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.
Great Divide
Jack Ingram Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the radio in West Texas
Lights to shine bright every Friday night
And you can drive ninety miles an hour
Down the highway straight to ' Cisco
The cops are at the ball game, they're getting tight
And the sky gets wider and wider
Into the great divide you fade away
And it's another world all together
Right in the middle of God's country
Smells like money, smells like shit
Yeah, it smells like hell
But when the cattle's all together
And the pump jacks all are moving
And the [cartons] are in blooming
It smells like nothing else
And the sky gets wider and wider
Just like a brand new day
Out in the great divide you fade away
It's the land of my people
My dream is come out here to find a bigger piece of sky
It's all the winners and all the losers
Real good people but just like you and I
Hey, but nothing's really changed much
As you drive on down at twenty
Mexicans still work out in the field
But everybody's dirty
Man they're all a bunch of gamblers
But some got rich
Yeah, but they're gamblers still
And the sky gets wider and wider
The day's gonna be your day
Out in the great divide you fade away
And it's the land of my people
My dream is come out here to find a bigger piece of sky
It's all the winners and all the losers
Real good people but just like you and I
We still listen to high school football
On the radio in West Texas
Lights to shine bright every Friday night
The lyrics of "Great Divide" by Jack Ingram depict life in West Texas, which is a unique and remote part of the United States. The first verse describes how the locals still listen to high school football games on the radio and how the cops are also watching the game to loosen up. The chorus talks about the vastness of the sky, which fades away into the great divide. The second verse depicts the landscape of West Texas, which is full of both beauty and harshness, smelling of money, shit, and hell, depending on where you stand. The cattle and oil pumps moving are also portrayed.
Despite the changes and hardships, everyone is in the same boat in West Texas. Even though some people have grown rich, everyone is still a gambler. The refrain repeats that the sky gets wider and wider, leading into the great divide. The song is Ingram's take on life in the rural areas of West Texas, from the perspective of someone who is part of the region and is familiar with both the good and the bad.
Line by Line Meaning
We still listen to high school football
The tradition of listening to high school football on the radio still continues to this day
On the radio in West Texas
This tradition is especially popular in West Texas
Lights to shine bright every Friday night
The lights on the football field shine brightly every Friday night, attracting the attention of the entire town
And you can drive ninety miles an hour
You can drive incredibly fast down the highway, without worrying about traffic or other drivers
Down the highway straight to ' Cisco
This highway leads straight to Cisco, a small town in West Texas
The cops are at the ball game, they're getting tight
The police officers are at the football game and starting to get a little drunk
And the sky gets wider and wider
As you drive further away from civilization, the sky seems to get bigger and bigger
It disappear like the day
It feels like the day is disappearing in front of you, as the sun sets behind you
Into the great divide you fade away
You disappear into the vast, empty expanse of Texas known as the 'great divide'
And it's another world all together
West Texas feels like a completely different world, with its own unique scents and sounds
Right in the middle of God's country
West Texas is often referred to as 'God's country' due to its natural beauty and religious residents
Smells like money, smells like shit
The distinctive smell of West Texas often smells like money (due to the oil industry) and cow manure
Yeah, it smells like hell
Overall, the smell of West Texas can be overpowering and unpleasant
But when the cattle's all together
Despite the smell, there is something special about seeing all of the cattle together in one place
And the pump jacks all are moving
The sight of the pump jacks (machines that extract oil and gas from the ground) working in sync is awe-inspiring
And the [cartons] are in blooming
During certain times of the year, the local flora will be in bloom and add some color to the otherwise dusty landscape
It smells like nothing else
Despite the smell of cow manure and petroleum, there is a unique scent to West Texas that cannot be found anywhere else
Out in the great divide you fade away
As you drive further out into the emptiness of Texas, you begin to feel small and insignificant in comparison to the vastness of the landscape
It's the land of my people
The people of West Texas have a deep connection to the land and the area's history
My dream is come out here to find a bigger piece of sky
Many people come to West Texas to escape the confines of their current lives and to experience the wide open spaces
It's all the winners and all the losers
West Texas is home to both successful people and those who have struggled to make a living
Real good people but just like you and I
Despite their differences, the people of West Texas are just like everyone else - they have their own dreams and struggles
But nothing's really changed much
Despite the passage of time, life in West Texas has remained relatively unchanged
As you drive on down at twenty
You can drive slowly through the small towns of West Texas and not feel rushed
Mexicans still work out in the field
Agriculture is still a major industry in West Texas and many immigrants work in the fields
But everybody's dirty
Working in the heat and dust of West Texas often leaves everyone feeling dirty and tired
Man they're all a bunch of gamblers
The people of West Texas love a good gamble, whether it's at the rodeo or a local casino
But some got rich
Despite the risks, some people have been able to make a fortune through gambling and other endeavors
Yeah, but they're gamblers still
Even if they have made a fortune, many of the residents of West Texas still enjoy taking risks and placing bets
The day's gonna be your day
Despite the challenges of living in West Texas, you can't help but feel optimistic about the future
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MAGNUS SVENINGSSON, PETER ANDERS SVENSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind