Combs, an only child, was born in Charlotte, North Carolina and moved to Asheville, North Carolina at the age of 8. He has been performing as a vocalist since childhood. While attending A. C. Reynolds High School, Combs played football and performed with multiple vocal groups, including performing a solo in the world-renowned Carnegie Hall. Later, he attended Appalachian State University where he worked as a bouncer at a bar before gaining stage time in that same bar. He played his first country music show at the Parthenon Cafe. With less than a month left in his senior year, he dropped out to pursue his country music career. He later moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a career in music.
Combs released his first EP, The Way She Rides, in February 2014. Later that year, he released his second EP, Can I Get an Outlaw. In 2016, Combs' first single, "Hurricane", sold 15,000 copies in its first week, and debuted at #46 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. In November 2015, Combs released his third EP, This One's for You. In late 2016, Combs was named one of Sounds Like Nashville's "Artists to Watch".
Combs signed a deal with Sony Music Nashville, and the debut single from This One's for You, "Hurricane", was re-released on Columbia Nashville. "Hurricane" reached #1 on the country radio airplay chart on May 15, 2017, holding that spot for two weeks.
In June 2017, Combs released his major label debut album, also titled This One's for You on Columbia Nashville and River House Artists. The album reached #1 on Billboard Top Country Albums and #5 on the US Billboard 200 in its first week. The album's second single, "When It Rains It Pours" was released to country radio on June 19, 2017. It reached #1 on the Country Airplay chart in October 2017. The album's third single, "One Number Away" was released to country radio on January 8, 2018. In mid-2018, Combs re-released This One's for You with several bonus tracks, two of which ("She Got the Best of Me" and "Beautiful Crazy") were also issued as singles. "Beautiful Crazy" reached #1 on Country Airplay in February 2019, giving Combs five #1's on the Billboard country chart with his first five singles. The song reached #1 on three additional country charts – Hot Country Songs, Country Streaming Songs, and Country Digital Song Sales.
On June 11, 2019 he was invited to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.
In August 2019, This One's for You spent its 44th week at #1 on Top Country Albums, setting the record for the longest reign at the top of that chart by a male artist.
His second album What You See Is What You Get was released on November 8, 2019. The album has charted the singles "Beer Never Broke My Heart", "Even Though I'm Leaving", and "Does to Me", a duet with Eric Church.
In May 2020, Combs released the studio single "Six Feet Apart". This single quickly became popular to listeners as it illustrated the challenges of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2020, Combs confirmed his next single would be Lovin' on You, which was released on both his second album and the EP The Prequel, which predated the album.
Combs announced a deluxe version of What You See Is What You Get, titled What You See Ain't Always What You Get, with five new songs; it was released on October 23, 2020. The track "Forever After All" set streaming records in country music on Apple Music and Spotify.
I Know She Ain't Ready
Luke Combs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was there but I didn't care, I was to busy staring at you
In the pouring rain, with the blue lights flashin', in the hills of Appalachian
Close to tears with your makeup smeared, I asked you what had happened
But I know she ain't ready
She won't be for awhile
And he broke her down
I can see it in her smile
She's finally getting closer
It's just too plain to see
And I know she ain't ready
But that's alright with me
You wearing that red dress, pearls, and those high heels
Like the way it made you look, you love the way it made you feel
So I said to you, "I'd sure love to do this again"
And you said, "Me too, but I'm just not over him"
But I know she ain't ready
She won't be for awhile
And he broke her down
And when I'm around
I can see it in her smile
She's finally getting closer
It's just too plain to see
And I know she ain't ready
But that's alright with me, yeah
She started calling me baby, and two years later I was down on a knee
With a ring in hand, I said "I'm your man, and girl, will you marry me?"
She said you know that I'm ready
And I have been for a while
When the bells sound and you turn around
I'll be walking down the aisle
This will only bring us closer
It's just too plain to see
And I know that we're ready
So that's alright with me
That's alright with me
Luke Combs’s song “I Know She Ain’t Ready” is a poignant track that talks about the pain and healing of a woman who just got out of an abusive relationship. The song describes two scenes; one where the singer sees her in her black dress, coat, and cowboy boots, and the other where she’s in a red dress, pearls, and high heels. Both scenes showcase a woman who’s troubled and visibily not ready to move on from an abusive relationship.
However, throughout the song, the singer, who is in love with her, assures her that it’s alright not to be ready. He knows she’s hurting, and he’s willing to wait until she’s fully healed. He knows that the wounds caused by her previous lover will take time to heal, and he’s prepared to be there for her throughout that healing process.
Overall, the song “I Know She Ain’t Ready” is a testament to the power of a love that’s patient and understanding. It underscores the importance of being there for a loved one during tough times, even if it means sticking around during the aftermath of past traumas.
Line by Line Meaning
You wearing that black dress, coat, and cowboy boots
I saw you in a stunning black dress with a coat and cowboy boots
He was there but I didn't care, I was too busy staring at you
Even though he was around, I couldn't take my eyes off you
In the pouring rain, with the blue lights flashin', in the hills of Appalachian
We were together in Appalachian hills, with blue lights flashing, and it was raining heavily
Close to tears with your makeup smeared, I asked you what had happened
You were about to cry, with smeared makeup, and I inquired what had gone wrong
But I know she ain't ready
I understood that you were not ready
She won't be for awhile
It would take some time for you to be ready
And he broke her down
I knew that he had hurt you
And when I'm around
I sensed it every time I was with you
I can see it in her smile
I could tell from your smile that you were still in pain
She's finally getting closer
Gradually, you were making progress
It's just too plain to see
It was quite evident
But that's alright with me
But it didn't matter to me
You wearing that red dress, pearls, and those high heels
I saw you looking gorgeous in a red dress, pearls, and high heels
Like the way it made you look, you love the way it made you feel
It seemed like you loved the way it made you feel and look
So I said to you, "I'd sure love to do this again"
I expressed my desire to repeat this experience with you
And you said, "Me too, but I'm just not over him"
You also wished to do it again, but you were still not over him
She started calling me baby, and two years later I was down on a knee
Eventually, you started calling me baby, and after two years, I proposed
With a ring in hand, I said "I'm your man, and girl, will you marry me?"
I proposed to you with a ring in hand, saying that I am your man, and seek your hand in marriage
She said you know that I'm ready
You responded that you were indeed ready
And I have been for a while
You had been ready for some time
When the bells sound and you turn around
At the moment of our wedding, when the bells sound, and you turn around
I'll be walking down the aisle
You would be walking down the aisle towards me
This will only bring us closer
This moment would bring us even closer
That's alright with me
And I am okay with that
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Luke Combs, Josh Blanco, Samuel Crabtree
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zack
on Where the Wild Things Are
Luke Combs's song "Where the Wild Things Are" is a story about someone's brother who passed away in a motorcycle accident. The lyrics paint a picture about the singer's older brother, who was a free-spirited and adventurous motorcyclist. The opening lines introduce the Indian Scout motorcycle that the older brother rode, which was black like his leather jacket. The American Spirit cigarette hanging out of his mouth was also a nod to the singer's father, who was most likely a smoker. The older brother rode out west, leaving their mother heartbroken but excited by the thought of exploring the western wilderness.
The chorus is about the thrill of living dangerously and chasing wild dreams- "Oh, it's hearts on fire and crazy dreams, Oh, the nights ignite like gasoline" – and the high-intensity buzz of cities like Los Angeles at night. The line "Out where the wild things are" is repeated several times throughout the song, emphasizing the thrill of being in the wild and the danger that comes with it.
The second verse reveals that the singer eventually moved back east and that he and his brother continued to chat every couple of weeks. The singer moved back to safety, but his brother stayed in California, chasing dreams and living life to the fullest. However, he never stopped living in the singer's heart, and in the chorus, the singer remembers the wild times his brother had and the danger that came with being a motorcycle rebel. The song ends with the sad and poignant image of burying his brother under the West Coast stars.
Overall, "Where the Wild Things Are" is a beautiful and heartfelt tribute to a brother who lived life on his own terms, and who died too young. It's also a celebration of the thrill of living dangerously and chasing dreams.
Miranda
on Dive - Recorded At Sound Stage Nashville
❤️❤️❤️
Tony Schultz
on Dive - Recorded At Sound Stage Nashville
Great cover