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.
Over the Hills
Gretchen Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe more than enough
Oh darling walk a while with me
You've got so much
Many have I loved many times been bitten
Many times I've gazed along the open road.
Many times I've wondered how much there is to know.
Many dreams come true, and some have silver linings.
I live for my dream, and a pocketful of gold.
Mellow is the man who knows what he's been missing.
Many, many men can't see the open road.
Many is a word that only leaves you guessing.
Guessing 'bout a thing you really ought to know.
You really ought to know
The song “Over the Hills & Far Away” by Gretchen Wilson is a cover of a song originally written by John Tams. The song is a love song that tells the story of a man who has been through many experiences in his life, both good and bad. He claims that he has been bitten many times in love but he has found that one woman who has the love he needs, maybe more than enough. He asks her to walk with him for a while and suggests that she has so much. The song speaks of the many dreams that come true and the silver linings that accompany some of them. The man in the song seems to be saying that he has lived for his dream and has a pocket full of gold. He suggests that many men can't see the open road but mellow is the man who knows what he has been missing. The song ends with the assertion that many is a word that only leaves you guessing about the things that you really ought to know.
The song speaks of the many experiences and adventures that we may encounter in life. It also speaks of the value of finding someone who truly loves and understands us. The idea of living for one's dream and having a pocket full of gold suggests that one can find abundance and fulfillment in life if they follow their dreams. The line “mellow is the man who knows what he's been missing” suggests that finding one's true love and purpose in life can bring peace and contentment.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey lady you got the love I need
I am in need of your love, and you are the one who can fulfill that need.
Maybe more than enough
Your love probably exceeds what I need, but I am open to experiencing it fully anyway.
Oh darling walk a while with me
I am inviting you to accompany me on a journey, whether that's a physical walk or a metaphorical one through life.
You've got so much
You possess many desirable qualities or traits that make me attracted to you.
Many have I loved many times been bitten
I have loved many people in the past, but those experiences have often resulted in pain or hurt.
Many times I've gazed along the open road.
I've spent a lot of time looking at the possibilities ahead of me, trying to figure out which path to take or which direction to go in.
Many times I've lied many times I've listened
I've both told lies and listened to them from others, and these experiences have made me skeptical and unsure of how much I can trust others.
Many times I've wondered how much there is to know.
I am constantly questioning the world around me and trying to learn more about it, because there is so much I do not understand or have yet to discover.
Many dreams come true, and some have silver linings.
There are some dreams that are fulfilled and provide us with happiness, while others may not come true but still have positive aspects to them.
I live for my dream, and a pocketful of gold.
I am committed to pursuing my dreams no matter what, and even though I may not have much wealth, I value my aspirations more than material possessions.
Mellow is the man who knows what he's been missing.
Someone who has felt or experienced loss understands the importance of what they have gained afterwards, and can therefore appreciate it more deeply.
Many, many men can't see the open road.
There are many people who are unable to discern the possibilities that lay ahead of them, and therefore do not know where they are headed or what their purpose is.
Many is a word that only leaves you guessing.
The word 'many' is imprecise and does not provide a specific number or amount, which can create confusion or uncertainty for those using it.
Guessing 'bout a thing you really ought to know.
Uncertainty can be frustrating or unsettling, especially when it pertains to something that one should have a clear understanding of.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind