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.
I Hear you Knockin
Dwight Yoakam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hear you callin'
I hear you every time you say my name
But it's too late, baby
Your calling is all in vain
I hear you crying
You done the lying
Baby, you're to blame
But it's too late, baby
Your crying is all in vain
I packed my suitcase
I bought my ticket
It won't be long, and I'll be on my way
'Cause I'm a leaving, yeah, I'm a leaving, and
I'm going away to stay
I hear you knockin'
I hear you callin'
I hear you every time you say my name
But it's too late, baby
Your calling is all in vain
I hear you knockin'
I hear you callin'
I hear you every time you say my name
But it's too late, baby
Your calling is all in vain
I hear you knock, knock, knock
I hear you call, call, call
I hear you every time you say my name
But it's too late, baby
Your calling is all in vain
In Dwight Yoakam's song "I Hear You Knockin'," the lyrics describe a relationship that has come to an end. The singer explains that the other person is calling out for him and trying to get his attention, but it is all in vain. The song starts off with the singer hearing the other person knocking, calling, and saying his name, but he knows that it's too late and doesn't want to continue the relationship.
The second verse gives insight as to why the relationship is ending. The other person lied and cheated, causing the singer to pack his suitcase and buy a ticket to leave. Although the other person is crying and trying to make amends, the singer knows that it is too late and that the calling and crying is all in vain. The chorus repeats the same sentiment of the other person calling and knocking, but the singer has made up his mind and is not going to stay.
The lyrics to "I Hear You Knockin'" are straightforward, but powerful. They convey the emotions of someone who has been hurt and is moving on from a relationship. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy melody help to contrast with the somber lyrics, creating an interesting and unique listening experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear you knockin'
I am aware of your attempts to contact me
I hear you callin'
I hear your voice when you try to reach out to me
I hear you every time you say my name
I hear my name mentioned every time you try to get my attention
But it's too late, baby
I have made my decision and it is final
Your calling is all in vain
Your attempts to contact me are futile
I hear you crying
I am aware of your emotional distress
You done the lying
You have been dishonest in our relationship
You tried to cheat
You attempted to deceive me
Baby, you're to blame
You are responsible for the situation we are in
I packed my suitcase
I got ready to leave
I bought my ticket
I have made plans to depart
It won't be long, and I'll be on my way
I will leave soon
'Cause I'm a leaving, yeah, I'm a leaving, and
I am definitely leaving and there is nothing you can do to stop me
I'm going away to stay
I am leaving for good
I hear you knock, knock, knock
I still hear your attempts to contact me
I hear you call, call, call
I still hear your voice when you try to reach out to me
Your calling is all in vain
Your attempts to contact me are still futile
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Pearl King, Dave Bartholomew
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kathygreen8058
NO one can match Dwight for talent. He is the BEST!
@jasonshepperd7907
My dad hates Dwight says he sounds too nazely
@jasonshepperd7907
I think Dwight is under rated by the music industry but to me HE IS AWESOME
@ryanalbuquerque7465
@@jasonshepperd7907 get his ears checked plz and then ask him to listen again
@impact1
Easily the best country artist around. Killer voice. Songs like a.m. and Mercury Blues, Dont be Sad, Takes a lot to rock You, Three good Reasons, Only want you More, King of Fools, I wanna Love again orTrucking ( 2 name a few) are awesome. He should focus on those uptempo rocking country songs. He has no match.
@smokey72444
great cover of this classic
@jesuschristdestroysmarxism3916
This isn't the Dave Edmunds song it's obviously a different "" I hear you knocking "" song entirely
@JOESAIT
All time my favourite Dwight Yokum
@goatbabe0666
This is my favorite cover of Lazy Larry.