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.
Walkin' The Country
Keith Urban Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just as fast as I can
Take off my tie so I can breathe
Me, I'm going where the fresh air's blowin'
Take a little walk in the country with me
[Chorus]
Walk in the country with me
It's gonna do us some good
To get down in the woods
Take a little walk in the country with me
I'm so sick of all them TV shows
I need some dirt road under my feet
c'mon let's point our toes where the red fern grows
Take a little walk in the country with me
Come on now
[Chorus]
Walkin' the country
Oh bless my soul
Just gimme that country road
Come on now
[Chorus]
Take a little walk in the country with me
Come on now baby
Take a little walk in the country with me
The song "Walkin' The Country" by Keith Urban is a call to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and indulge in the peacefulness and serenity of nature. The opening lines, "Runnin' from the rate race, just as fast as I can, take off my tie so I can breathe," describe the eagerness of the singer to get away from the fast-paced, competitive lifestyle of the modern world. He invites the listener to join him in a walk through the countryside, where they can admire the beauty of nature and find solace in its simplicity.
The chorus highlights the rejuvenating effects of communing with nature. The singer urges the listener to "watch the sun sinkin' down on the trees" as they take a stroll, with the promise that it will "do us some good to get down in the woods." The imagery of the sun setting on the trees is symbolic of the end of a hectic day and the beginning of a calming and peaceful night.
The second verse emphasizes the singer's dislike for the monotony and superficiality of television and media. He implores the listener to disconnect from the virtual world and connect to the real world by walking on dirt roads and observing the growth of the red fern. This depiction of the fern reveals the singer's appreciation of the small, natural details that we often overlook in our busy lives.
Overall, "Walkin' The Country" is a song about the importance of taking a step back and appreciating the beauty and simplicity of nature. It encourages us to disconnect from the frenzied world around us and recharge by indulging in the peacefulness of a walk in the countryside.
Line by Line Meaning
Runnin' from the rate race
Escaping the stressful and fast-paced lifestyle
Just as fast as I can
Trying to run away from it quickly
Take off my tie so I can breathe
Relaxing and letting go of formalities
Me, I'm going where the fresh air's blowin'
Heading towards nature where it's fresh and clean
Take a little walk in the country with me
Inviting someone to join and explore nature together
Walk in the country with me
Repeat of the invitation to walk together
Watch the sun sinkin' down on the trees
Enjoying the picturesque beauty of a sunset in nature
It's gonna do us some good
Stating the benefits of spending time in nature
To get down in the woods
Meant to go off the beaten path and enjoy the wilderness
I'm so sick of all them TV shows
Expressing a longing for simpler things in life
I need some dirt road under my feet
Craving the feeling of outdoor terrain beneath the feet
c'mon let's point our toes where the red fern grows
Invitation to explore and revel in the beauty of nature
Walkin' the country
A statement that they are now on their journey in nature
Oh bless my soul
Expressing complete contentment in the present moment
Just gimme that country road
Desire for the peacefulness and serenity of country living
Take a little walk in the country with me
Final repetition inviting the listener to join in the exploration
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Vernon Wayne Rust, Keith Lionel Urban
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind