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.
If You Were Me
Dwight Yoakam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I Should Do The Things You Do
Would You Still Love The Way
I Keep On Loving You
Of All The Times You've Been Untrue
If I Should Be That Same Way Too
Just Tell Me Now What Would You Do
INSTRUMENTAL
Someday My Love May Grow Cold
And I'll Love You No More I Know
Think Of All The Unkind Things
You Shouldn't Have Done
I Still Love You Even Tho
Your Love For Me You Never Show
Just Tell Me Now What Would You Do
If You Were Me And I Were You
If You Were Me And I Were You
And I Should Do The Things You Do
Would You Still Love
The Way I Keep On Loving You
Of All The Times You've Been Untrue
If I Should Be That Same Way Too
Just Tell Me Now What Would You Do
If You Were Me And I Were You
The lyrics of Dwight Yoakam's song "If You Were Me" touch upon the universal theme of empathy, imagining what it would be like to switch roles and experience life from someone else's perspective. The song's narrator poses a series of questions to his lover, asking if their love would remain strong even if he were to behave in the same unfaithful manner as her. He also expresses his enduring love for her, even though she doesn't outwardly show love for him. The theme of love is at the heart of the song, as it explores the depths of true love and whether it can weather the storms of betrayal and unkindness.
In the first verse, the singer asks if their love would still be intact if he acted like his partner, who has been unfaithful in the past. He poses a hypothetical situation, imagining what it would be like if their roles were reversed. The second verse expresses the singer's doubts about the longevity of their love, as he suggests that someday he may stop loving her because of the unkind things she has done. However, he still professes his love for her and asks for her honesty in return. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
If You Were Me And I Were You
If our roles were reversed
And I Should Do The Things You Do
If I acted the way you act
Would You Still Love The Way I Keep On Loving You
Would you still love me the way I love you
Of All The Times You've Been Untrue
Despite all the times you’ve cheated
If I Should Be That Same Way Too
If I were to do the same
Just Tell Me Now What Would You Do
Tell me how you would react
IF You Were Me And I Were You
If our roles were reversed
Someday My Love May Grow Cold
At some point, I may fall out of love
And I'll Love You No More I Know
And I’ll stop loving you, I’m aware
Think Of All The Unkind Things You Shouldn't Have Done
Remember all the hurtful things you did and shouldn’t have
I Still Love You Even Tho
Despite everything, I still love you
Your Love For Me You Never Show
Even though you never show me your love
If You Were Me And I Were You
If our roles were reversed
And I Should Do The Things You Do
If I acted the way you act
Would You Still Love The Way I Keep On Loving You
Would you still love me the way I love you
Of All The Times You've Been Untrue
Despite all the times you’ve cheated
If I Should Be That Same Way Too
If I were to do the same
Just Tell Me Now What Would You Do
Tell me how you would react
If You Were Me And I Were You
If our roles were reversed
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WEBB PIERCE, FRANK MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Linda Walet
Everyday I find another song to love by this man. They seem endless & I'm so glad. His voice is that of an angels .
Jackie Wilson
Very very goooood, love it!
A Lily Among The Thorns
Love it ! goosebumps on my goosebumps !!
Jessee McBroom
Thanks for the post David. This is a good love song indeed.
Nicholas Lufkins
I appreciate a good love song!!
Jewel Dotson
Great version of Webb Pierces hit from the mid 50s.
Brasilian Rose
GOOD JOB ON THIS WEBB PIERCE CLASSIC THANKS DAVE,Keith DWIGHTS GOOD TOO
Petra Ullrich
I think it's so nice!
Donna Marie Pszoniak
💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕
Henry Porter
My X wife's conscience too guilty to face me, and herself