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.
Man Of The House
Keith Urban Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All alone up here with you
With the picture of your man
Face down upon the night stand, so he can't see
And I don't like running all the red lights here
Every time the coast is clear
Any time you need my lovin'
You know I'll come running, faithfully
[Chorus]
Cause he stays so busy with his money
And you, you get so lonely when he's gone
And me, I'm just your temporary lover
'Til your blues are gone
I'm the man of the house whenever he ain't home
Now the statues on the side of that big gate
They're laughing as I drive away
And I can't keep from thinking
Are they laughing at your old man or at me
And the only part that I don't like to play
Is the part when I get up and go away
I find it mighty hard
Just keeping this old heart tucked away
Cause he stays
[Chorus]
I'm the man of the house
When your other man ain't home
The lyrics of Keith Urban's song "Man of the House" depict a situation where the singer is having an affair with a married woman. He is aware that what he is doing is wrong, but his love for her is stronger than his guilt. He describes how he rushes to her every time her husband is away to give her the love and attention she craves. The line, "With the picture of your man face down upon the nightstand, so he can't see," makes it clear that the woman is married, but she still seeks the attention of the singer.
The singer is aware of his temporary status in the woman's life, and he is just a temporary solution to her loneliness until her husband returns. He sings, "I'm just your temporary lover 'til your blues are gone," highlighting the fact that he is aware that their relationship will not last. The woman's husband is busy with his work, leaving her lonely, and the singer takes advantage of the opportunity, describing himself as the "man of the house whenever he ain't home."
In conclusion, the song "Man of the House" is about infidelity, where the singer is having an affair with a married woman. The lyrics depict the guilt and complexities of such a relationship and the temporary nature of the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I ain't proud of what I'm about to do
Keith is about to do something that he knows is wrong, and he feels ashamed about it.
All alone up here with you
Keith and the woman are alone together, and he is conflicted about being with her while she is still with another man.
With the picture of your man
The woman has a picture of her man on the nightstand, reminding Keith of the fact that she is still with someone else.
Face down upon the night stand, so he can't see
The woman has placed the picture face down so that her man won't see that she is with Keith.
And I don't like running all the red lights here
Keith is taking risks and breaking the law to be with the woman, and he knows that it's not a good idea.
Every time the coast is clear
Keith only comes to see the woman when she is alone and her man is not around.
Any time you need my lovin'
Keith is always there for the woman when she needs him, even though he knows he shouldn't be.
You know I'll come running, faithfully
Keith is devoted to the woman and will always be there for her, no matter what.
Cause he stays so busy with his money
The woman's man is more focused on his wealth and career than on her, which makes her feel lonely and neglected.
And you, you get so lonely when he's gone
The woman feels isolated and unhappy when her man is away, which is why she turns to Keith for comfort.
And me, I'm just your temporary lover
Keith knows that he is not the woman's main partner, and that their relationship is not built to last.
'Til your blues are gone
Keith is with the woman to help her feel better and to provide comfort during lonely times, but he knows that he can't solve all of her problems.
I'm the man of the house whenever he ain't home
Keith feels like he is in charge when the woman's man is not around, but he also feels guilty for betraying him.
Now the statues on the side of that big gate
Keith and the woman are leaving her house, and he notices the statues outside that remind him of the opulence and wealth of her man.
They're laughing as I drive away
Keith feels like the statues are mocking him for having an affair with the woman and disrespecting her man's wealth and power.
And I can't keep from thinking
Keith is constantly analyzing his actions and feelings, trying to figure out why he is drawn to the woman and why he can't stay away.
Are they laughing at your old man or at me
Keith wonders whether the statues are only laughing at the woman's man for not being able to keep her happy, or whether they are also laughing at him for crossing the line.
And the only part that I don't like to play
Keith enjoys being with the woman and helping her feel good, but he hates that he is also hurting her and her man in the process.
Is the part when I get up and go away
Keith hates having to leave the woman after spending time with her, but he knows that he can't stay and cause more harm.
I find it mighty hard
Keith struggles with his feelings for the woman and knows that he shouldn't be with her, but he can't help it.
Just keeping this old heart tucked away
Keith is guarding his emotions and trying to keep himself from getting too attached to the woman, knowing that it will only lead to more pain.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group
Written by: KEITH LIONEL URBAN, VERNON WAYNE RUST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind