Her 1997 self-titled debut album brought her onto the country music scene as a herald of a more neotraditional country music sound, in a genre that had begun to sound more pop-oriented with the likes of LeAnn Rimes, Faith Hill and Shania Twain topping the charts. The hits from that first album were "Never Again, Again", "The Fool" and "You've Got To Talk To Me."
Her second album, 1998's Some Things I Know, set the tone for what the pop oriented direction of country music sought to encapsulate in the late 1990s. It brought us "A Little Past Little Rock", "(Now You See Me) Now You Don't" and "I'll Think Of A Reason Later", while her third and possibly most successful album to date, 2000's I Hope You Dance, featured, along with the award-winning aforementioned title cut (to which Sons of the Desert supplied the backing vocals) also featured the hits "Why They Call It Falling" and "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger" as well as covers of the 1980 Rodney Crowell hit "Ashes By Now", and the Don Williams' 1981 classic, "Lord I Hope This Day Is Good."
Womack's fourth album, Something Worth Leaving Behind, released in 2002, was seen by many as an attempt by her to cross over to the very pop-sound of which she was the antithesis five years earlier. The title cut and "Forever Everyday" were the only two singles released. Both went into the top 40 country chart.
Her most recent album, 2005's There's More Where That Came From features "I May Hate Myself In The Morning", the album's first single, which is viewed by many as a return to the traditional sound that brought her success in her earlier career. Later in 2005, Womack won three awards at the Country Music Awards: Single of the Year for "I May Hate Myself In The Morning", Album of the Year for There's More Where That Came From, and Musical Event of the Year for her duet, "Good News, Bad News", with George Strait.
Womack has recorded a few duets that have been released as singles. In 2002, her duet with Willie Nelson, "Mendocino County Line", became his biggest hit in several years. In 2004, she worked with country band Cross Canadian Ragweed on the track "Sick and Tired". The song had moderate success and received a bit of video airplay.
Womack has two daughters; Aubrie (with ex-husband Jason Sellers) and Anna Lise (with current husband Frank Liddell). Both daughters appeared in the video for "I Hope You Dance".
In Summer of 2006, Womack announced plans to release a new studio album in the fall, titled Finding My Way Back Home but it has been pushed back to 2007. The first single, which was the album's title track, peaked at #37 in late 2006.
Discography
Studio Albums
* Lee Ann Womack (1997) Platinum
* Some Things I Know (1998) Gold
* I Hope You Dance (2000) 3x Platinum
* Something Worth Leaving Behind (2002)
* There's More Where That Came From (2005) Gold
* Finding My Way Back Home (2007)
Virtual Albums
* iTunes Originals - Lee Ann Womack
Compilation Albums
* Greatest Hits (2004)
Christmas Albums
* The Season For Romance (2002)
Trivia
* Lee Ann wore dental braces on her teeth in the late 1990's, being one of the few public figures to wear visible braces in adulthood.
* Lee Ann also sang with Chris Jericho (of WWE fame) and Olympic gymnast Carly Patterson in the FOX show "Celebrity Duets" in 2006.
* Lee Ann Sang her hit song "I Hope You Dance" at the 2004 Republican National Convention.
* Lee Ann was once married to singer/songwriter Jason Sellers. The couple had one daughter, Aubrie Lee Sellers, born that same year. The couple divorced in the late 1990s. In 1999, she married former record executive Frank Liddell, and has had a second daughter, Anne Lise Liddell.[1]
He Oughta Know That By Now
Lee Ann Womack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't need to wonder where he is
But I do
He ought a know that by now
I know his job takes a lot of him
There's not much left for him to give
But I need more
[Chorus]
It's not like he's gotta read my mind
To know what I'm feeling after all this time
It's just so hard to hold onto what is never around
He ought a know that by now
He used to promise soon things would change
It's been years and it's still the same
And that hurts
He ought a know that by now
I've grown so used to being alone
Couldn't be much worse if I were gone
And in a way I am
He ought a know that by now
[Chorus]
Heartache and coffee at midnight motel
Leaving him was hard as hell, but I did
He ought a know that by now
I didn't try to explain
No goodbye underneath my ring
That was all I left
He ought a know that by now
That was all I left
And he ought a know that by now
The lyrics to Lee Ann Womack's song, "He Oughta Know That By Now," carry an emotional weight that they communicate through rich, expressive storytelling. The song conveys a sense of frustration and disappointment that comes from a long-term relationship in which one partner is present physically but emotionally absent, leading the other to feel increasingly isolated and alone. The first verse explores the singer's frustration with her partner's work schedule, which seems to be a persistent source of tension in the relationship. She expresses her sense of despair, knowing that she no longer has faith in his promises to change. The chorus expands on this theme, lamenting the fact that her partner should know her well enough by now to understand her emotional needs without her having to communicate them directly.
The second verse takes a more introspective turn, exploring the singer's own sense of isolation and alienation in the relationship. She has grown used to being alone and knows that leaving him would be no different: both scenarios will leave her feeling lonely and unfulfilled. The final verse turns the narrative in a new direction, revealing that the singer has, in fact, left her partner, but without explanation. She has left him only a small, tangible reminder of their time together, hoping that he will finally understand the emotional pain he has caused her.
Line by Line Meaning
I guess he's working late again
I suspect that he is at work late once again.
I don't need to wonder where he is
I have no reason to speculate his whereabouts.
But I do
But I still have a doubt in my mind.
He ought a know that by now
He should be aware of my doubts by now.
I know his job takes a lot of him
I am aware that his job requires much dedication from him.
There's not much left for him to give
He does not have much time or energy to spare.
But I need more
However, I still require more of his time and attention.
He ought a know that by now
He should know that I need more from him by now.
It's not like he's gotta read my mind
He does not have to be a mind reader to understand my feelings.
To know what I'm feeling after all this time
It should be clear to him how I feel about our situation after all the time we have spent together.
It's just so hard to hold onto what is never around
It is difficult to hold on to something that is always absent or unavailable.
He ought a know that by now
He should be aware of how his absence affects me by now.
He used to promise soon things would change
He used to assure me that things would improve in the near future.
It's been years and it's still the same
However, it has been several years since those promises were made, and nothing has changed.
And that hurts
This fact is painful for me to accept.
He ought a know that by now
He should know that his broken promises cause me pain by now.
I've grown so used to being alone
I have become accustomed to being by myself.
Couldn't be much worse if I were gone
Being alone is nearly as bad as not being in the relationship at all.
And in a way I am
In some sense, I am not truly in a relationship anymore.
He ought a know that by now
He should understand that I feel like I am not in a relationship by now.
Heartache and coffee at midnight motel
I am experiencing intense emotional pain, and I am trying to cope by drinking coffee in a motel late at night.
Leaving him was hard as hell, but I did
Even though it was extremely difficult, I made the decision to leave him.
He ought a know that by now
He should recognize that I have left him by now.
I didn't try to explain
I did not attempt to justify my decision to leave or to provide any explanation.
No goodbye underneath my ring
I did not even leave a note or any kind of message behind.
That was all I left
The only proof that I was ever there is the absence of my physical presence.
He ought a know that by now
He should realize that my sudden disappearance was a clear sign that I had left him and wasn't coming back.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: Clint Ingersoll, Jeremy Spillman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind