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.
Late Great Golden State
Dwight Yoakam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's getting hard to negotiate
When you're one slip
From a grim fate
In the late great golden state
In the late great golden state
I don't do much
I ain't old, I'm just out of date
In the late great golden state
I caught one last glimpse
Of The Palomino
When I drove out west
To see the purple sage
Then as canyons burned
And the mountains crumbled
The last cowboy band
Left the stage
No, I ain't old, I'm just out of date
In the late great golden state
I caught one last glimpse
Of the Palomino (Palomino)
When I drove out west
To see the purple sage (purple sage)
Then as the canyons burned
And the mountains crumbled
The last cowboy band
Left the stage
Yeah, the late great golden state
Is a nice place for a clean slate
But leave your expectations
At the gate
Of the late great golden state
'Cause they can pack you up
And send you home in a crate
Stamped the late great
Golden state
The song "Late Great Golden State" by Dwight Yoakam reflects the artist's emotional attachment to the state of California as it declines in its golden days. The lyrics are a lament about how difficult it is getting to live in California, where one misstep can lead to disaster, and how it's hard to keep up with the ever-changing times. He speaks about the state with both fondness and sadness, singing that he caught one last glimpse of The Palomino, a renowned country music club in Los Angeles, that it's a nice place for a clean slate, but one needs to leave their expectations behind while entering because California can send you home in a crate. The lyrics are essentially pleading with the listener not to forget the state of California in its decadent years.
The lyrics of "Late Great Golden State" are a reflection of Yoakam's own life as a musician in California. Yoakam moved to Los Angeles in the late 1970s, and his breakthrough album 'Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.' was very popular in the Golden State. The song paints the picture of how the California he knew is no longer the same as it was. The "one slip away from a grim fate" line connotes how the people are always at risk due to ever-present wildfires, earthquakes, pandemics, and other natural disasters in the Golden State.
The song was released as part of Yoakam's 2005 album 'Blame the Vain'. It didn't receive as much radio play as his previous hits, but it was still a critical success. The song carries the traditional honky-tonk sound for which Dwight Yoakam is famous. The song explores themes and issues that are prevalent in Yoakam's other work, such as identity, place, and individualism. The song has been covered by other artists, including fellow country crooner Keith Urban.
Line by Line Meaning
In the late great golden state
The state of California, once a great place, is now declining.
It's getting hard to negotiate
Navigating life in California is becoming increasingly difficult.
When you're one slip
One small mistake or misstep
From a grim fate
Could lead to a bad outcome
I don't do much
Life is slow-paced in California now.
But I'm always late
Even with little to do, he's still always late.
I ain't old, I'm just out of date
Not old, just not up-to-date with current trends and expectations.
I caught one last glimpse
He saw something special one last time.
Of The Palomino
A legendary music venue.
When I drove out west
On a journey into California.
To see the purple sage
To experience the beauty of the landscape and culture of California.
Then as canyons burned
Wildfires destroyed the natural environment.
And the mountains crumbled
Natural disasters caused damage to the state.
The last cowboy band
Symbolic of a disappearing way of life and culture.
Left the stage
Disappeared and were no longer seen in California.
Is a nice place for a clean slate
California still appeals to those seeking a fresh start.
But leave your expectations
Don't expect too much from the state and its people.
At the gate
Right from the start.
They can pack you up
California can be unforgiving and bring unwanted change.
And send you home in a crate
A metaphor for being shipped out of the state against your will.
Stamped the late great
As a reminder of the state's decline.
Golden state
A reference to California's nickname.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Mike Stinson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@markkickmark
Population Me is one of his best!
@annettehyche7560
DWIGHT's video's are genius even today!!
@johnbell9241
Dwight's songs and videos are amazing come on world get on board.
@mysteryjesus
I've been a fan of Dwight since 1986. I bought the Population Me album but this is the first time I even knew about this video! It's so awesome and hilarious! Love the intro! Why are people so dumb as to not see his genius?!? But then again higher intellect like Dwight can't be recognized because most people aren't that smart. The ones who are I salute you!
@Mistyblue48
LOVE THIS SONG GREAT BEAT!!! YOUR THE BEST DWIGHT!! Love ya!!
@young1939
It was a little difficult to watch the first part of this video, but when he started singing it was worth it. 👍
@donnaellenhenson8533
The videos are as theatrical as his movies! Love it!
@francesmoore5789
Reference to Archimedes finding the volume of weight by displacement of water, he is said to have run down the street shouting “Eureka”. Dwight’s videos are always genius.
@kathygreen8058
I love the intro to this video! I love to watch and listen to Dwight talk! I am fascinated with him.
@donnaellenhenson8533
His voice is smooth as milk chocolate! I agree - love to hear him talk and sing - whole package for sure!