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.
Holdin' You
Gretchen Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or some old umbrella to hold off the rain
Don't have to cross over a river of tears
All that I need is right here
Holding you holds me together
When holding on gets just a little too hard
When this tight rope I travel
I'm falling apart
Holding you holds me together
You know life's a freight liner on
A runaway track
But I'll take the ride knowing
That you'll bring me back
No fate's too uncertain no distance too far
As long as you're here in my arms
Holding you holds me together
When holding on gets just a little too hard
When this tight rope I travel
Begins to unravel and I feel like
I'm falling apart
Holding you holds me together
Whenever I hold you tight
This crazy world of mine falls right in place
Whenever the trouble is
You find a way to give back what it takes
The song "Holdin' You" by Gretchen Wilson is a romantic ballad that describes the power of love and how it can hold someone together even during the toughest times. The first verse talks about how the singer doesn't need alcohol or other external things to distract from their pain. Instead, the only thing they need is their loved one to be there with them. The chorus emphasizes the importance of the person they love and how holding onto them is what keeps the singer going. The second verse continues with metaphors to describe the harsh realities of life but states that having someone to hold on to makes it all worth it. The last lines of the song talk about the way that holding their loved one makes everything else fade away.
The message behind the song is simple: love can conquer all. Despite the trials and tribulations of life, having someone who loves and supports you can make all the difference. The lyrics do a good job of expressing this sentiment through the use of metaphors and vivid imagery, making the listener feel the power of the love that the singer is experiencing.
Overall, "Holdin' You" is a powerful love song that highlights the importance of having someone to hold onto during difficult times. It's a reminder that no matter how tough things get, there is always someone out there who cares and is willing to stay by your side.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't need whiskey to drown out the pain
The singer doesn't need alcohol to cope with the pain in her life.
Or some old umbrella to hold off the rain
The singer doesn't need external things to protect her from the bad things in life.
Don't have to cross over a river of tears
The singer doesn't have to go through a lot of emotional turmoil.
All that I need is right here
The singer has everything she needs right now.
Holding you holds me together
Being with the person she loves helps the singer stay emotionally stable.
When holding on gets just a little too hard
The singer can rely on her partner when life gets difficult.
When this tight rope I travel
Life can feel like walking on a tight rope with no safety net.
Begins to unravel and I feel like
When things start to go wrong, the singer can feel like everything is falling apart.
I'm falling apart
The singer feels like she is losing control of her life.
You know life's a freight liner on
Life can feel like a train out of control.
A runaway track
There are times where the singer doesn't feel in control of her own life.
But I'll take the ride knowing
Even though life can be difficult, the singer is willing to face the challenges.
That you'll bring me back
The singer knows she has someone who will help her during tough times.
No fate's too uncertain no distance too far
No matter what happens in life, the singer knows she can count on her partner.
As long as you're here in my arms
Being with the person she loves is all the singer needs to feel safe and secure.
Whenever I hold you tight
Being close to her partner makes the singer feel secure.
This crazy world of mine falls right in place
All the problems and worries in the singer's life become less overwhelming when she is with her partner.
Whenever the trouble is
During difficult moments in life, the singer knows she can count on her partner.
You find a way to give back what it takes
The singer's partner is able to give her the support she needs when life gets tough.
Lyrics © Anthem Entertainment, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: THOM MCHUGH, WADE ALLEN KIRBY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind