Ingram was born in Houston, Texas. He started writing songs and performing while studying psychology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he was member of Alpha Tau Omega.
Jack Ingram began his music career singing at a privately owned bar near the TCU campus of Fort Worth, Texas, which was owned by his friend John Clay Wolfe. Later, during the early 1990s, Jack toured the state of Texas opening for Mark Chesnutt and other acts. His first release was his self-titled album in 1995 via the Rhythmic label, followed by 1995's Lonesome Questions. Warner Bros. Records eventually signed him and released a live album entitled Live at Adair's, and re-issued his first two indie albums.
In 1997 he had his first and only time on the 22nd season of Austin City Limits. That same year, he released Livin' or Dyin' via Rising Tide Records, which produced his first chart single in the No. 51-peaking "Flutter". Two years later came Hey You via Lucky Dog, a division of Epic Records, which accounted for a No. 64 country single in "How Many Days". In 2000, he collaborated with Charlie Robison and Bruce Robison for the live album Unleashed Live.
Electric, his second album for Lucky Dog, was also his first album to enter Top Country Albums, despite not producing a chart single. This album was supplemented a year later by an EP entitled Electric: Extra Volts before he left Lucky Dog. Two more live albums followed before he signed to Columbia Records for the release of Young Man in 2004, which accounted for no singles. Another live album, Acoustic Motel, was issued in 2005.
On Sunday, February 3, 2013, H-E-B premiered their 'Texas Myths' Super Bowl commercial featuring Jack Ingram.
In 2005, Ingram signed to the independent record label Big Machine Records. Under the Big Machine banner, Ingram released a predominantly live album entitled Live: Wherever You Are. His first single release on that record label, "Wherever You Are", became Ingram's first top 40, and later his first Number One single on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, as well as the first Number One for the Big Machine label. "Love You", the only other studio track on Live: Wherever You Are, was also released as a single, peaking at No. 12 on the charts. This song was also recorded by Trent Summar & the New Row Mob (whose frontman, Trent Summar, co-wrote it) on their 2005 album Horseshoes & Hand Grenades. This is also where he met famous country music artist Taylor Swift. Jack stated they were developing a relationship though she wasn't interested.
In late 2006, Ingram released a cover of Hinder's song "Lips of an Angel". Ingram's cover peaked at No. 16 on the country charts "Lips of an Angel" was the lead-off single to This Is It, his second album for Big Machine. This album also produced the No. 18 "Measure of a Man" (a Radney Foster co-write) and the No. 24 "Maybe She'll Get Lonely".
In 2008, Ingram appeared at the Argyle Education Foundation Black Diamond Affiar.
He won the Academy of Country Music award for top new male vocalist on May 19, 2008. Ingram also filled in for radio host Bob Kingsley on the countdown show "Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40" for the week of September 20–21, 2008.
According to CMT, Ingram's Big Dreams & High Hopes album has "more guts" and Ellis Paul's "The World Ain't Slowing Down" may be the song that takes Ingram to the "next level". Ingram says "It'll be fun for me to expose people to a fantastic song from an artist who's had a 20-year career of being a very successful folk artist." The song was cut from the album. Its lead-off single "That's a Man" charted in the Top 20, followed by "Barefoot and Crazy," which became his second Top 10 hit. The album's next three singles all failed to enter the Top 40: "Seeing Stars" (a duet with Patty Griffin), "Free" and a re-recording of "Barbie Doll" with guest vocals from Dierks Bentley.
On August 26, 2009, Ingram set a Guinness record for the most radio interviews in one day, when he was interviewed 215 times.
Ingram and Big Machine amicably parted ways in late 2011.
As a sideline, Ingram does voice imaging for a number of country stations, including KRYS-FM Corpus Christi; WSIX-FM Nashville; WMIL-FM Milwaukee; KWJJ-FM Portland, Ore.; and KSCS Dallas.
In 2013, Jack teamed up with actor Matthew McConaughey and University of Texas at Austin football coach Mack Brown to create a fundraiser for their favorite children's charities. Dubbed Mack, Jack & McConaughey, the affair was held April 11–12 at Austin's ACL Live at the Moody Theater and featured a gala, golf tournament, fashion show and two nights of music. Mack, Jack & McConaughey returned in 2014.
Biloxi
Jack Ingram Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You left us all alone I wasn't even eighteen
You never turned around
Like some kid out on the run
You headed for the fun down in Biloxi
And the Gulf of Mexico
[Chorus]
And nobody says it's late
And you can stay out all night long and never have hell to pay
Down in Biloxi
Even when you're forty-one
Just forget your problems
Down in Biloxi
And you only came around
To take a rest and come down from Biloxi
But you were not the same
Pretending that you cared
Pretending you were there and not in Biloxi
And the Gulf of Mexico
[Chorus]
Did you really think you'd find
More than you left behind back home in Houston
We all felt the loss
I don't mean to bring you down
But I wonder what you found there in Biloxi
Tell me, was it worth the cost
Well I hope the girls were pretty
And nobody said it was late
And I hope you stayed out all night long and never had hell to pay
Down in Biloxi
When you were forty-one
You just forgot your problems
Down in Biloxi.
The lyrics of Jack Ingram's song "Biloxi" tell the story of a young man who is abandoned by his father, who leaves the family to have fun down in "Biloxi and the Gulf of Mexico." The son wonders where his father has gone and whether he will ever come back. He questions whether his father found what he was looking for and whether it was worth the cost. The chorus delivers the message that in Biloxi, even when you're 41, you can forget your problems. The song ends on a hopeful note, wishing the best for the father and hoping that he found what he was looking for in Biloxi.
The lyrics of "Biloxi" are full of genuine emotion, as the song explores themes of abandonment, loss, and hope. The song's intensity and meaning are aided by the evocative use of imagery, with Biloxi and the Gulf of Mexico serving as symbols for escapism and freedom from responsibilities. The song beautifully captures the longing and sadness of the son left behind, while questioning the consequences and regrets of the father's abandon. In the end, the son only wants his father's happiness, while accepting that Biloxi became his father's reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Where in hell did you go
I'm wondering where you disappeared to.
You left us all alone
You abandoned us.
I wasn't even eighteen
I was still very young.
You never turned around
You didn't look back.
Like some kid out on the run
You left in haste like a runaway teenager.
You headed for the fun down in Biloxi
You went to Biloxi in search of excitement.
And the Gulf of Mexico
You wanted to be close to the ocean.
Where I guess the girls they're pretty
I've heard that the women there are beautiful.
And nobody says it's late
People stay out late and have fun.
And you can stay out all night long and never have hell to pay
There are no consequences for staying out late and having a good time.
Even when you're forty-one
Even as an adult.
Just forget your problems
Let go of all your worries.
And you only came around
You only visited briefly.
To take a rest and come down from Biloxi
You came to relax after your time in Biloxi.
But you were not the same
You were different from the person we knew before.
Pretending that you cared
You acted as if you were concerned.
Pretending you were there and not in Biloxi
You pretended to be present, but your mind was still in Biloxi.
Did you really think you'd find
Did you honestly believe you'd discover something new?
More than you left behind back home in Houston
Did you expect to find something better than what you had at home?
We all felt the loss
We were all affected by your absence.
I don't mean to bring you down
I don't want to upset you.
But I wonder what you found there in Biloxi
I'm curious about what you discovered in Biloxi.
Tell me, was it worth the cost
Was it worth the price you paid to go there?
Well, I hope the girls were pretty
I hope the women were attractive.
And nobody said it was late
I hope nobody stopped the party early.
And I hope you stayed out all night long and never had hell to pay
I hope you had a wild time and didn't suffer any consequences.
When you were forty-one
When you were mature and supposed to know better.
You just forgot your problems
You let go of your worries and enjoyed yourself.
Down in Biloxi
In the city of Biloxi.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JACK INGRAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind