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.
The Darkest Hour
Dwight Yoakam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The narrow way leads home
Lay down your soul at Jesus' feet
The darkest hour is just before dawn
The saddest soul is thinking
Of a day that's almost gone
Till darkness falls around us
The darkest hour is just before dawn
The narrow way leads home
Lay down your soul at Jesus' feet
The darkest hour is just before dawn
Like a shepherd out on the mountain
A watching His sheep down below
He's coming back to claim us
Oh, will you be ready to go?
The darkest hour is just before dawn
The narrow way leads home
Lay down your soul at Jesus' feet
The darkest hour is just before dawn
Lay down your soul at Jesus' feet
The darkest hour is just before dawn
Dwight Yoakam's song "The Darkest Hour" speaks about the hope of redemption amidst life's dark moments. The first line of the chorus, "The darkest hour is just before dawn," is a common expression that speaks to the idea that just when we think things are as bad as they can get, we are often on the verge of a breakthrough.
The second line, "The narrow way leads home," is a reference to the Bible verse in Matthew 7:13-14, which says, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
The song continues with a reminder to "Lay down your soul at Jesus’ feet," acknowledging the importance of faith and salvation in difficult times. The second verse emphasizes the fleeting nature of life, noting that "the saddest soul is thinking of a day that’s almost gone." However, the chorus offers hope that even in the darkest moments, there is a way forward.
The closing lines of the song suggest that Jesus is like a shepherd watching over his sheep and will return one day to claim his flock. Yoakam's use of this imagery emphasizes the idea of redemption and finding one’s way home.
Line by Line Meaning
The darkest hour is just before dawn
In our darkest moments, when everything seems hopeless, that's usually when things are about to get better.
The narrow way leads home
The path to salvation and a better life is not always easy and straightforward - it is a narrow and challenging road that we must travel.
Lay down your soul at Jesus' feet
We must humble ourselves and surrender our lives to a higher power in order to find peace and purpose.
The saddest soul is thinking
When we dwell on the past and what we have lost, we can become overwhelmed by sadness.
Of a day that's almost gone
We can't change what's already happened, but we can choose how we move forward and make the most of what's left.
Till darkness falls around us
Sometimes we don't even realize how lost or troubled we are until we are surrounded by darkness and despair.
And we must journey on
Life is an ongoing journey, and even in our darkest moments, we must keep moving forward.
Like a shepherd out on the mountain
We are like sheep in need of guidance and protection, and there is always someone looking out for us.
A watching His sheep down below
Even when we feel lost or alone, there is a higher power watching over us and guiding us on our journey.
He's coming back to claim us
One day, we will be reunited with our savior and provider, and all our struggles will be worth it.
Oh, will you be ready to go?
When the time comes, will we be prepared to face our creator and join him in the afterlife?
Contributed by Kennedy D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
SuperLindy1962
I love this song so much. It's the first time I've heard Dwight sing it. 💜💜💜💜💜
John Bell
In his heart dwight is a good ol country boy.
Chris Mullen
South of Cincinnati my favorite song
marilyn stuart
Love Dwight's version. I'm adding this to my playlist.
Bella Stratton
This version of 'The Darkest Hour' appears on Disc Two of the CD Set entitled: "Clinch Mountain Country" - Ralph Stanley and Friends. I too prefer this performance of this song a slight bit over the version that was featured in Dwight's film "South of Heaven West of Hell" and on the soundtrack CD from the film. Of course since Dwight sings in both versions, there are both exceptional performances.
Randy C
This is Ralph Stanley singing harmony, with Dwight as his guest, from the Clinch Mountain Country album.
Dwight puts a great high-lonesome bluegrass "scald" (as Ralph says) on it, as his roots (thankfully) betray.
Sandy Jacobs
Luv this tune, also the coat is fabulous!!!
mairendee
Dwight's twang is gorgeous on this song. I noticed on 3 Pears that he's lost some of that but his voice and songs are just as gorgeous. Hope he puts out a new album soon.
Thanks for posting this.
jami green
beautiful, as always.
laverne cole
love this song...loved the soundtrack....love D wight ;-)