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.
What About Me
Keith Urban Lyrics
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I'm not complaining but it's true
It's like I owe my time to everyone else
'Cause that's all I seem to do
You might not notice but I need a good friend
Someone to talk to when I'm down, down, down
There's so much on my mind that I want to get out
[Chorus]
Sometimes I can't help thinkin' what about me
Some days go by that I don't even see
Yeah I'm doing everything right and I can't break free
Oh is this the way it's always gonna be
What about me
Well I'm dreamin' I'm on a highway with the windows down
I'm burnin' up the road at my own speed
But I'm stuck here goin' nowhere in this traffic jam
And there's a woman with her kids in the car next to me
And I swear she's singin'
[Chorus: x2]
Oh what about me
Hey what about me
The lyrics of Keith Urban's song "What About Me" portray a narrative of an individual feeling unimportant and insignificant in a world that constantly demands attention and time. The song seems to be a reflection of Keith's own struggles in the music industry, where he must perform for his fans, record labels, and other professionals on a regular basis. The lyrics depict a person who feels trapped in their own life, with no one around to confide in, and no way to escape their frustrations. The opening lines, "I'm livin' in a world that won't stop pullin' on me," set the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer laments their lack of control over their own life.
The song's chorus, "Sometimes I can't help thinkin' what about me," echoes this sentiment of neglect and frustration. The singer feels as though they are doing everything right, yet they are still unable to break free from the pressures of their environment. They have dreams of freedom and adventure, symbolized in the line, "Well I'm dreamin' I'm on a highway with the windows down," yet they cannot realize those dreams because they are stuck in a "traffic jam" of daily obligations and responsibilities. Ultimately, the song is a poignant reflection on the human need to feel valued and appreciated, even in a world that can seem overwhelming and unconcerned with our individual struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm livin' in a world that won't stop pullin' on me
I feel like everyone and everything is constantly demanding my time and energy.
I'm not complaining but it's true
I don't want to sound negative, but this is my reality.
It's like I owe my time to everyone else
I feel like I'm obligated to give my time and energy to others, even at the expense of my own needs.
'Cause that's all I seem to do
It feels like I'm always putting other people's needs ahead of my own.
You might not notice but I need a good friend
I might seem like I'm handling everything on my own, but I could really use someone to talk to.
Someone to talk to when I'm down, down, down
I need someone who will listen and support me when I'm feeling low and overwhelmed.
There's so much on my mind that I want to get out
I have a lot of thoughts and feelings that I want to express, but I don't have anyone to talk to.
But there's no one around
I feel isolated and alone in my struggles.
Sometimes I can't help thinkin' what about me
I wonder if I'm being too selfless and if it's okay to prioritize my own needs sometimes.
Some days go by that I don't even see
I feel like I'm just going through the motions and not actively living my life.
Yeah I'm doing everything right and I can't break free
I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing, but I still feel like I'm stuck in the same place.
Oh is this the way it's always gonna be
I question if my life will always be like this, with me feeling overwhelmed and unsupported.
Well I'm dreamin' I'm on a highway with the windows down
This is a fantasy or daydream that I have about being free and unencumbered by my responsibilities.
I'm burnin' up the road at my own speed
In this fantasy, I have complete control over my life and my pace.
But I'm stuck here goin' nowhere in this traffic jam
In reality, I feel trapped and helpless, unable to move forward.
And there's a woman with her kids in the car next to me
This is a reminder that other people are also struggling and dealing with their own challenges.
And I swear she's singin'
This woman seems to have found a way to cope with her situation through music or positive attitude.
Oh what about me
This is a plea for recognition and acknowledgment of my own struggles and needs.
Hey what about me
This is a repetition and reinforcement of the plea for recognition and acknowledgment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TRAVIS HOWARD, JEREMY A POPOFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind