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.
Come On Christmas
Dwight Yoakam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Please take me away
Keep me hidden safe
'Til January's second day
Come on Christmas
Come on Noel
I'll wrap myself up in the cheer
This time of year
Come on Christmas
Come on Noel
Even though it's just September
I can forget to remember
All the empty nights
Still in my way
Come on Christmas
Embrace me with some joy
'Til the last few lonely moments
Of this year have been destroyed
Come on Christmas
Come on Noel
I'll just let visions of the season
Blind these worn-out sights
Still in my mind
Come on Christmas
Come on Noel
Come on Christmas
Dwight Yoakam’s song "Come On Christmas" conveys a sense of longing for something or someone to come and rescue the singer from the desolate emptiness of his life. The lyrics are a plea to Christmas to help him escape reality and its challenges. He asks Christmas to protect him till the second day of January when he can finally face the world again. The song implies that, for the singer, Christmas is a kind of safe haven that allows him to detach himself from the problems and isolation that haunt him.
Yoakam’s lyrics also indicate that the singer has not always had a pleasant experience during the festive season. The line "I'll just let visions of the season blind these worn-out sights," highlights how Christmas has become an escape from the difficulties that he faces in his everyday life. The song’s bittersweet tone and heartfelt emotion speak to the experience of those who struggle during the holiday season, despite cultural expectations of joy and celebration.
"Come On Christmas" was released as a single from Yoakam’s 1997 album "Come On Christmas." It features an acoustic guitar and orchestral accompaniment and was co-written by Yoakam and producer Pete Anderson. The song has become a Christmas classic in its own right, earning millions of views on YouTube and over a million streams on Spotify.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on Christmas
The singer is expressing a desire for Christmas to arrive.
Please take me away
The singer wants Christmas to take them away from their current situation.
Keep me hidden safe
The singer wants to feel protected and secure during the holiday season.
'Til January's second day
The artist wants to be hidden and safe until the second day of January, after the holiday season is over.
I'll wrap myself up in the cheer
The artist plans to fully immerse themselves in the festive spirit of Christmas.
That's so abundant
The singer is acknowledging the abundance of holiday cheer during this time of year.
Come on Noel
The singer is calling out to the Christ child, invoking the religious aspect of Christmas.
Even though it's just September
The artist is aware that Christmas is still several months away, but is willing to begin celebrating early.
I can forget to remember
The artist is willing to forget any negative thoughts or situations from the past year in favor of enjoying the holiday season.
All the empty nights
The artist has experienced many lonely nights leading up to the holiday season.
Still in my way
These memories are still affecting the singer and are preventing them from fully enjoying the present.
Embrace me with some joy
The artist is hoping to be surrounded by happiness and good feelings during the holiday season.
'Til the last few lonely moments
The singer wants to feel joyous and happy until the end of the year, but is aware that there may still be times of loneliness.
Of this year have been destroyed
The singer wants to put an end to any negative feelings or experiences from the past year and move forward with a fresh start.
I'll just let visions of the season
The singer plans to focus on the positive and festive aspects of Christmas, rather than dwelling on negative memories.
Blind these worn-out sights
The artist hopes that the vivid and lively images of the holiday season will overshadow any negative or tired feelings they currently have.
Still in my mind
The artist acknowledges that these negative feelings are still present in their mind.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DWIGHT YOAKAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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