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.
He Ain
Gretchen Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My God she's dancin'
Out there romancin'
In her new lover's arms
If he were here
To see how she's actin'
If he could hear her Laughin'
It would brak his broken heart
[Chorus:]
'Cause he ain't even cold yet
The tears haven't dried yet
It's not written in stone yet
As far as he's concerned
He ain't even cold yet
The fire's still burnin'
She laid his love to rest
Showin' no regrets
Lord, Heain't even cold yet
If he found out
Lord, It would kill him
'Cause he's still livin'
In yesterday
Whoever tells him
That she's not grieven'
Would just be leavin'
Flowers on his grave
[Chorus]
She laid his love to rest
Showin' no regrets
And he ain't eve cold yet
The song "He Ain't Even Cold Yet" by Gretchen Wilson is about a woman who has moved on to a new lover immediately after her old lover has passed away. The lyrics describe how the woman is "out there romancin'" in her new lover's arms, while her old lover's tears haven't even dried yet. The song implies that the woman is dishonoring her old lover's memory by moving on so quickly.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "He ain't even cold yet," referring to the fact that the old lover's body hasn't even had time to go cold before the woman has moved on. The song suggests that the old lover's heart would be broken if he could see how quickly the woman moved on. The lyrics also suggest that if the old lover found out about the woman's new lover, it would kill him, because he is still living in the past.
Overall, the song is a cautionary tale about the importance of honoring the memory of those we have lost, and the dangers of moving on too quickly.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at her
Observing the actions of the woman in question
My God she's dancin'
Expressing shock at the woman's behavior, specifically that she is dancing
Out there romancin'
Engaging in romantic behavior with someone new
In her new lover's arms
Physically embracing the person she is now romantically involved with
If he were here
Hypothetically speaking about the deceased former lover of the woman
To see how she's actin'
To observe the woman's current behavior and actions
If he could hear her laughin'
If the deceased former lover could hear the woman's laughter
It would break his broken heart
The deceased former lover's heart would be further broken to know the woman has moved on so quickly
'Cause he ain't even cold yet
The deceased former lover has not been dead long
The tears haven't dried yet
The woman has not finished mourning or grieving
It's not written in stone yet
Their relationship was not over or finalized
As far as he's concerned
From the perspective of the deceased former lover
The fire's still burnin'
The passion or emotions for the deceased former lover are still present
She laid his love to rest
The woman has moved on from the deceased former lover and laid their love to rest
Showin' no regrets
The woman lacks remorse or guilt for her actions regarding the deceased former lover
Lord, He ain't even cold yet
Reiteration of the fact that the former lover has not been dead long
If he found out
If the deceased former lover became aware of the woman's actions
Lord, It would kill him
It would cause great emotional distress or even physical harm to the deceased former lover
'Cause he's still livin'
Despite being deceased, the former lover still exists in the memories and emotions of those who knew him
In yesterday
The woman has not moved on emotionally from the past
Whoever tells him
Anyone who informs the deceased former lover of the woman's actions
That she's not grievin'
That the woman is not mourning or grieving the loss of the deceased former lover
Would just be leavin'
Would be opting to abandon the deceased former lover's memory or feelings
Flowers on his grave
Symbolic representation of the respect or mourning towards the deceased former lover
Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILLY LAWSON, CYRIL RAWSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind