Kilgore’s course was set. He spent the next several years working the club scene playing classic country, first in Oregon, then in Phoenix, where a romantic breakup first inspired him to try his hand at writing his own songs. Soon Kilgore’s original songs were getting more requests at his shows than his covers. Jerry then spent two more years honing his chops in North Carolina before deciding to take a shot at Nashville. The young musician dragged his possessions into the yard and put a For Sale sign out, and the next day he loaded whatever hadn’t sold into his pickup truck and headed out for Music City.
Within a few short years Kilgore began to have success as a songwriter, penning “Love Lessons” for Tracy Byrd, “Leavin’ Comin’ On” for Mark Wills, “Cover You in Kisses” for John Michael Montgomery, and “If A Man Ain’t Thinking About His Woman” for Clay Walker. Kilgore’s songs caught the attention of powerhouse country producer Scott Hendricks, who had produced Alan Jackson, Faith Hill, and Brooks and Dunn among many others. Hendricks was President of Virgin Records’ new Nashville office at that time. “He came out to a club and saw me play,” Kilgore says, “and a week later he offered me a record deal on Virgin Records as the first male artist that they were signing.”
The result was 1999’s Love Trip, which brought together Kilgore’s classic influences like Haggard, Buck Owens, Gene Watson, George Strait and Ricky Skaggs in a contemporary country album that critics and fans alike hailed as the debut of a major new traditionalist. Kilgore got to live out many of his dreams, including playing the Grand Ole Opry and going on tour with George Strait, who had inspired him in the first place. “It was kinda full circle,” Kilgore recalls. “I got to go on his tour as an opening act. It was great. It was a lot of fun.” Though Love Trip’s title song was a Top 40 hit, Virgin Nashville was struggling financially, and the label soon folded, leaving Kilgore out on tour and with records in stores, but no label support. “Things were rolling, but the label wasn’t,” Kilgore says. “So that was that.”
Jerry Kilgore spent the next several years re-grouping, playing, writing new songs and recording, figuring out his next move. In 2007 he formed his own label and released his second album Loaded and Empty, which he co- produced with Matt Rollings. “I always kept writing, and I just accumulated enough songs that I felt would be a good record,” Kilgore states. “I cut it in pieces, a few songs here and a few songs there, until it led to having a finished record.” Songs like “What’s It Take To Get A Drink In Here”, “Looking For A Highway”, “Loaded And Empty” and “Aint Got One Honky Tonk” continue in the Kilgore tradition of classic-yet-contemporary country. “There was never really any thought about having to find the right single and picking the right song like I did on the Virgin project,” Kilgore says. “You know, you kinda look at ‘What can I do that radio will like?’ This record I didn’t think about any of that; I went in and cut songs the way I thought they should sound, and the songs I liked singing”.
Loaded and Empty is Jerry Kilgore’s strongest work to date, and the word of mouth has been tremendous. “I’ve been selling CDs overseas, , and I’m getting really great response from this record, great reviews,” Kilgore says. Loaded And Empty was considered by Country Music magazine one of the ten best cd’s of the year. “Loaded And Empty” is distributed through CD Baby. Also, a video for “What’s It Take To Get A Drink In Here” is showing on GAC. Kilgore is currently working on a new cd to be released summer of 2010.
I Just Want My Baby Back
Jerry Kilgore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me where I need to go
To find the love we once knew
And the girl I used to know
I just want my baby back
When you hear, I not too aware you're there
Seen so far away
Just like someone I don't know
Hold me like you did before
When you used to meet me at the door
And I see you smile at me like that
I just want my baby back
I sure miss the way we talk
Just before we fall asleep
With you line in my arms
The way you waken up to me
I just want my baby back
When you hear, I not too aware you're there
Seen so far away
So cold
Just like someone I don't know
Hold me like you did before
When you used to meet me at the door
And I see you smile at me like that
I just want my baby back
And I see you smile at me like that
I just want my baby back
The lyrics of Jerry Kilgore's song "I Just Want My Baby Back" depict a man deeply in love with his partner and desperate to regain the love and connection they once shared. He pleads for her to tell him what he needs to do to rekindle their relationship and longs to hold her like he used to. The singer expresses how distant and unfamiliar his partner feels as if she is someone he doesn't know anymore. Throughout the song, he reminisces about the good times they shared, the way they used to talk and fall asleep in each other's arms, and the way she would wake up next to him. Overall, the lyrics convey the heartbreaking feeling of losing someone you love and the desire to do anything to get them back.
One interesting fact about this song is that it was released as a single in 2004 and received moderate success, peaking at number 36 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Additionally, the song was co-written by Kilgore, who also co-produced the track. The music video for the song features Kilgore performing the song in different outdoor locations, including a gas station and a bar, while a storyline follows a couple facing relationship issues.
Another interesting fact is that the lyrics were inspired by Kilgore's personal life. In an interview, he revealed that he wrote the song during a difficult time in his marriage and that it reflected his desire to get back the love he once shared with his wife. Moreover, Kilgore named the song after his son's first words when he was a baby, which were "I want my baby back."
The song has also been covered by other artists, including country singer Loretta Lynn, who included her version of the song on her 2004 album "Van Lear Rose" produced by Jack White of The White Stripes. Other notable covers of the song include versions by country artist Steve Azar and Australian singer Gina Jeffreys.
Chords: G, C, D, Em (verse) - G, D, Am, C (chorus)
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me what I have to do
Asking for guidance on how to regain the love that has been lost
Tell me where I need to go
Asking for directions to finding the solution to the problem
To find the love we once knew
Desiring to restore the love that existed in the past
And the girl I used to know
Missing the person his partner used to be
I just want my baby back
Expressing the strong desire to have his partner back
When you hear, I not too aware you're there
Feeling distant from his partner even when they are in close proximity
Seen so far away
Feeling like his partner is emotionally distant
So cold
Describing his partner's behavior as indifferent and unaffectionate
Just like someone I don't know
Feeling like his partner has changed and is no longer the person he knew
Hold me like you did before
Wanting his partner to show physical affection like they used to
When you used to meet me at the door
Recalling the past when his partner would greet him warmly
And I see you smile at me like that
Desiring the loving and positive emotions that his partner used to show towards him
I sure miss the way we talk
Missing the deep and meaningful conversations they used to have
Just before we fall asleep
Recalling the intimate moments they used to share before drifting off to sleep
With you line in my arms
Feeling at ease and comfortable when holding his partner
The way you waken up to me
Remembering the loving way his partner would greet him in the morning
And I see you smile at me like that
Desiring the loving and positive emotions that his partner used to show towards him
I just want my baby back
Expressing the strong desire to have his partner back
Writer(s): Hewitt Owen T, Kilgore Jerry Lee
Contributed by Dylan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.