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.
V's of Birds
Dwight Yoakam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
V's of birds flying south for the winter
Ricks of wood line the side of the road
Fire for the place to be warm
Listen, listen
I hear 'em teaching
And it's something I want to learn
When the winter winds have turned so cold
Tell me, tell me
Did you see it
Was it shining in the sky
Giving answers
Within the wisdom
Leaving space between the truth and lies
I see blue skies and sunshine up ahead
V's of birds flying south for the winter
Ricks of wood line the side of the road
Fire for the place to be warm
The song "V's of Birds" by Dwight Yoakam uses vivid imagery of nature to convey a deeper meaning. The first verse describes blue skies and sunshine, followed by the visual of birds flying south for the winter in the formation of a "V". This image may symbolize the unity and collective movement of individuals towards a common goal or destination. The mention of wood stacked on the side of the road represents preparation for the cold winter months. The "fire for the place to be warm" may be interpreted as a metaphor for the need for warmth, comfort, and protection during difficult times. Perhaps the "fire" also represents the determination and resilience needed to endure and persevere through hardship.
The chorus contains a repetition of the description of the blue skies and flying birds. The line "listen, listen" signals the importance of paying attention and being present in the moment. The following lyrics, "even fallen angels need shelter from the harm," could suggest that no one is immune to difficulties and everyone requires support and care. The winter winds turning cold may represent the dark and challenging periods in life that inevitably occur. The question "did you see it?" may refer to a moment of clarity, insight or revelation that provides guidance and direction. The final line, "leaving space between the truth and lies" implies the importance of distinguishing between what is true and false, and recognizing the gray areas in between.
Overall, "V's of Birds" encourages listeners to remain hopeful and prepared during difficult times, to seek guidance and truth, and to remember the importance of seeking and giving support to others in need.
Line by Line Meaning
I see blue skies and sunshine up ahead
The singer sees a promising future ahead
V's of birds flying south for the winter
The singer sees a flock of birds flying south, possibly representing the end of a season or changes in the natural world
Ricks of wood line the side of the road
Stacks of wood are piled up along the road, possibly indicating a rural area or the need for warmth
Fire for the place to be warm
A fire is needed to create warmth and comfort, possibly representing the basic human need for shelter and security
Listen, listen
The artist urges the listener to pay attention and listen closely
I hear 'em teaching
The singer hears someone or something teaching them something new
And it's something I want to learn
The singer is eager to learn and absorb new knowledge
Even fallen angels need shelter from the harm
Even those who have made mistakes or been rejected need a safe place to go
When the winter winds have turned so cold
The cold and harshness of winter have become unbearable
Tell me, tell me
The artist wants to know more and is asking for information
Did you see it
The singer is asking if the listener saw or experienced something
Was it shining in the sky
The artist is asking if the experience was something bright or shining
Giving answers
The experience provided valuable answers or insights
Within the wisdom
The answers or insights were arrived at through wisdom and knowledge
Leaving space between the truth and lies
The experience allowed for discernment between what is true and what is false
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANTHONY CRAWFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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