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.
Nobody Drinks Alone
Keith Urban Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drew the blinds and locked the doors
And there's nothing but empty there inside that glass
So you pour a little more
And there's no one there to judge you
At least that's what you tell yourself, but
[Chorus]
Nobody drinks alone
Every demon, every ghost
From your past
And every memory you've held back
Follows you home
Nobody drinks alone
You remember whiskey on your daddy's breath
So you always stick to wine
And you scared your little brother half to death
You just kept it all inside
You can hear your mama cryin'
Only now she cries for you, and
[Chorus]
Though you're only
Hey don't you let that feelin' fool ya
[Chorus]
Nobody drinks alone
The lyrics to Nobody Drinks Alone, by Keith Urban, are about the loneliness and isolation that can come with drinking. The song is an ode to those who struggle with alcohol addiction, and it paints a vivid picture of the desperation and despair that can come with the drinking culture. The first verse describes a person who brings a bottle home in a paper sack, draws the blinds and locks the door, and pours themselves more and more, trying to escape their own life. The chorus reassures them that they are not alone, that every demon, every ghost, and every memory they've held back follows them home. It is something that many people can relate to, whether they struggle with addiction themselves or have watched a loved one struggle.
In the second verse, we hear that the person in question is dealing with generational trauma. They remember their father's whiskey on his breath, and they're scared of turning into the person that their father was. As a result, they stick to wine and keep everything inside. The verse ends with the realization that their mother, who they heard crying when they were young, is now crying for them. It's a heartbreaking moment that underscores the high stakes of addiction.
There are likely to be many interpretations of Nobody Drinks Alone, but at its core, it's a song about the pain and loneliness that can come with addiction. Keith Urban's plaintive delivery underscores the sadness of the song, but the chorus provides a ray of hope. They might not be alone, but they need to hang on to that thought, and that can make all the difference.
Line by Line Meaning
You brought that bottle home in a paper sack
You purchased the alcohol of your choice from the liquor store and brought it home discreetly in a paper bag to avoid any judgments or questions from others.
Drew the blinds and locked the doors
You closed all the curtains and locked all the doors to prevent any unwanted intrusions and to keep your dark thoughts and emotions to yourself.
And there's nothing but empty there inside that glass
The only thing that lies inside your glass is a liquid that tempers your emotions and numbs your senses, but there's nothing else in your life that brings you joy or contentment.
So you pour a little more
You keep pouring more of the same liquid to numb your senses and distract yourself from the painful reality of your life.
And there's no one there to judge you
You surround yourself with alcohol because it doesn't judge you or criticize you, and it is your only source of comfort and solace.
At least that's what you tell yourself, but
You convince yourself that drinking alone is okay because you can't bear to confront the truth of your situation.
[Chorus]
The chorus emphasizes that even though you may think you are alone, your past demons and memories are always with you whenever you drink alone.
You remember whiskey on your daddy's breath
You grew up with a father who drank whiskey, and the smell of whiskey on his breath remains etched in your memory.
So you always stick to wine
You've developed a preference for wine as a way to avoid reliving the painful memories of your father's abuse and alcoholism.
And you scared your little brother half to death
As a child, you witnessed the terrible effects of alcohol on your father, and it caused you to lash out and harm your brother.
You just kept it all inside
You internalized your pain and rage and bottled up your emotions rather than dealing with them in a healthy way.
You can hear your mama cryin'
You carry the burden of your mother's sadness and grief, which was caused by your father's alcoholism and abusive behavior.
Only now she cries for you, and
Your mother is now crying for you because she sees that you are following in your father's footsteps by drinking alone to numb your pain and problems.
Though you're only
Even though you may feel like you're the only person in the world who is struggling, this is not the case. Many other people are battling their own demons and drinking alone to cope with their problems.
Hey don't you let that feelin' fool ya
Just because you're drinking alone doesn't mean you're really alone. Your memories and demons are still with you, and they can take a toll on your mental and emotional health if you let them.
Nobody drinks alone
The song's main message is that nobody truly drinks alone, as everyone has their past demons and memories that follow them wherever they go. It's important to seek help and support rather than relying on alcohol to cope with life's ups and downs.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group
Written by: MATRACA MARIA BERG, JIM COLLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind