“What I Really Meant to Say”
Cyndi Thomson
Written by Tommy Lee James, Cyndi Thomson, and Chris Waters
Radio & Records
#1 (3 weeks)
September 14 – September 28, 2001
Billboard
#1 (3 weeks)
September 22 – October 6, 2001
Cyndi Thomson chose to walk away from her recording contract after releasing a successful debut album.
It was a surprising – and thankfully, not permanent – decision that came while the industry itself was shifting away from female artists making sophisticated pop country like “What I Really Meant to Say,” a classic hit that only hints at the complexity of her songwriting and the depth of her vocals across My World, one of the strongest country albums released in 2001.
She has a real ear for a pop hook, and the way the emotion builds in the chorus and then resets each time it ends makes for a satisfying feedback loop. It does feel very much like a 2001 debut single, with her label playing it safe the first time out. We only get hints of the expressive scope of her vocals on this track, which are so much more evident on her best single, “I Always Liked That Best,” and the Kim Richey co-write “I’m Gone,” which served as the album’s final hit single. But we do get a fresh and innovative arrangement that sounds nothing like anything that was played on the radio before or since. Bring back the penny whistle, Nashville!
Thomson resurfaced as a writer, playing a hand in one of Gary Allan’s best hits, “Life Ain’t Always Beautiful.” She most recently released “Devil’s Hands,” a song that is in contention for the best single of 2025 right here at Country Universe.
“What I Really Meant to Say” gets an A.
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My World was among my Top 10 favorite albums of any genre back in ’01. Cyndi Thomson’s gorgeous voice always suggested a sturdier Deana Carter as the two displayed the same languid, occasionally drawn out phrasing but Thomson possessed the stronger vocal
instrument. The fact that What I Really Meant To Say is only the third best single off that album and is still an A tells you about the singular quality on display. And yes, there’s no such thing as too much tin whistle! Reminds me alot of my beloved Corrs.