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.
Trying
Dwight Yoakam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And this trying just goes on
As I keep trying to hold on
To my heart
To my heart
I've been waiting here for you
And that waiting still ain't through
To my heart
To my heart
To my heart
But you and I could still try to be
Every hope and wish that we dared to dream
So I keep trying every day
And if hurt from trying gets in my way
That's the part I just try not to say
To my heart
To my heart
To my heart
But you and I could still try to be
Every hope and wish we dared to dream
I've been trying for so long
And this trying just goes on
As I keep trying to hold on
To my heart
To my heart
To my heart
To my heart
Oh to my heart
To my heart
To my heart
In Dwight Yoakam's song "Trying," the singer talks about his persistent efforts to maintain a relationship that is uncertain of its fate. He admits that he has been trying for a long time, but he fears that holding on to his heart may prove to be in vain. Despite his apprehensions, he continues to wait for his partner, hoping that together they can fulfil the hopes and dreams that they have always envisioned.
The lyrics reveal a sense of struggle and vulnerability as the singer speaks about the pain he has endured in trying to keep his relationship alive. He acknowledges the challenges he faces and the fear that holds him back, but he still chooses to keep trying every day. The singer's feelings are expressed through the repetition of the phrase "to my heart" at the end of every verse, creating a sense of emotional depth and sincerity.
Overall, the song highlights the emotional sacrifices that one may have to face in order to maintain a relationship. It suggests that even if the outcome is not clear, it is always worth trying to hold on to something that could be meaningful and rewarding.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been trying for so long
I've been making an effort for an extended period.
And this trying just goes on
My effort continues without an end in sight.
As I keep trying to hold on
I am making a constant effort to maintain what is important to me.
To my heart
To protect my emotions.
I've been waiting here for you
I have been patiently anticipating your arrival.
And that waiting still ain't through
I am still waiting with no clear end in sight.
Guess waiting for what the end may do
I'm unsure what will happen at the end of this waiting period.
To my heart
Concerned about the effects of this waiting on my emotions.
But you and I could still try to be
There is hope in us for a successful venture together.
Every hope and wish that we dared to dream
We can still chase after all we have envisioned for ourselves.
So I keep trying every day
I am committed to making an effort daily.
And if hurt from trying gets in my way
I am aware that trying can cause pain but I'm pushing past it.
That's the part I just try not to say
I do not vocalize the hurt I feel to protect my emotions.
To my heart
Shielding my emotions from further damage.
To my heart
Protecting my heart from further pain.
To my heart
The focus of my effort is to take care of my emotions.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DWIGHT DAVID YOAKAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jean-Marc Beaulieu
He's one of the greatest country artist of all time....
Chevrolet Or No Way
*THE!!!
Daphne Plucken-Hollard
Jean-Marc Beaulieu Amen !
Margie Shanaman
Distinguished! I never get bored with dwight! My favorite Male artist.
NevadaBoss
Many 'try'...but the Mighty Dwighty always succeeds.
A great tune.
Roger Fregoso
Awesome album! I love how Dwight sticks to his unique sound while making it sound fresh and current all at the same time! What a telent :)
Mary Coats
HE IS SO GREAT. SUCH A SUPERSTAR. LOVE HIS VOICE AND SONGS.
Kathy Bradshaw
Love him soooo much❤❤❤
Jeff Garrison
Dwight still kicks ass! Take that Nashville!!!!
Richard Adkins
agreed!!!!