William Owsley III (March 6, 1966-April 30, 2010), better known by the stag… Read Full Bio ↴William Owsley III (March 6, 1966-April 30, 2010), better known by the stage name Owsley, was a power pop singer-songwriter from Anniston, Alabama. Owsley released two albums - "Owsley" (1999) and "The Hard Way" (2004) before his death in 2010.
He was also the lead singer for the power pop group The Semantics and was the guitarist for Amy Grant's band from 1994 to 2010.
It seems like such a phony platitude that doing things the hard way is the most rewarding. Of course, anyone with a shred of sense, or anyone who has done something the hard way can tell you that the spoils are greater, and so is the sense of accomplishment. But it’d be nice if things came more easily.
For singer-songwriter-rocker Owsley, it’s been a pretty easy ride. Music came to him naturally through a richly musical family. Now that’s typical for most talented folks—that the music comes easy—the hard part is getting folks to listen. That’s what he’s talking about on his new album, The Hard Way, even though the Anniston, Alabama native will tell you, “It’s about a lot of things.”
So is Owsley. As a youngster, he played guitar along to the radio bands like Wings, KISS, and The Cars, matching licks with his older brother, Bud. This morphed into writing songs of his own, 4-track bedroom recording sessions (his penchant for multi-tracking vocals explains the plethora of big choruses on The Hard Way), underage bar gigs with cover bands—he’d do anything to scratch the musical itch.
Eventually he made the pros: his guitar prowess landed him a gig with funk-pop pioneer Judson Spence with whom Owsley played around the world and appeared on MTV in Spence's videos. Subsequently, a pre-fame Ben Folds introduced him to Millard Powers, and the two would form the legendary power-pop trio The Semantics with Zak Starkey (their lone album, Powerbill, released only in Japan, is now hot property). This led to Owsley joining Amy Grant’s touring band in 1994, a gig he holds today. Playing with Grant enabled Owsley to create a musical playground/home studio, not to mention spend time off writing and recording his own music. In 1999, he released Owsley on Giant Records, garnering raves for the anthemic power-pop songs (“I’m Alright” was a minor hit) and a Grammy™ nomination for his engineering efforts.
Owsley next crossed paths with his musical hero, legendary producer Mutt Lange. Lange, equally enamored with Owsley, hired him to play guitar and sing the duet, “No One Needs to Know” with Lange’s wife, Shania Twain live on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “The Today Show,” “Regis & Kathy Lee” and “The American Country Music Awards.”
Then came the hard part: Giant fell victim to corporate mergers and boarded up the windows within a year of Owsley hitting shelves. Rather than be swept up in the swirling flush, Owsley began writing and recording another album, The Hard Way.
Again produced and performed almost entirely by Owsley in his home studio, The Hard Way continues Owsley’s fascination with perfect pop tunes—big choruses and big words set to lush, exhilarating arrangements. “I’m a sucker for an anthem,” says Owsley, explaining how the lead track “Be With You” is a love song to “God and woman, not just to woman,” and an expression of a yearning to for spiritual, interpersonal and terrestrial connections. You can’t help but ache with him when he sings:
“I wanna know how it feels to believe in something/ride on the heels of a good thing comin’/run to the one thing I know is something true…/I wanna live my life like I know the meaning/deep inside my soul I hear the music screamin’/eyes wide open so I’m awake and dreaming, too.”
“Undone” and “She’s The One” are likewise transcendent, explosive examples of songs you sing in the car or the shower, but also out loud at inopportune times because you just can’t help it. But Owsley is also a first-rate balladeer, able to convey as much sorrow in a sad song as he does joy in a fist-pumping anthem. “Matriarch,” written for Owsley’s departed grandmother, is a piano ballad in the great AM-radio style of Carole King and Gerry Goffin, with nods to Todd Rundgren and Jeff Lynne on the FM side. And like those songwriters, you feel every word and every note in your blood.
He’s also a startling analyst, able to extract the most significance from his surroundings and his and others’ situations, and pair it with vivid detail. For instance, the folksy title track, where he draws parallels between a gambling addict and his life in music.
“I hate casinos,” Owsley opines. “They’re gross, to me. You know, no clocks, drinks for free, pumpin' in oxygen through the air vents, no windows, call girls, smell of cigarettes.” Like the losers at the tables, Owsley is begging for a lesson—“Let me learn the hard way.” He explains, “I guess the message is I’ll never learn. I keep getting hit in the face, and keep getting back up to get it again.”
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In making The Hard Way, Owsley has experienced a lesson he skipped by performing side and session gigs and writing in the wings. He’s learned that he must be a master of the results. “I guess,” he says, “in a world of pretenders, I’m a contender. Sorry if that sounds egotistical; I still have so much to learn, but most of the people on the radio today probably started playing guitar last week. And I’ve been doing this and preparing for today since birth—no kidding. It’s all I ever wanted, to be a legitimate player, writer, producer, and performer.”
All this… on his terms. He says, “it feels good to make music again, and for the right reasons. I’m optimistic about the future but most importantly want to be loyal to the fans that have stuck by me through thick and thin. This record is really for them.”
Not that he’s opposed to doing it again, or consigned to indie life. He’s learned some lessons, but he’d still take another shot at the spoils. “The final chapter has not been written. Who knows what will happen? Right now, all that matters is we’re taking control and doing it our way. The Hard Way.”
Sadly, Will Owsley died on April 30, 2010 at the age of 44 of what the Tennessean reported to be "an apparent suicide". He is survived by 2 sons, his ex-wife and his wonderful music.
He was also the lead singer for the power pop group The Semantics and was the guitarist for Amy Grant's band from 1994 to 2010.
It seems like such a phony platitude that doing things the hard way is the most rewarding. Of course, anyone with a shred of sense, or anyone who has done something the hard way can tell you that the spoils are greater, and so is the sense of accomplishment. But it’d be nice if things came more easily.
For singer-songwriter-rocker Owsley, it’s been a pretty easy ride. Music came to him naturally through a richly musical family. Now that’s typical for most talented folks—that the music comes easy—the hard part is getting folks to listen. That’s what he’s talking about on his new album, The Hard Way, even though the Anniston, Alabama native will tell you, “It’s about a lot of things.”
So is Owsley. As a youngster, he played guitar along to the radio bands like Wings, KISS, and The Cars, matching licks with his older brother, Bud. This morphed into writing songs of his own, 4-track bedroom recording sessions (his penchant for multi-tracking vocals explains the plethora of big choruses on The Hard Way), underage bar gigs with cover bands—he’d do anything to scratch the musical itch.
Eventually he made the pros: his guitar prowess landed him a gig with funk-pop pioneer Judson Spence with whom Owsley played around the world and appeared on MTV in Spence's videos. Subsequently, a pre-fame Ben Folds introduced him to Millard Powers, and the two would form the legendary power-pop trio The Semantics with Zak Starkey (their lone album, Powerbill, released only in Japan, is now hot property). This led to Owsley joining Amy Grant’s touring band in 1994, a gig he holds today. Playing with Grant enabled Owsley to create a musical playground/home studio, not to mention spend time off writing and recording his own music. In 1999, he released Owsley on Giant Records, garnering raves for the anthemic power-pop songs (“I’m Alright” was a minor hit) and a Grammy™ nomination for his engineering efforts.
Owsley next crossed paths with his musical hero, legendary producer Mutt Lange. Lange, equally enamored with Owsley, hired him to play guitar and sing the duet, “No One Needs to Know” with Lange’s wife, Shania Twain live on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “The Today Show,” “Regis & Kathy Lee” and “The American Country Music Awards.”
Then came the hard part: Giant fell victim to corporate mergers and boarded up the windows within a year of Owsley hitting shelves. Rather than be swept up in the swirling flush, Owsley began writing and recording another album, The Hard Way.
Again produced and performed almost entirely by Owsley in his home studio, The Hard Way continues Owsley’s fascination with perfect pop tunes—big choruses and big words set to lush, exhilarating arrangements. “I’m a sucker for an anthem,” says Owsley, explaining how the lead track “Be With You” is a love song to “God and woman, not just to woman,” and an expression of a yearning to for spiritual, interpersonal and terrestrial connections. You can’t help but ache with him when he sings:
“I wanna know how it feels to believe in something/ride on the heels of a good thing comin’/run to the one thing I know is something true…/I wanna live my life like I know the meaning/deep inside my soul I hear the music screamin’/eyes wide open so I’m awake and dreaming, too.”
“Undone” and “She’s The One” are likewise transcendent, explosive examples of songs you sing in the car or the shower, but also out loud at inopportune times because you just can’t help it. But Owsley is also a first-rate balladeer, able to convey as much sorrow in a sad song as he does joy in a fist-pumping anthem. “Matriarch,” written for Owsley’s departed grandmother, is a piano ballad in the great AM-radio style of Carole King and Gerry Goffin, with nods to Todd Rundgren and Jeff Lynne on the FM side. And like those songwriters, you feel every word and every note in your blood.
He’s also a startling analyst, able to extract the most significance from his surroundings and his and others’ situations, and pair it with vivid detail. For instance, the folksy title track, where he draws parallels between a gambling addict and his life in music.
“I hate casinos,” Owsley opines. “They’re gross, to me. You know, no clocks, drinks for free, pumpin' in oxygen through the air vents, no windows, call girls, smell of cigarettes.” Like the losers at the tables, Owsley is begging for a lesson—“Let me learn the hard way.” He explains, “I guess the message is I’ll never learn. I keep getting hit in the face, and keep getting back up to get it again.”
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In making The Hard Way, Owsley has experienced a lesson he skipped by performing side and session gigs and writing in the wings. He’s learned that he must be a master of the results. “I guess,” he says, “in a world of pretenders, I’m a contender. Sorry if that sounds egotistical; I still have so much to learn, but most of the people on the radio today probably started playing guitar last week. And I’ve been doing this and preparing for today since birth—no kidding. It’s all I ever wanted, to be a legitimate player, writer, producer, and performer.”
All this… on his terms. He says, “it feels good to make music again, and for the right reasons. I’m optimistic about the future but most importantly want to be loyal to the fans that have stuck by me through thick and thin. This record is really for them.”
Not that he’s opposed to doing it again, or consigned to indie life. He’s learned some lessons, but he’d still take another shot at the spoils. “The final chapter has not been written. Who knows what will happen? Right now, all that matters is we’re taking control and doing it our way. The Hard Way.”
Sadly, Will Owsley died on April 30, 2010 at the age of 44 of what the Tennessean reported to be "an apparent suicide". He is survived by 2 sons, his ex-wife and his wonderful music.
She's The One
Owsley Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'She's The One' by these artists:
Alain Clark I see her face and I'm done Brightens my day's like…
Anemone When you're gone and it's too late And you've…
Bad Meets Evil (Feat. Royce Da 5′9" & Project Paki) [Eminem] Slim Shady As…
Beach Party I don't wanna wake up this morning I'd kinda rather just…
Ben Shaw Lord, it's been a long time since I felt love…
Beta Band Falling through the floor With the friend I had before…
Blessid Union Of Souls She makes me want to scream She makes me want to…
Boyzone I was afraid Of ever letting you in now And showing you…
Britney Spears All that she wants is another baby She's gone tomorrow boy A…
Bruce Springsteen With her killer graces and her secret places That no boy…
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band With her killer graces and her secret places that no…
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band With her killer graces and her secret places That no boy…
Bruce Springsteen (Live Bootlegs) With her killer graces and her secret places that no…
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band With her killer graces and her secret places That no boy…
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band With her killer graces and her secret places that no…
Caribou Call her thief, call her shallow and insincere 'Cause you'll…
Damon Robinson Feels so good When she′s in the room on my bed Feels…
Dr. Dre She's the one, don't let her get away She's the one,…
Dr. Dre feat. Eminem & Royce da 5′9″ Yeah, asshole For any nigga with guns, we got guns too More…
Dr. Feelgood She's the one, don't let her get away She's the one,…
E. T. W. Shakedown Shakedown Red Café Bad bitch alert Bad bitch ale…
E.T.W. She broke, I'm up She don't like hesitation Keep up, or get…
Eminem Yeah, asshole For any nigga with guns, we got guns too More…
Eminem (Feat. Royce Da 5'9 [Royce] Asshole Any nigga wit guns, we got guns too More …
Eminem feat. Royce Da 5 Yeah, asshole For any nigga with guns, we got guns too More…
Eminem feat. Royce da 5'9" [Royce] Asshole Any nigga wit guns, we got guns too More …
Eminem feat. Royce Da 5′9″ Yeah, asshole For any nigga with guns, we got guns too More…
Eminem feat.Royce da 5'9 [Royce] Asshole Any nigga wit guns, we got guns too More …
Eminem Ft Royce Da 5 Yeah, asshole For any nigga with guns, we got guns too More…
Eminem Ft Royce Da 59 [Royce] Asshole Any nigga wit guns, we got guns too More hea…
Eminem ft. Royce da 5 Yeah, asshole For any nigga with guns, we got guns too More…
Eminem ft. Royce Da 59 [Royce] Asshole Any nigga wit guns, we got guns too More …
Eminem/Royce Da 5'9' Yeah, asshole For any nigga with guns, we got guns too More…
Eminem; Royce da 5'9" [Royce] Asshole Any nigga wit guns, we got guns too More …
Heavens to Betsy She walked in that day I knew she'd do it for…
Hebe 『She's The One』 ☆S.H.E☆ 《2006移动城堡演唱会》 词: 曲: 【零起点文具】 I was he…
Hebe Tian I was her she was me We were one we were…
Hi-Fi's I'm gonna love that gal like she's never been loved…
Huntingtons yeah yeah she's the one yeah yeah she's the one when i…
Ikky ਜਿਹੜੀ ਦੰਦਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਜੀਵ ਲੈਕੇ ਹੱਸਦੀ ਉਹ ਕੁੜੀ ਜਾਵੇ ਕੱਢਦੀ ਕਾਲਜਾ ਜਿਹ…
IN-HI There's something happening here And oh I've got this feelin…
J. Caprice I never felt so alive, I never felt so alive I…
James Well, you're right, I'm left, she's gone. You're right, and …
James Brown With her killer graces and her secret places that no…
Japanther Where you go I never know I hope you know that…
Jaziel Brothers I thought this was impossible I thought this was impossible …
Jeff Root She's the one, that new day sun, that world begun…
Jerry Devilo ਓ ਕਦੇ ਚਿਹਰੇ ਮੈਂ ਅਣਜਾਨ ਜਾ ਤੱਕ ਕੇ ਏਨਾ ਇਕ ਡੁਮ ਖੋਯ…
John C. Marshall I hope she cheats on you with a basketball player Hope…
John Waite She's got everything I want Got my world in a tight…
Juice WRLD Da-la, la-la-la-la, la-la, yeah Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh Wake up f…
Mad Sin yeah yeah she's the one yeah yeah she's the one when i…
MONSTA X She's the one, got me all messed up I could write…
Mount Tyrant The way she moves like a tidal wave Crashing down on…
N.Y. Pianoman The pain in my heart wont subside I crossed my heart…
Ofln - MONSTA X She's the one, got me all messed up I could write…
Outlasted SHE'S THE ONE I've never known this kind of love It's everyt…
Ramones Yeah yeah she's the one Yeah yeah she's the one When I…
Ramones - Road To Ruin Yeah yeah, she's the one Yeah yeah, she's the one When I…
Ray Bark I know I can be on your mind, I can be…
Ray LaMontagne I never felt like I had anybody That I could really…
Rhett Miller Although she's none the wiser, although we've barely met I c…
Robbie Williams I was her she was me We were one we were…
Robbie Williams feat. Guy Chambers I was her, she was me We were one, we were…
Robbie Williams London Session Orchestra I was her she was me We were one we…
robbie williams(罗比 威廉姆斯) I was her she was me We were one we were…
Robbie Williams/The London Session Orchestra I was her, she was me We were one, we were…
Rocket Club Sometimes you find the perfect one Just when you think your…
Roy Harper She's the one She's so gone She's the one who throws the…
Royce 5-9 Yeah, asshole For any nigga with guns, we got guns too More…
Royce da 5'9" [Royce] Asshole Any nigga wit guns, we got guns too More …
Royce Da 5'9'' feat. Eminem Yeah, asshole For any nigga with guns, we got guns too More…
Royce Da 5′9″ [Royce] Asshole Any nigga wit guns, we got guns too More …
Royce Da 5′9″ feat. Eminem Yeah, asshole For any nigga with guns, we got guns too More…
Rymes With Orange She's the one She's the one Oh, I remember yesterday An…
S.H.E She broke, I'm up She don't like hesitation Keep up, or get…
Saint Etienne She She's the one She She's the one She's the girl who thin…
Salt Tree Well now, follow me home Turn around and close the door I…
Savoy Brown I was her She was me We were one We…
Silk Baby girl so excited Cause something like this Made this be …
SONOS ROAM - Bruce Springsteen With her killer graces and her secret places that no…
Spirogyra I got a feeling love's gonna take me love's gonna make me,…
The B.B. King Blues Band Everything she got she could get it on her own She…
The Beta Band Falling through the floor With the friend I had before Grabb…
The Brandos Now, you can spread the word around About this woman that…
The Chartbusters One, two, three, go She's the one Don't let her get away Sh…
The Cockroaches They're on the starting line, doves in the air-air Eyes on…
The Hi-Fi's I'm gonna love that gal like she's never been loved…
The Links 808 Mafia She just wanna fuck me cause she know i…
The Marshalls I hope she cheats on you with a basketball player Hope…
The Mr. T Experience Yeah yeah sheæ¯ the one Yeah yeah sheæ¯ the one…
Tiger Cave Feeling of the kiss behind my neck has woke me up My…
Tommy & The Rockets If I had told her that I loved her She would…
Tyler Tisdale If she′s the one Probably the only one who don't think…
UFO No use in pretending, it's not been and gone There's no…
v.a. I know That it would be so nice I know That it would…
Winston Reedy Yeah yeah, she's the one Yeah yeah, she's the one When I…
World Party I was her She was me We were one We were free And if…
X-UFO She's the one, got me all messed up I could write…
[Robbie Williams I was her, she was me We were one, we were…
鲸浪 She is the one lives in my mind She has a…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Owsley:
09 The Homecoming Song Take me back in time To the day I was your…
Band On The Run Stuck inside these four walls Sent inside forever Never se…
Be With You I wanna show you the rhythm and the roll And take…
Class Clown Love is a friend of mine It tells me to keep…
Class Clown/Good Old Days Love is a friend of mine It tells me to keep…
Comin' Up Roses Morning comes and you're so lonely And you feel like you're…
Coming Up Roses Morning comes and you're so lonely And you feel like you're…
Dirty Bird Remember when you where a flower so tender The day you…
Down Another bridge I have burned A lesson I learned One more m…
Dude (Spoken:) Turn it up Tell me You're the girl who never goe…
Good Old Days I went back home the other day To see some old…
Homecoming Song Take me back in time To the day I was your…
I'm Alright I don't care what you say Nothing's gonna change me anyway …
Matriarch Matriarch I see Christine Avenue every night Through the…
Oh No The Radio Oh no the radio Has got me by the ears and…
Rise Rise now, awaken from your slumber The spell that you're un…
Sentimental Favorite Waiting for someone to finish the story Of a heart that's…
Sonny Boy Take Sonny, he's a real go-getter A regular man about town …
The Hard Way That woman must be 85 Holdin' on for dear life To a…
The Homecoming Song Take me back in time To the day I was your…
The Sky Is Falling Just when I thought it was safe outside The newscaster's cal…
Uncle John's Farm When nothing I feel like Is going my way And me and…
Undone You took me outta circulation Well fate would agreed with t…
Zavelow House There's a house down on the corner That we always used…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@digpirate
I love this song