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.
I Would
Jack Ingram Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe I'd see through
Yeah I'd see through the miles
That won't keep me from you
And an arms length away
Is to far of a place
Yeah maybe what you need
Is to be my saving grace
[Chorus]
And I would if I could
And I want you to know
If you ask I would give
You better believe I would
Yeah well they say nothing lasts
But I don't believe that's true
And I would do my best
Just make this good for you
[Chorus]
I bet you'd be amazed
If I shut my mouth
And just listened to you say
That you're letting me stick around
[Chorus]
Yeah I would if I could
And I want you to know
If you ask I would give
You better believe I would
Yeah you better believe I would
Yeah you better believe I would
The song "I Would" by Jack Ingram expresses the desire to be there for someone you care about. The singer suggests that distance is not an issue when it comes to being the saving grace for someone in need. The first verse suggests that the singer is willing to try and understand the other person's perspective by closing his/her eyes and seeing through their miles, implying that the singer will make an effort to empathize with them. The chorus reiterates the singer's willingness to help and give to their loved one without hesitation, conveying a sense of devotion and loyalty. The second verse implies that the singer will try their best to give their loved one the best possible experience and that he is willing to listen and hear what they have to say. The final chorus reaffirms the singer's commitment to the relationship and the idea that they would go to lengths to help their loved one, no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
If I close my eyes a while
Sometimes it's better to close your eyes and visualize what you really want.
Maybe I'd see through
By closing my eyes, I'd be able to see clearly through the situation.
Yeah I'd see through the miles
Distance is not a problem when our connection is strong and real.
That won't keep me from you
No matter how far apart we are, I will always want to be with you.
And an arms length away
Being too close and too far away can both be negative in a relationship.
Is to far of a place
Being too distant can be detrimental to a relationship.
Yeah maybe what you need
I understand that what you need may not be what you want.
Is to be my saving grace
Maybe all you need is someone to support you and be there for you no matter what.
And I would if I could
I am willing to do anything to make this work.
And I want you to know
I need you to know that I am 100% committed to our relationship.
If you ask I would give
If you ever need anything, just ask and I will always do what I can to help.
You better believe I would
I am not just saying this, I truly mean it and will always follow through.
Yeah well they say nothing lasts
People might say that relationships never last, but I don't believe that.
But I don't believe that's true
I don't think that all relationships are doomed to fail.
And I would do my best
I am dedicated to working hard to maintain our relationship.
Just make this good for you
I want to make sure that this relationship is fulfilling and positive for you.
I bet you'd be amazed
Sometimes doing the simple things, like just listening, can make a huge difference.
If I shut my mouth
Maybe I need to stop talking and just listen for a change.
And just listened to you say
I need to give you a chance to express yourself and communicate your needs.
That you're letting me stick around
I am grateful that you're choosing to be with me and I don't want to take that for granted.
Yeah you better believe I would
I will always be willing to go above and beyond to make this relationship work and to make you happy.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JACK OWEN INGRAM, JIM LAUDERDALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind