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.
Pocahontas Proud
Gretchen Wilson Lyrics
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Everybody thought of me as one of the boys
'Cause I'd run with a crowd that was tough
At fifteen, I was tendin' Big O's Bar
I'd sing 'til 2 AM for a half-full tip jar
Spent my youth singing truth and payin' dues
I'm the biggest thing that ever came from my hometown
If it's the last thing I do before they lay me in the ground
You know I'm gonna make Pocahontas proud
I knocked on every door on music row
They looked down at me and said
"Girl, go back home, you ain't got (you ain't got)
What we need (what we need) in this town"
But they couldn't whup the fighting side of me
You know where I come from, we don't give up easily
Overnight
It took all my life to be found
I'm the biggest thing that ever came from my hometown
And I'll be damned if I'm gonna let 'em down
If it's the last thing I do before they lay me in the ground
You know I'm gonna make Pocahontas proud
Pocahontas proud (Pocahontas proud, Pocahontas proud)
At twenty-seven, I had baby Grace
And I was born again when I saw her sweet face
And I knew she was the greatest thing I'd ever do
I'm the biggest thing that ever came from my hometown
I'll be damned if I'm gonna let 'em down
If it's the last thing I do before they lay me in the ground
I'm the biggest thing that ever came from my hometown
And I'll be damned if I'm gonna let 'em down
If it's the last thing I do before they lay me in the ground
You know I'm gonna make Pocahontas proud
I was raised in Pocahontas, Illinois
Pocahontas proud
You know I'm gonna make Pocahontas proud
Pocahontas proud
Good night, Pocahontas, we love ya
In "Pocahontas Proud," Gretchen Wilson sings about her upbringing in Pocahontas, Illinois, and her determination to succeed in the music industry despite the obstacles she faced. She describes herself as a tough girl who ran with a rough crowd from a young age, and spent her youth singing truth and paying her dues by playing gigs in local bars. She is proud of where she comes from and feels a strong sense of responsibility to represent her hometown well.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "I'm the biggest thing that ever came from my hometown," which can be interpreted in a couple of different ways. On one hand, Wilson may be boasting about her success in the music industry and her status as a celebrity from a small town. On the other hand, she may be underscoring the fact that Pocahontas, Illinois is a small and relatively unknown place, and that she is one of the few people to achieve national recognition while living there. In either case, the lyrics show that Wilson feels a strong connection to her roots and is determined to make her hometown proud.
Later in the song, Wilson describes her struggles in the music business, including rejection from record labels and industry insiders who told her she didn't have what it takes. She credits her resilience and fighting spirit to her upbringing in Pocahontas, where people don't give up easily. She also talks about the birth of her daughter and how that experience renewed her sense of purpose and inspired her to continue pursuing her dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
I was raised in Pocahontas, Illinois
This line simply tells us where the singer spent her childhood.
Everybody thought of me as one of the boys
This line indicates how the society viewed the singer, as someone who was not typically feminine and exhibited characteristics that would usually be associated with boys.
'Cause I'd run with a crowd that was tough
The singer was a part of a tough group of people in her society.
At fifteen, I was tendin' Big O's Bar
The singer had started working at a bar at the young age of fifteen.
I'd sing 'til 2 AM for a half-full tip jar
The singer performed music at the bar till the late hours of the night, for a very meagre earning.
Spent my youth singing truth and payin' dues
The singer spent her youth singing about real-life situations while struggling to earn her livelihood.
I'm the biggest thing that ever came from my hometown
The singer had achieved a level of success that was unmatched by anyone else from her locality.
And I'll be damned if I'm gonna let 'em down
The singer is determined to not disappoint her hometown after making it big as an artist.
If it's the last thing I do before they lay me in the ground
The singer is prepared to do anything to make sure that she fulfils the expectations of her hometown, even if it means doing so on her deathbed.
You know I'm gonna make Pocahontas proud
The singer reiterates her determination to make her hometown proud.
I knocked on every door on music row
The singer tried every possible path to success in the music industry.
They looked down at me and said
The industry people did not take the singer seriously.
"Girl, go back home, you ain't got (you ain't got)
The music industry people told the singer that she did not have what it takes to make it in the industry.
What we need (what we need) in this town"
The industry people were looking for something different from what the singer had to offer.
But they couldn't whup the fighting side of me
The singer did not give up and continued to keep fighting despite the rejections and criticisms.
You know where I come from, we don't give up easily
This line highlights the determination and resilience that is characteristic of the people from the singer's hometown.
Overnight
This line is a way to say that success takes time, and does not happen overnight.
It took all my life to be found
After years of hard work, the singer finally made it in the industry.
At twenty-seven, I had baby Grace
The singer had a child at the age of twenty-seven.
And I was born again when I saw her sweet face
The birth of her child had induced in the singer a new sense of energy and purpose.
And I knew she was the greatest thing I'd ever do
The singer saw her child as her biggest achievement and source of inspiration.
Pocahontas proud
This phrase is repeated to emphasise the singer's commitment to making her hometown proud.
Good night, Pocahontas, we love ya
This line expresses the singer's love for her hometown, even as she continues to pursue her dreams elsewhere.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gretchen Wilson, John Rich, Vicky Mcgehee
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind