[edit] Biography
Watson was born in Palestine, Texas, in 1943 and began his music career in the early 1970s, performing in local clubs at night while working in a Houston auto body shop during the day. He only recorded for a few small, regional record labels until 1974, when Capitol Records picked up his album Love in the Hot Afternoon and released it nationally. The title track, a mid-tempo ballad in 3/4 time, was released in June 1975 and it quickly reached Number 3 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart.
Watson's national success continued throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, as he recorded several Billboard top-40 hits, including "Where Love Begins," "Paper Rosie," "Should I Go Home (or Should I Go Crazy)," "Nothing Sure Looked Good on You." and "Farewell Party" which was released in 1979 and quickly became Watson's signature song and soon allowed Watson to name his band after the tragic ballad.
In 1982, after switching to the MCA label, he recorded the only number-one hit of his career, "Fourteen Carat Mind." He followed up with several more hits in the early 1980s, including "Speak Softly (You're Talking to My Heart)," "You're Out Doing What I'm Here Doing Without" and "Got No Reason Now for Going Home." By the mid-1980s, he was recording for Epic Records, where his most notable hit was 1985's "Memories to Burn."
Watson never gave up his classical country style, even as he continued to record music throughout the 1980s. He signed with Warner Bros. and released two new albums in 1989 and 1991. He recorded his last album, From the Heart, under the Row Music Group label in 2001.
In 2005, Watson released his latest album, "Then & Now."
In May 2007, Gene Watson signed with the independent Shanachie Records & began work on his first album for the label, which will include new material, along with at least 3 covers of some of Gene's favourite classic country tunes including Merle Haggard's classic "Today I started Loving You Again". The new album, 'In a Perfect World', will be officially released on Tuesday 25 September 2007.
It was also in May 2007 (Saturday 5 May 2007) that the (all new) Gene Watson Site went 'live'. The site, which is owned & maintained by Sean Brady, is based in the Republic of Ireland & receives full support from Sarah Brosmer at Lytle Management in Nashville (Gene Watson's management team) & Gene Watson himself.
In September 2007 "In A Perfect World" was released to the public. The album was received by the country music industry as being one of the best recordings of the year.
[edit] External links
The Official Gene Watson Site
Gene Watson Site Based in Ireland
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Watson"
Categories: 1943 births | American country singers | American male singers | Living people | People from Anderson County, Texas | People from Houston, Texas
Though he can sing honky-tonk, Gene Watson built a reputation for soulful ballads in the classical country tradition. Born one of seven children in Palestine, TX, Watson married early and was working as an auto-body man when he began frequenting the clubs in Houston. He recorded for a few small-time regional labels during the early '70s like Wide World and Stoneway. Watson finally had success in 1974, when a steamy single for Resco "Love in the Hot Afternoon" was picked up for national distribution by Capitol Records, igniting a firestorm of national hits: "Where Love Begins," "Paper Rosie," "Farewell Party," "Should I Come Home (Or Should I Go Crazy)," and "Nothing Sure Looked Good on You." In 1982, shortly after moving to MCA, Watson recorded his only chart-topper, "Fourteen Carat Mind." A parade of Top Ten entries followed during the early '80s, including "Speak Softly (You're Talking to My Heart)" and "You're Out Doing What I'm Here Doing Without." Watson is a vocal stylist of considerable talent, and still owns his own body shop.
Pick The Wildwood Flower
Gene Watson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And that tractor never was my kind of living
And when I hit sixteen
I had my size and I hit the road to freedom
And I'm glad I wasn't there
To see my momma cause she must've cried for hours
I still hear her saying Gary
Get your guitar and pick The Wildwood Flower
Now Dallas it was big
And hard to find a job and so I didn't
It was easier to hitch a ride to Houston
And it was more like living
Now I've been down every road
And I've stood on every porch where they were giving
And if they had an hour or a dime
I would pick The Wildwood Flower
It's hard to turn around
And look back down the roads that I have travelled
Cause like a neverending ball of twine
My dreams have come unravelled
And now as evening lays its shawl
Across the shoulders of my life I have defined
I couldn't tie my life together
With the guitar strings and a poet's heart full of pride
And I'm so glad I wasn't there
To see my momma cause she must've cried for hours
I still hear her saying Gary
Get your guitar and pick The Wildwood Flower
In Gene Watson's "Pick The Wildwood Flower," the singer reminisces about leaving his hometown in Texas at the young age of 16, opting for a life of freedom and adventure over the monotony of field work. He reflects on the hardship he faced finding work in Dallas and the many roads he's traveled since then, ultimately reflecting on the bittersweet nature of chasing one's dreams.
The song itself is a beautiful testament to the human spirit and the importance of taking the more difficult path in life. Watson's use of imagery, such as his mom crying for hours after his departure, and the "evening lay[ing] its shawl" on his life, creates a sense of longing and sadness, while his upbeat guitar picking and lyrics about the joy of music offer a sense of hope and possibility.
What makes "Pick The Wildwood Flower" so compelling is not only the catchy tune and beautiful lyrics, but also the relatable themes it touches on. The desire for freedom, the struggle to make ends meet in a new place, and the ups and downs of pursuing one's dreams are universal experiences that anyone can relate to. Here, Watson has captured the essence of the human spirit in a single song, making it a timeless classic that will continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.
Line by Line Meaning
Them Texas fields were hot
The fields in Texas were scorching hot and uncomfortable.
And that tractor never was my kind of living
Operating a tractor was not something that I enjoyed or could picture myself doing as a way of life.
And when I hit sixteen
When I was sixteen years old and old enough to make my own choices.
I had my size and I hit the road to freedom
I was big enough to leave home and venture out to seek my own independence.
And I'm glad I wasn't there
I feel relieved that I wasn't present to witness something agonizing or distressing.
To see my momma cause she must've cried for hours
If I had been there, it would have been unbearable to see my mother so emotional and upset.
I still hear her saying Gary
I have vivid memories of my mother calling out my name, Gary.
Get your guitar and pick The Wildwood Flower
She would tell me to play my guitar and perform the song, The Wildwood Flower.
Now Dallas it was big
The city of Dallas was large and overwhelming.
And hard to find a job and so I didn't
I struggled to find employment in Dallas and ultimately didn't end up working there.
It was easier to hitch a ride to Houston
I found it simpler to hitchhike and go to Houston instead of staying in Dallas.
And it was more like living
Houston felt more like a place where I could truly start my life and live it the way I wanted to.
Now I've been down every road
I've traveled down every possible path in life.
And I've stood on every porch where they were giving
I've begged for money and assistance on numerous front porches.
And if they had an hour or a dime
If someone granted me some money or time, I would be grateful and appreciative.
I would pick The Wildwood Flower
Playing and performing The Wildwood Flower was something that brought me joy and solace during difficult times.
It's hard to turn around
It can be challenging to look back at my past experiences.
And look back down the roads that I have travelled
Reflecting on my journey thus far can be a daunting and emotional experience.
Cause like a neverending ball of twine
My life has been an endless and complicated journey that continues to unravel.
My dreams have come unravelled
My aspirations and desires in life have been shattered and unattainable.
And now as evening lays its shawl
As night falls, it envelops me like a protective blanket.
Across the shoulders of my life I have defined
My experiences and choices have shaped who I am as a person.
I couldn't tie my life together
I struggled to find a sense of coherence or unity in my life.
With the guitar strings and a poet's heart full of pride
Although I had my guitar and was proud of my artistic nature, that alone wasn't enough to bring my life together.
And I'm so glad I wasn't there
Again, I'm relieved that I wasn't present to see a difficult or emotional situation.
To see my momma cause she must've cried for hours
If I had been there with my mother during a difficult time, it would have been unbearable for both of us.
I still hear her saying Gary
Her voice and her words still ring in my ears and in my memories.
Get your guitar and pick The Wildwood Flower
Her solace and her comfort during difficult times was the sound of me playing The Wildwood Flower on my guitar.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOESPH ALLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Scott Burger
Gene needs to be in the Country Music Hall of Fame...he turned out some great true country songs!
tj4pirates
He's not in the Country HOF!? Idk that. I guess I assumed he was. That's a terrible oversight.
capergal49
Gene Watson is one of the greatest C&W singers and surely deserves a special award, I just cannot understand why he has not been right up there with awards. I just love his style and he is real country.
felixbautista
+capergal49 - Thank you most kindly for checking this posting out.. have a pleasant weekend.
capergal49
He is great and he has a new album out and heard one of the songs this morning on Trucker Country on the radio. It is on every Sunday morning here.
quin bagwell
One of my favorite songs from one of the great , true country music artists. Gene has never gotten the recognition he deserves, and I will never understand why.
felixbautista
Quin, thank you so much for giving the video your kindest attention and acceptance.
Jeff Liss
Song after song, Gene Watson just keeps the great hits coming. One of CW's greats.
felixbautista
Thank you so much for your kindest attention and appreciation Jeff.
Kay Perry
I have loved country music since the early 50's. You are the greatest country artist of our time. Your songs are all right from the heart. Hope you know how much you and your music have inspired the world.god bless.