Gretchen was born in Pocahontas, Illinois to a 16-year-old mother. Her father left before she was two years old, and she and her mother lived in trailer parks and relative poverty. Gretchen's mother worked as a waitress, and Gretchen herself dropped out of the 8th grade at age 15 to work as a cook and bartender in rural Illinois.
After a failed marriage to former Baywolfe bandmate Larry Rolens, Gretchen moved to Nashville and began dating Mike Penner. They have a daughter, Grace Frances Penner, who was born November 9, 2000.
Gretchen, who had sung for Kmart as a child, sang in two bar bands by the age of 20. In 1996 she moved to Nashville to sing back-up and record sample songs. In 2000, she met John Rich, a former member of Lonestar, who invited her to become his song-writing partner. Wilson signed with Epic Records in 2003 and recorded Here for the Party within the year.
Her first single, "Redneck Woman", was released in early 2004 and reached the top of the Hot Country Songs charts and #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. The success of "Redneck Woman" prompted an earlier-than-planned release for Here for the Party -- May 11, 2004 -- and it debuted at #1 on the Billboard country chart. It also reached #2 on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Internet album sales charts. She performed as a support artist for Brooks & Dunn and Montgomery Gentry.
She released the title track Here For The Party as the second single. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard country chart. Two other songs were released as singles, and both reached the top 10. Released in markets outside the U.S., the album hit #2 on the Australian country charts (behind Kasey Chambers) and the top 50 of the Australian charts. As of July 5, 2004, "Redneck Woman" was #1 on a world composite country chart (based on the U.S., UK, and Australia charts). The album went on sell more than 4 million copies in the U.S. and 5 million worldwide and was certified four times platinum.
On September 27, 2005, Gretchen released her second album, All Jacked Up, which peaked at #1 on both the Top 200 and Country album charts, but, after initial decent sales, the album quickly fell off the charts. It was certified Platinum and sold 1 million copies. The title track, All Jacked Up, peaked at a disappointing #8 on the Country singles chart and was the only song from the album to reach the top 10. The second single, I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today, peaked at #22. The third and the fourth singles were Politically Uncorrect and California Girls, which peaked respectively at #23 and #25 on the Country chart. Kid Rock appeared on "The Other Side of Me," an exclusive track that Target released with the album.
On February 28, 2006, Gretchen appeared on Kid Rock and The Twisted Brown Trucker Band's "Live" Trucker, as she performed "Picture" recorded at Detroit's Cobo Hall, 3/26/04. On November 2006, she released a new single called Come To Bed, a song produced by her friend John Rich, who also sings the background vocals. The song's suggestive video received a TV-14 S rating when aired on CMT.
Gretchen's "I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today" was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Female Country Vocal Performance, and Best Country Song. In 2006, Wilson contributed a well-received cover of Kris Kristofferson's Sunday Mornin' Coming Down on the tribute CD The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson. In 2007, Wilson displayed her rock and roll vocals on the cable TV special VH1 Rock Honors, singing Heart's hit Barracuda, along with Alice in Chains and Heart member Nancy Wilson on guitars.,
On May 15, 2007, Gretchen released her third album, One of the Boys. The album debuted at #5 on the Top 200 and at #1 on the Country album chart. After 11 weeks, it exited the Billboard Top 200, having sold just 178,220 copies at that point. "Come To Bed" and "One Of The Boys", the first two singles released, both failed to enter the top 30 and missed the Hot 100 completely. The third single, "You Don't Have to Go Home", was even less successful, peaking at #53.
Christmas in My Heart
Gretchen Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The snow is falling down
Family comes from everywhere
And friends are gathering 'round
Isn't so right
You and I walking this close down a moonlit lane
Isn't so fine
Come December time of year
That's when they say it starts
Every day I spend with you is Christmas in my heart
Perfect strangers share their smiles
As we go caroling
Children dream their dreams tonight
Of what Santa's gonna bring
Isn't so great
That we have each other's love to keep us warm
We don't have to wait for the bells to ring
It happens all year long
Yuletide stars hang in the sky
Like diamonds in the dark
And every night I spend with you is Christmas in my heart
Come December time of year
That's when they say it starts
Every day I spend with you is Christmas in my heart
Gretchen Wilson's "Christmas in My Heart" is a heartwarming tribute to the holiday season and the joy that it brings. The song opens with the image of snow falling and family and friends coming together in anticipation of the holiday. The chorus celebrates the enduring love and companionship that the singer shares with her partner, likening every day spent together to "Christmas in my heart."
The second verse expands on this sense of togetherness, with the singer observing that strangers can come together for caroling and children eagerly anticipate the arrival of Santa Claus. However, the most important source of warmth and happiness is the love she shares with her companion.
The final verse returns to the imagery of the first, with the stars in the sky calling to mind the season's sense of magic and wonder. But the focus is still on the personal connection that brings true joy to the season, as the singer asserts that every night spent with her partner feels like Christmas.
Overall, "Christmas in My Heart" is a sweet and simple celebration of the holiday season's true spirit, emphasizing the importance of love and togetherness above all else.
Line by Line Meaning
The air
The atmosphere of Christmas
The snow is falling down
The season is cold and white
Family comes from everywhere
Family members come from far and wide to celebrate the holiday
And friends are gathering 'round
Friends come together to celebrate the holiday as well
Isn't so right
It feels so perfect and pure
You and I walking this close down a moonlit lane
We're walking together on a beautiful night
Isn't so fine
It feels so amazing and wonderful
To believe in something that will never change
To have faith in something that will always stay the same
Come December time of year
In the month of December every year
That's when they say it starts
Some say that Christmas season officially starts in December
Every day I spend with you is Christmas in my heart
Being with you makes every moment feel special and joyful, like it's Christmas
Perfect strangers share their smiles
People who don't know each other exchange smiles
As we go caroling
Singing Christmas songs together
Children dream their dreams tonight
Kids are excited and hopeful for what gifts Santa Claus will bring them
Of what Santa's gonna bring
Kids are looking forward to their presents from Santa Claus
Isn't so great
It feels incredible and superb
That we have each other's love to keep us warm
We have love to keep us happy and fulfilled
We don't have to wait for the bells to ring
We don't need the bells to mark the start of Christmas, we already have each other
It happens all year long
Our love is always present and doesn't have to be tied to a specific holiday
Yuletide stars hang in the sky
Stars in the night sky remind us of the holiday season
Like diamonds in the dark
They shine bright despite the dark night
And every night I spend with you is Christmas in my heart
Every night with you is special and joyful, like it's the holiday season
Come December time of year
In the month of December every year
That's when they say it starts
Some say that Christmas season officially starts in December
Every day I spend with you is Christmas in my heart
Being with you makes every moment feel special and joyful, like it's Christmas
Contributed by Leo G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.