Born in Hope Valley, Rhode Island, with his parents Mr. & Mrs. William Gilman Jr., Gilman first received notice as a performer at age seven, attracting the attention of a local vocal coach, Angela Bacari, who later became his manager. Eventually he met with Ray Benson (of Asleep at the Wheel) who helped him record demos, including "Roly Poly". Two months later he was signed by Sony Music Nashville.
His 2000 debut album, One Voice, had a very widely-played single that crossed over well into top 40 airplay. The album reached multi-platinum status, and earned a Grammy nomination. Generally touted as a child prodigy, Gilman appeared on various talk shows. Classic Christmas (which was certified gold) was released later in the year.
He released Dare to Dream (certified gold) on Sony BMG Music Entertainment/Epic Records in 2001, and in 2003 released Music Through Heartsongs, an album inspired by the poetry of Mattie Stepanek. Later in 2003, he performed at a benefit for The Station nightclub fire. In May 2005, he released Everything and More, his first album since his voice changed.
Billy's latest album, self-titled, was released in September 2006 on the Image Entertainment label. The first single off the upcoming album, Southern Star, heralds a return to his country music roots. Billy is scheduled to begin working on his next album with Eddie Galan and Andrew Lane of Trilogy Productions.
Almost Over
Billy Gilman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna buy you the whole wide world
All I got is a letter jacket and a mood ring
Sometimes I see you standing in the hall
And I can't say a thing at all
Deep inside, I'm writing you poetry
Yes, I am
I almost love you, I can almost feel your kiss
Almost promise my heart
But my promise is more like a wish
Oh, I don't know what all this means
But girl I can't get you out of my dreams
Every time that we get close
It's almost
Yesterday, I saw you on the hood of a car
With an older guy, he was playing his guitar
You gave him your smile
I could have cried but I just froze
Should I stand up to him, should I pick a fight
Should I get you to run away with me tonight
I don't know how to get there or where we'd go
Don't you know
I almost love you, I can almost feel your kiss
Almost promise my heart
But my promise is more like a wish
Oh, I don't know what all this means
But girl I can't get you out of my dreams
Every time that we get close
It's almost
Love, it's almost the right stuff
It's almost the flight of a pure white dove
It's almost true love
I almost love you, I can almost feel your kiss
Almost promise my heart
But my promise is more like a wish
Oh, I don't know what all this means
But girl I can't get you out of my dreams
Every time that we get close
It's almost
Love, it's almost the right stuff
It's almost the flight of a pure white dove
It's almost true love
It's almost true love
It's almost the right stuff
It's almost the flight of a pure white dove
It's almost true love, yeah
The song "Almost Over" by Billy Gilman is a poignant and heartfelt expression of unrequited love. The lyrics follow the inner struggles of a teenage boy who is completely infatuated with a girl, but he lacks the confidence and means to express his love for her. Throughout the song, the singer oscillates between feelings of hope and despair, as he describes his attempts to capture the attention of the girl in question, all the while contending with the realization that she may never reciprocate his feelings.
The opening verse of the song highlights the singer's sense of inadequacy and insecurity when it comes to expressing his love for the girl. He wants to show her that he cares deeply about her, but all he has to offer are his letter jacket and a mood ring. The line "All I got is a letter jacket and a mood ring" is especially poignant because it conveys the singer's sense of inferiority compared to the other boys who may be vying for the girl's attention.
As the song progresses, the singer's emotions become even more complex. He describes the moments when he sees the girl in the hallway and feels so overwhelmed that he can't even speak to her. However, he is able to articulate his feelings through writing poetry, which is a testament to the power of art as a means of expression and communication.
One of the most moving parts of the song is when the singer sees the girl smiling at an older guy who is playing guitar on the hood of a car. He is heartbroken but frozen, unsure of how to react or what to do. He wonders if he should confront the other guy or run away with the girl himself, but ultimately acknowledges that he doesn't know how to express or act on his feelings.
Overall, "Almost Over" is a beautiful and relatable song that captures the intense emotions and inner conflicts of adolescent love. It serves as a reminder that even though unrequited love can be painful, it is often a necessary part of the human experience, and can ultimately inspire growth and creative expression.
Line by Line Meaning
What am I gonna get you girl
I want to give you everything, but I don't have much
I wanna buy you the whole wide world
I want to give you everything you could ever want
All I got is a letter jacket and a mood ring
I only have minor possessions that don't mean much
Sometimes I see you standing in the hall
Sometimes I catch glimpses of you, but I can't speak to you
And I can't say a thing at all
I'm too nervous to talk to you
Deep inside, I'm writing you poetry
I have romantic feelings for you that I express through writing
Yes, I am
I'm truly passionate about writing for you
I almost love you, I can almost feel your kiss
I have strong feelings for you, but I'm not quite sure if it's love yet
Almost promise my heart
I want to make a commitment to you, but I'm not ready yet
But my promise is more like a wish
I'm making a promise I can't quite keep yet
Oh, I don't know what all this means
I'm not sure what my feelings for you really mean yet
But girl I can't get you out of my dreams
I can't stop thinking about you, even when I'm asleep
Every time that we get close
Whenever we're near each other
It's almost
It feels like something special could happen between us, but it hasn't quite yet
Yesterday, I saw you on the hood of a car
I saw you hanging out with another guy
With an older guy, he was playing his guitar
He was older than us and entertaining you musically
You gave him your smile
You showed him a charming smile
I could have cried but I just froze
I was too upset to act on my emotions
Should I stand up to him, should I pick a fight
I don't know how to handle this situation
Should I get you to run away with me tonight
I want to protect you by taking you away from the situation
I don't know how to get there or where we'd go
I'm not sure how to make this happen or where we would go
Don't you know
I need your help and guidance
Love, it's almost the right stuff
Our love feels almost right, but it's not quite there yet
It's almost the flight of a pure white dove
Love can be like the beauty of a dove taking flight
It's almost true love
Our love is special, but it's not true love yet
It's almost true love, yeah
Our love could become true love someday
Contributed by Zachary V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.