Yoakam was born in Pikeville, Kentucky, the son of Ruth Ann, a key-punch operator, and David Yoakam, a gas-station owner. He was raised in Columbus, Ohio. He graduated from Columbus's Northland High School in 1974. During his high school years, he excelled in both music and drama, regularly securing the lead role in school plays, such as "Charlie" in a stage version of Flowers for Algernon, honing his skills under the guidance of teacher-mentors Jerry McAfee (music) and Charles Lewis (drama). Outside of school, Yoakam sang and played guitar with local garage bands, and entertained his friends and classmates with his impersonations, such as Richard Nixon, who, at the time, was heavily embroiled in the Watergate controversy.
Yoakam briefly attended Ohio State University, but dropped out and moved to Nashville in 1977 with the intent of becoming a recording artist. Later on, Ohio Valley University in Parkersburg, West Virginia awarded and presented Dwight with an honorary doctorate degree on May 7, 2005.
When he began his career, Nashville was oriented toward pop "urban cowboy" music, and Yoakam's brand of hip honky tonk music was not considered marketable.
Not making much headway in Nashville, Yoakam moved to Los Angeles and worked towards bringing his particular brand of new Honky Tonk or "Hillbilly" music (as he called it) forward into the 1980s. Writing all his own songs, and continuing to perform mostly outside traditional country music channels, Yoakam did many shows in rock and punk rock clubs around Los Angeles, playing with roots rock or punk rock acts like The Blasters (Yoakam scored a small video hit with his version of their song "Long White Cadillac"), Los Lobos, and X. This helped him diversify his audience beyond the typical country music fans, and his authentic, groundbreaking music is often credited with rock audiences accepting country music.
Yoakam's recording debut was the self-financed EP Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. on independent label Oak Records produced by lead-guitarist Pete Anderson; this was later re-released by Reprise records, with several additional tracks, as his major-label debut LP, 1986's Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.. It launched his career. "Honky Tonk Man", a remake of the Johnny Horton song, and "Guitars, Cadillacs" were hit singles. His stylish video "Honky Tonk Man" was the first country music video ever played on MTV. The follow-up LP, Hillbilly Deluxe, was just as successful. His third LP, Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room, included his first No. 1, a duet with his musical idol, Buck Owens, on "Streets of Bakersfield". 1990's If There Was a Way was another best-seller.
Yoakam's song "Readin', Rightin', Route 23" pays tribute to his childhood move from Kentucky, and is named after a local expression describing the route that rural Kentuckians took to find a job outside of the coal mines. (U.S. Route 23 runs north from Kentucky through Columbus and Toledo, Ohio and through the automotive centers of Michigan.) Rather than the standard line that their elementary schools taught "the three Rs" of "Readin', 'Ritin', and 'Rithmetic", Kentuckians used to say that the three Rs they learned were "Readin', 'Ritin, and Route 23 North".
Johnny Cash once cited Yoakam as his favorite country singer. Chris Isaak called him as good a songwriter that ever put a pen to paper. Time Magazine dubbed Yoakam "A Renaissance Man" and Vanity Fair declared that "Yoakam strides the divide between rock's lust and country's lament." Along with his bluegrass and honky-tonk roots, Yoakam has written or covered many Elvis Presley-style rockabilly songs, including his covers of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" in 1999 and Presley's "Suspicious Minds" in 1992. He recorded a cover of The Clash's "Train in Vain" in 1997, a cover of the Grateful Dead song "Truckin'", as well as Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me". Yoakam has never been associated only with Country music; on many early tours, he played with Hardcore Punk bands like Hüsker Dü, and played many shows around Los Angeles with Roots/Punk/Rock & Roll acts. His middle-period-to-later records saw him branching out to different styles, covering Rock & Roll, Punk, 1960's, Blues-based "Boogie" like ZZ Top, and writing more adventurous songs like "A Thousand Miles From Nowhere". In 2003, he provided background vocals on Warren Zevon's last album The Wind.
In the 21st century, Yoakam released dwightyoakamacoustic.net, an album featuring solo acoustic versions of many of his hits; left his major label and started his own label.
2005 saw the release of Yoakam's well-reviewed album Blame the Vain, on New West Records. Yoakam also released an album dedicated to Buck Owens, Dwight Sings Buck, on October 23, 2007. His duet with Michelle Branch, a song titled "Long Goodbye", was released as a free download on Branch's official website in early 2011.
In July 2011, Yoakam re-signed with Warner Bros. Nashville and announced plans to release a new album. 3 Pears was released on September 18, 2012 with twelve new tracks. The album, produced by Yoakam, includes collaborations with Kid Rock, Beck, and Ashley Monroe. 3 Pears was released to resounding critical acclaim and earned Yoakam the highest-charting debut of his career on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Country Albums charts. 3 Pears reached #1 on the Americana Radio chart on October 29, 2012 and went on to break the 2012 record for most weeks at #1 on Americana Radio.[4] By the end of 2012, the album was named on annual best of lists by NPR, Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, AOL's The Boot, Entertainment Weekly, The Village Voice, and Rhapsody, and has been included in more critic's "best of 2012" lists than any other artist in the country genre.
Yoakam won the Grammy Award for "Best Male Country Vocal Performance" in 1993 for the song "Ain't That Lonely Yet". He was also named "Artist of the Year" by CMT Europe in 1993 and given the International Touring Artist Award by CMA in 2007.
In 2011, Yoakam received the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award for his trailblazing achievements in the country music genre.
"Show 'Em Your Badge"
Dwight Yoakam Lyrics
Jump to: Line by Line Meaning ↴
잠깐만 아직 내 말 안 끝났어
더 솔직히 말할게
네가 좋아 나도 이상해
하루 종일 네 얼굴 생각나
어쩌면 좋아 무슨 생각해
왜 넌 날 보며 웃기만 하는데
어쩌다 내 맘속에 들어와 이젠
못 보면 미치겠어 all day all night
느끼니 우우 들리니 아아 너를 향한 이런 내 마음이
저 태양보다 더 뜨거워 이젠 눈 감아도 떠올라 all day all night
느끼니 우우 들리니 아아
가슴 가득 날 안아줘
Alright 대답해줘 너는 내가 어떤지
잠깐만 두리뭉실 말하지 마
더 확실히 말해줘
내가 좋아? 빨리 대답해
나도 이런 내가 좀 어색해
어디가 좋아? 무슨 생각해
왜 또 날 보며 웃기만 하는데
어쩌다 내 맘속에 들어와 이젠
못 보면 미치겠어 all day all night
느끼니 우우 들리니 아아 너를 향한 이런 내 마음이
저 태양보다 더 뜨거워 이젠 눈 감아도 떠올라 all day all night
느끼니 우우 들리니 아아
가슴 가득 날 안아줘
어색한 인사를 주고받던
너와 내가 어느새 벌써
가까워져 많은 대화를 주고받지 어색 아닌 미소를 띠고
내 폰은 더 이상 알람 때만 벨
울리지 않아 이제 너 땜에
우리 둘의 꼴 꼭 신발 같아
서로가 같이 할 때 하나가 되기에
오늘부터 혼자 두지 마
너 없인 아무것도 못하는 아이가 돼
항상 있어 옆에 딱
오늘 밤도 함께 있어줘
아까 본 공포영화 탓인지 무서워
날 두고 가진 말아줘
어쩌다 내 맘속에 들어와 이젠
못 보면 미치겠어 all day all night
느끼니 우우 들리니 아아 너를 향한 이런 내 마음이
저 태양보다 더 뜨거워 이젠 눈 감아도 떠올라 all day all night
느끼니 우우 들리니 아아
가슴 가득 날 안아줘
Alright 할 말 있어 자꾸 어딜 쳐다봐
Hey, I have something to say, why do you keep looking around?
잠깐만 아직 내 말 안 끝났어
Just wait, I'm not finished speaking yet
더 솔직히 말할게
I'll be more honest with you
네가 좋아 나도 이상해
I like you, too. It's strange
하루 종일 네 얼굴 생각나
I can't stop thinking about your face all day
어쩌면 좋아 무슨 생각해
What do you think about this-liking each other?
왜 넌 날 보며 웃기만 하는데
I wonder why you always smile when you see me
어쩌다 내 맘속에 들어와 이젠
Somehow, you've made a place for yourself in my heart, now
못 보면 미치겠어 all day all night
I'll go crazy if I can't see you all day and all night
느끼니 우우 들리니 아아 너를 향한 이런 내 마음이
Do you feel it? Can you hear it? This feeling I have for you
저 태양보다 더 뜨거워 이젠 눈 감아도 떠올라 all day all night
It's hotter than the sun now. I think of you even when I close my eyes
가슴 가득 날 안아줘
Please hug me tight
Alright 대답해줘 너는 내가 어떤지
Hey, please answer me. What do you think of me?
잠깐만 두리뭉실 말하지 마
Don't be vague, just for a moment
더 확실히 말해줘
Tell me more clearly
내가 좋아? 빨리 대답해
Do you like me? Answer me quickly
나도 이런 내가 좀 어색해
I feel a bit awkward about my feelings, too
어디가 좋아? 무슨 생각해
What do you like about me? What do you think about this?
왜 또 날 보며 웃기만 하는데
I wonder why you're always smiling when you see me
어쩌다 내 맘속에 들어와 이젠
Somehow, you've made a place for yourself in my heart, now
못 보면 미치겠어 all day all night
I'll go crazy if I can't see you all day and all night
느끼니 우우 들리니 아아 너를 향한 이런 내 마음이
Do you feel it? Can you hear it? This feeling I have for you
저 태양보다 더 뜨거워 이젠 눈 감아도 떠올라 all day all night
It's hotter than the sun now. I think of you even when I close my eyes
가슴 가득 날 안아줘
Please hug me tight
어색한 인사를 주고받던
We used to awkwardly greet each other
너와 내가 어느새 벌써
You and I have already become closer without realizing it
가까워져 많은 대화를 주고받지 어색 아닌 미소를 띠고
We got closer and began to smile at each other naturally while having many conversations
내 폰은 더 이상 알람 때만 벨
My phone doesn't only ring for alarms anymore
울리지 않아 이제 너 땜에
It doesn't ring now because of you
우리 둘의 꼴 꼭 신발 같아
We fit together like shoes on feet
서로가 같이 할 때 하나가 되기에
We become one when we are together
오늘부터 혼자 두지 마
Don't leave me alone from now on
너 없인 아무것도 못하는 아이가 돼
Without you, I can't do anything
항상 있어 옆에 딱
Always be there by my side
오늘 밤도 함께 있어줘
Please be together with me tonight, too
아까 본 공포영화 탓인지 무서워
Maybe it's because of the horror movie we saw earlier, but I'm scared
날 두고 가진 말아줘
Please don't leave me
가슴 가득 날 안아줘
Please hug me tight
Writer(s): Dwight Yoakam
Contributed by Kayla T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Susan
on Fast As You
Who is Sookie? I gotsta know!