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.
You Don't Have To Go Home
Gretchen Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Band's playin' one last song
And if you want another round, better order it now
It's last call
Crowds still rockin' and it's 2:01
The bartender's screamin' at the top of his lungs
[Chorus]
But you can't stay here
You can walk, you can crawl
Get carried off by the law
But you will get the hell out of here
You don't have to go home
You don't have to go home
But you can't stay here
Well, there's a couple hidin' out
Gettin' down in a bathroom stall
And there's a twenty dollar bet just waitin' on the
Eight ball to fall
Everybody's beggin' for one last shot
Before they kick our butts into the parking lot
[Chorus]
You don't have to go home
You don't have to go home
You don't have to go home
You don't have to go home
But you can't stay here
You can walk, you can crawl
Get carried off by the law
But you will get the hell out of here
You don't have to go home
You don't have to go home
You don't have to go home
But you can't stay here
The lyrics to Gretchen Wilson's song "You Don't Have To Go Home" describe the end of a night out at a bar with last call being announced and the patrons being urged to leave. Despite the late hour, the crowd is still energetic and the band is playing the last song of the night. The bartender is yelling at the remaining patrons to leave while a couple hides out in a bathroom stall and some patrons are still hoping for one more shot before being kicked out. The chorus serves as a warning that while the patrons don't have to go home, they can't stay in the bar and they will be forced to leave one way or another.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, they're flickin' on the bar lights
The time has come for the bar to close and the lights are turning on to signal that fact.
Band's playin' one last song
The band is playing one final song before the bar closes.
And if you want another round, better order it now
If you want another drink, you need to order it quickly since the bar is getting ready to close.
It's last call
Last call for drinks has been announced.
Crowds still rockin' and it's 2:01
Despite the bar closing soon, the patrons are still enjoying themselves and the time is 2:01AM.
The bartender's screamin' at the top of his lungs
The bartender is shouting over the music to get the patrons to leave.
You don't have to go home
While the bar is closing, the patrons are not required to leave and are free to stay if they wish.
But you can't stay here
The bar is closing, so even though the patrons don't have to leave, they can't stay in the bar.
You can walk, you can crawl
The patrons can leave the bar in any manner they see fit.
Get carried off by the law
If any patrons refuse to leave, they may be forcibly removed by the police.
But you will get the hell out of here
No matter how the patrons leave, they must leave the bar.
Well, there's a couple hidin' out
A couple is secretly engaging in intimate activities in the bathroom.
Gettin' down in a bathroom stall
The couple is engaging in sexual activities in a bathroom stall.
And there's a twenty dollar bet just waitin' on the
Someone has placed a twenty dollar bet that is waiting for the outcome of a game involving the eight ball in a game of billiards.
Eight ball to fall
The outcome of the bet depends on the final result of the eight ball falling into a pocket during a game of billiards.
Everybody's beggin' for one last shot
All patrons are trying to get one last drink before they leave the bar.
Before they kick our butts into the parking lot
If patrons don't leave the bar in a timely fashion, they may be forcibly removed by the bouncers and sent outside.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: VICKY MC GEHEE, JOHN D. RICH, GRETCHEN WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike or patty Rhoades
Wow! Love her voice.
Crystal Yowell
She is so freaking awesome and I love her. Some of her slow songs will make you cry because she needs to have concerts around here.😄😜😜
CARLOS ARICA
guauuuuuuuuuuu impresionante, me encanta, melodia hermosa
Jimmy Kozevnikoff
I would love to go to one of Gretchen's live concerts.
Michelle G.
She is a bad ass. Nice to see a concert without every person holding up a dang cell phone!
Dave Lamore
Hello,how are you doing my friend?
Rhett James Pietzman
Love it!!!
Aquacrest bluemoon
Shes Great!! The reason I Still love Country music, truly talented !!
fmy1228
Just remember this my friends, but be safe! Dang what a band!!! I dedicate this to my bartender friends, my sympathies!
Richard Taylor
I f I was a guitar this wonderful lady could play my strings any time she wanted to. I bow down to this great country legend.