here
Chorus:
There's a time to stand, and the time is now or never
Time to fly, a time to let go forever
Time to grow, and a time to discover
Life is precious, every second
You've wasted mine and it's my time
She puts a few more miles between them
He pours a distance of his own
Starts talking to the bottle
It's all that's left now that she's gone
He rages on 'till the national anthem
Comes on his tv
Then he looks straight at the bottle
Says you did this to me
And then he screams
Chorus
It's my time, it's my time, it's my time
And time is what you make it
It's my time, it's my time, it's my time
And time is what you're taking
I Ain't Goin' Nowhere
Written by Tia Sellers and Mark D. Sanders
When the world is on your shoulders
Just too much to bear
Boy my love can make you stronger
I ain't going nowhere
When your followin' all the rules
But life just won't play fair
Come to me and we'll roll with the punches
I ain't goin' no where
Chorus:
By your side by your side day and night
I will be always
There's a place in my heart in my heart
Just for you always
I ain't going nowhere
I ain't going nowhere
I can't guarantee that your dreams
Won't fade into thin air
But as sure as I'm livin', breathin'
I ain't going nowhere
Chorus
But straight to you
No one else will do
My love will shine right though your rain
I will lift you up, I will lift you up
I ain't goin' nowhere
I ain't goin' nowhere
I ain't goin' nowhere
(By your side by your side always)
(I ain't goin' nowhere)
I ain't goin' nowhere
(By your side by your side always)
(I ain't goin' nowhere)
Anything And Everything
Written by Gordon Kennedy, Wayne Kirkpatrick amd Billy Mann
Background Vocals: Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Martina McBride, Gordon Kennedy, and Wayne Kirpatrick
What do you dream about?
Look at the stars, honey
All you gotta do is pick one out
And it's there for you
I'll be the one who makes
Your every dream come true
Chorus:
Close your eyes and baby
Make a wish and baby
I'll give you anything and everything
The sky's the limit and my heart is in it
I'll give you anything and everything
Anything and everything
Where do you want to go?
Look at the world, baby
All you gotta do is just say so
And I'll take you there
Oh yeah, you know that
Love can take you anywhere
Chorus
Bridge:
I could spoil you
Make it easy
Make you happy if you let me
Won't you let me
I'll be the one who makes your every dream come true
Chorus
Chorus
“When I was singing this song, um ah I thought of them when as singing it. It’s kinda like a lullaby in a way, that’s how I thought of it. and ah just the words are so sweet and so innocent and honest. It’s just about giving, you know people you love, just the fact that you'd do anything or them. and I just thought I was a sweet song.” Martina McBride
From The Ashes
Written by Hillary Lindsey and Austin Cunninghan
My right hand holds matches
My left holds my past
I hope the wind catches
And burns it down fast
I'm gonna step into the fire
With my failures and my shame
And wave goodbye to yesterday
As I dance among the flames So
Chorus:
Don't try to save me now
Let the walls of my world all burn down
Just stand back and wait 'til the smoke finally passes
And I will rise
From the ashes
From the ashes
From the ashes
For all that I'm losing
Much more will I gain
The hard part is choosing
To change what needs changed
My step will be much lighter
With these demons off my chest
I'm born a better spirit
And lay the old to rest
Chorus
I'll walk away stronger
I will be flyin'
Higher and truer
Than I've flown before
My right hand holds matches
My left holds my past
I hope the wind catches
And burns it down fast
Goodbye
Written by Patty Griffin
Occurred to me the other day
You've been gone now a couple years
Well I guess it takes a while
For someone to really disappear
And I remember where I was
When the word came about you
It was a day much like today
The sky was bright and wide and blue
Chorus:
And I wonder where you are
And if the pain ends when you die
And I wonder if there was
Some better way to say goodbye
Today my heart is big and sore
It's trying to push right through my skin
Won't see you anymore
I guess that's finally sinking in
Cause you can't make somebody see
With the simple words you say
All their beauty from within
Sometimes they just look away
Chorus
Some better way to say goodbye
This Uncivil War
Written by Gretchen Peters
There's a silence on the front lines
You can cut it with a knife
You can stay and take your chances
Or you can run to save your life
One side is retreating
And the other's runnin' scared
And the drums of war are beating
Even though it's undeclared.
Chorus:
And both sides say they're winning
And both sides know they're losing
And neither one knows what they're fightin' for
And in the quiet little places
You can see the little faces
Huddled right outside the bedroom door
Praying for an end to this uncivil war.
Papa needs a new job
So he's swallowing his pride
Oh, but it don't go down easy
And it eats him up inside
And Mama, she don't notice
Little sister's ragged dress
Lately she don't notice
Much of anything I guess
Chorus:
They're just fightin' off the hunger
Trying to keep from going under
But the wolves just keep on
Gatherin' 'round the door
There's no place to run for cover
So they're turning on each other
'Cause there really ain't no winners anymore
Just victims in this uncivil war.
There's a silence on the front lines
You can cut it with a knife
You can stay and take your chances
Or you can run to save your life
"I didn't really realize what this song was about when I was writing it. There's a whole lot of autobiographical stuff in there. It's about divorce from a child's point of view, because even in the best of circumstances, it's devastating! When a marriage blows up, it's like there's a war in the house. Looking back, it's how it was when I was 8 and my parents decided to get a divorce. It was just shattering.
"I think 'This Uncivil War' might be my favorite cut that I've ever gotten by any artist in any genre. It's kind of a desperate kind of a song about, about a family and that's... in dire states. And she seemed to really understand the whole gist of it and it's a beautiful, beautiful cut. I'm really, really proud of it." Gretchen Peters
“Civil war is about a family struggling, you know struggling to keep from going under, with hunger and you know it talks about the wolves gathering around the door and the fact that they’re just trying to keep from well actually they’re not doing very well turning on each other in this time of desperation and a its a really desperate song and it just really its so emotional for me I think its just a song that’s really gonna hit a lot of people” Martina McBride
For The Love Of A Woman
Written by Tyler Castleton and Staci Peters
For the love of a woman
A man unlock his heart
And reveals all the secrets it holds
And the love of a woman
Will find a better part
When he gives her the key to her soul
He will listen to her dreams
He will ask her what she needs
He will help her build the life she wants to live
He will hold her when she cries
With a love that never dies
All these things he will give
For the love of a woman
For the love of a woman
A man will sacrifice
While he waits for a moment of grace
With the love of a woman
A man will pay the price
For the trust that he sees in her face
He will open any door
Leave the life he knew before
To convince her that she's all she'll ever need
And when he's afraid to start
He will step into the dark
'Cause he knows she'll give his eyes the power to see
With the love of a woman
And he promises to help her
dreams come true
No there's nothing in this world that he won't do
Though he's not a work of art
He will try with all his heart
To become the man she knows
That he can be with
The love of a woman
He will give his love
For the love of a woman
