Urban was born in Whangarei, North Island, New Zealand (on 26 October, 1967). Before he turned two years old his family moved to Australia. By age seven, Urban was already thinking about emigrating to America and making his mark in Nashville. Urban began to learn the guitar at age six and began winning talent contests at age eight. By twelve he was booking his band in local clubs, and at fifteen he quit school to hit the road. In 1990, Urban signed with EMI in Australia and recorded his first solo album, which charted four No. 1 country hits in Australia. In 1992, he moved to Nashville to pursue the largest country music market in the world. Originally the front man for The Ranch, a three-piece group that released one album in 1997 to critical acclaim, Urban disbanded the group to pursue a solo career.
In the late 90's Urban battled an addiction to cocaine. After reaching a personal rock bottom in 1998, he became determined to give up the habit and checked into Cumberland Heights, a treatment center in Nashville. After cleaning up, Urban released his self-titled American debut in 2000, achieving three top 5 hits and securing the title of Top New Male Vocalist Award at the 2001 Academy of Country Music Awards. Urban, openly regarded as a modern day guitar virtuoso, has performed as a session musician on albums such as Garth Brooks' Double Live and the Dixie Chicks' Fly.
In an attempt to gain more exposure, Keith then appeared semi-nude in an interview for Playgirl magazine's April 2001 issue. The publicity attempt worked as Keith was on the cover of the magazine's readers' most requested issue.
Keith Urban released Golden Road in 2002, and the success of the single "Somebody Like You" sent his career into high gear. The single spent eight consecutive weeks at the top of the charts, remaining at No. 1 longer than any other country artist in 2002. Three other singles were released, two went to No. 1 and the third was No. 3. The album went platinum in every country where it has been released and is triple platinum in the United States. In 2004 Be Here was released and nominated for best country album at the Grammy Awards and at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Out of the five singles released from Be Here, three went No. 1, and two fell just shy of that mark to land at No. 2. In 2006 the album went triple platinum in the U.S. Urban has also released Days Go By, a greatest hits collection, in Europe. With a career total of 13 singles released, seven singles went to No. 1, two went to No.2, two went to No.3, one went to No. 4, and one went to No.18.
Touring as a supporting act for renowned country acts Brooks & Dunn and Kenny Chesney honed Urban's skills and stage-craft. Country video channel CMT signed on as the title sponsor of Keith Urban's first headlining arena tour titled Keith Urban Be Here '04. Urban continued his meteoric rise to fame in 2005 with the very successful Alive in '05 tour. He performed in the Live 8 Philadelphia concert on July 2, 2005 and had been chosen by The Gap to appear alongside seven other musical stars in their "Favorites" campaign. In 2005 he was named CMA's Entertainer of the Year. He released a DVD in late September entitled Livin' Right Now, recorded in California on December 2004. Urban performed "Better Life" on the CMA Awards and "You'll Think of Me" on the American Music Awards. He also performed at the Grammys playing "You'll Think of Me" and "The Lucky One" with Faith Hill. At the 2006 ACM Awards Urban gave two performances when he performed "Tonight I Wanna Cry" and played guitar for Brooks & Dunn's song "Believe."
Personal life
On arriving in Nashville, Tennessee in 1992, Urban quickly fell for veterinary technician Laura Sigler. The pair shared an on-off relationship from 1992, and lived together between 1998 and 2002. Urban paid tribute to Sigler in the sleeve notes to his self-titled first hit album, and dedicated love song "You're The Only One" to Sigler, writing "For Laura" at the bottom of the lyrics. After proposing to Sigler in 2001, the pair broke up in 2002.
In 2002, after his painful breakup with Sigler, Urban met supermodel Niki Taylor, who played his love interest in his music video for "Somebody Like You." Taylor had told her hair/makeup person, Debra Wingo, that she might be interested in being in a country music video. Wingo also does hair/makeup for Urban, and she mentioned that he was getting ready to do a video. Urban and Taylor dated on and off for three years until their split was officially announced July 2005.
Urban met actress Nicole Kidman at an event in Hollywood in January of 2005. In May of 2006, Urban and Kidman announced their engagement, and their plans to wed in Australia. They got married in Australia on 25 June 2006 at the Cardinal Cerretti Memorial Chapel in the grounds of St Patrick's Estate, Manly, Sydney.
GOD
Keith Urban Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It says, "In God We Trust"
A little sure felt good
But a lot was not enough
And everybody loved me when I was on a roll
And I thought I had everything
When I held the gold
And you're not my friend
You're not the one
That I will walk with in the end
You're not the truth
You're a temporary shot
You ruin people's lives
And you don't give a second thought
You're not my god
Little white lies on a mirror
Cut neatly in a roll
Medicine that kept me from lookin' in my soul
I thought you were the answer
To all of my despair
And you almost had me six feet down
But I'm still breathin' air
But you're not my god
And you're not my friend
You're not the one
That I will walk with in the end
You're not the truth
You're a temporary shot
You ruin people's lives
And you don't give a second thought
You're not my god
From the cradle to the grave
Temptations all around
But no matter how good the fix
It's gonna take you down
Now some call it a weakness
Some call it a sin
But it's all the same behind each game
I see your evil grin
But you're not my god
And you're not my friend
You're not the one
That I will walk with in the end
You're not the truth
You're a temporary shot
You ruin people's lives
And you don't give a second thought
But you're not my god
And you're not my friend
You're not the one
That I will walk with in the end
You're not the truth
You're a temporary shot
You ruin people's lives
And you don't give a second thought
You're not my god
You're not my god
Oh oh oh you're not my god
You're not my god
Not my god
Not my god
You're not, you're not, you're not my god
No you're not
Keith Urban’s song “You’re Not My God” speaks to the dangers of addiction and the realization that material possessions and substance abuse are not the answer to finding inner peace, purpose, and fulfillment. Urban describes the uneasiness and sense of emptiness that he experiences despite acquiring wealth and fame. The opening line, “It’s just a piece of paper, it says, ‘In God we trust’,” presents an interesting analogy where money (which is arguably the one thing that individuals place their trust in more than anything else) is likened to a piece of paper. It is just an object, and while it might feel good, it is just a temporary fix for deeper issues.
The chorus emphasizes the theme that these temporary solutions (whether it is drugs, money, or success) only lead to destruction and cannot be relied upon as a long-term source of comfort or guidance. The repetition of the line “You’re not my God” further emphasizes the message of the song, that these things are not worth worshipping and putting higher than everything else. Urban also mentions the negative effects that addiction has on people’s lives, indicating the reckless behavior it can lead to, such as lying and ruining relationships, showing that addiction is not an escape, but a trap.
To conclude, “You’re Not My God” serves as a warning to those who feel lost and resort to unhealthy habits as a solution to their personal problems. The song reminds people that even though it may seem like material or temporary solutions may fix their problems, those things ultimately do not offer the peace and happiness that is necessary for a fulfilling and meaningful life.
Line by Line Meaning
It's just a piece of paper,
A currency note with 'In God We Trust' written on it is just a piece of paper with no real power.
It says, 'In God We Trust'
The currency note bearing the phrase 'In God We Trust' makes no difference in reality.
A little sure felt good
Initially, the drug offered some escape and momentary relief.
But a lot was not enough
Over time, the drug became an addiction that needed more and more to offer the same relief.
And everybody loved me when I was on a roll
During my brief moments of happiness, everyone ultimately supported and celebrated me.
And I thought I had everything
During my happier moments, I felt that I had everything in life figured out.
When I held the gold
When I was temporarily rich or successful, I felt that I had it all.
But you're not my god
The drug cannot be my god, it makes no moral sense for it to be so.
And you're not my friend
The drug is not my friend, and it is ruining my life.
You're not the one
I will never choose the drug over true friends and family.
That I will walk with in the end
The drug will not be my companion in my dying moments, only my loved ones will.
You're not the truth
Addiction is a lie that prevents me from confronting the truth about life and myself.
You're a temporary shot
The drug offers a temporary release that cannot last in light of life's realities.
You ruin people's lives
The drug is not just harming me; it is also hurting my loved ones.
And you don't give a second thought
The drug does not care about those it harms, and will always be a detriment to everything around it.
Little white lies on a mirror
The drug contains a collection of lies that I have convinced myself to believe over time.
Cut neatly in a roll
The drug has been organized and prepped to be consumed.
Medicine that kept me from lookin' in my soul
The drug was a distraction that temporarily allowed me to avoid the deeper truths about myself.
I thought you were the answer
I believed that the drug was the solution to my problems.
To all of my despair
I turned to drugs to relieve my feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.
And you almost had me six feet down
The addiction was so bad that it almost killed me.
But I'm still breathin' air
Despite the addiction, I am still alive and hopeful.
From the cradle to the grave
Temptation is prevalent throughout our lives, from birth to death.
Temptations all around
The drug addiction is just one of many temptations that can lead us astray.
But no matter how good the fix
Even the most potent drug fix will not provide true happiness or fulfillment.
It's gonna take you down
The addiction will eventually lead to our downfall if left unchecked.
Now some call it a weakness
Some view addiction as a character flaw, a sign of inherent weakness.
Some call it a sin
Others view addiction as a moral failure with religious implications.
But it's all the same behind each game
Ultimately, addiction is one and the same no matter what we choose to call it.
I see your evil grin
I recognize and see through the lies and manipulations of the addiction that is tempting me.
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: KEITH LIONEL URBAN, PAUL JEFFERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rebecca Smith
I was so cold and lost
And nothing seemed to ring true
I couldn't bear the cross
For everything I'd been through
And each day, I knew I needed change
But there was no way, no way
And then God whispered your name
And that's when everything changed
And love came out of the rain
And talk about being saved
Suddenly I wanna live
More than I ever did
I'm never gonna be the same
When God whispered your name
I can see the sunshine
For the first time in a while
Girl, it's like I've been baptized
By the warmth of your smile, mm
Well, call it fate or faith or call it crazy either way
It's amazin', amazin' grace
When God whispered your name
That's when everything changed
Love came out of the rain
Talk about being saved
Well, suddenly I wanna live
More than I ever did
I'm never…
Source: LyricFind
Full lyrics
C B
This song makes me so emotional. To everyone reading this, you’re loved, you’re worth so much than you know. God has something special for you. It comes unexpectedly. Have Faith. 🙏🏼❤️
magpie
Thanks and you to stay safe things will get better 🥰🥰🤠🤠🔊🎼🎶🎶🎵🎵
emilia lating
Amen
Nick Fisher
Jesus is Lord
Sherri Kemp
Amen 🙏
QUEENBEESWORLD
I’m a Black Woman who loves Keith Urban and Country music!! I don’t care what people say or think. Country music it’s good for your soul❤️
I feel like God whispered my name✝️
Brenda Simons
Love music, love each other❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Rob Smith
Why does it matter what color you are…. Geese!!! Focus on something other than skin color for a while !
A
Im a full on hip hop loving black man, but this song is awesome and already picked to be my wedding song next month. 🎉
HeiressoftheLight
@QUEENBEESWORLD 😍😌💓❤️💓👊🛐✌️😘❌⭕💞💞💞💞💞
AWWWW YOU ARE SO PRECIOUS AND SWEET! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I HOPE GOD BLESSES YOU REAL GOOD. GOD DEFINITELY KNOWS YOUR NAME! SENDING HUGS AND MUCH LOVE! 🤝💕🛐