Sugarland's debut album, Twice the Speed of Life, was released Oct. 26, 2004. Serving as its lead-off single was the song Baby Girl, which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and set a record for the longest chart run since the inception of Nielsen SoundScan in 1990. It was also the highest-peaking debut single for a group in 13 years. The album received Multi-Platinum certification for sales of two million copies. This album produced three more chart singles Something More, Just Might (Make Me Believe), and Down in Mississippi (Up to No Good).
In late 2005, the duo performed with Bon Jovi on Country Music Television's musical fusion show, Crossroads. Nettles sang with Bon Jovi on their single Who Says You Can't Go Home. The song later went on to become a #1 hit on the country charts.
Kristen Hall left the group in late 2005/early 2006. According to a statment released on January 17, 2006 by Nettles and Bush, Hall left the group to "stay home and write songs."
Sugarland was nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy and performed the song Something More at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2006. They also performed at the 2006 CMT Music Awards, where they received multiple nominations including Group/Duo Video of the Year for Just Might (Make Me Believe), Breakthrough Video of the Year for Something More, and Collaborative Video of the Year for "Who Says You Can't Go Home".
On November 7, 2006, the new duo released their second album Enjoy the Ride. It sold 211,000 during its first week and opened at #4 on the US Top 200 and at #2 on the Top Country Albums charts. The first two singles from this album — Want To and Settlin — both reached Number One on the country music charts, while Everyday America and Stay were both Top Ten hits. A limited edition of the CD, sold exclusively at Wal-Mart, was released in late 2007 and included a 5-song Christmas EP. The EP contained one original song - Little Wood Guitar - written by Bush and Ellis Paul.
In 2007, Sugarland performed at multiple award ceremonies, including the 2007 CMT Awards and the 2007 ACM awards. They performed a cover of Beyoncé Knowles' "Irreplaceable" at the American Music Awards, with Knowles herself. They also appeared on the The Tonight Show, and late in the year they headlined their first concert tour: the Change for Change Tour along with opening acts Little Big Town and Jake Owen. At the 41st CMA Awards, the group won the award for Vocal Duo of the Year.
In February 2007 Nettles and Bush began recording Love on the Inside as a follow up to Enjoy the Ride. The album was released in late July. Leading off this album was All I Want to Do. Released on May 19, the song debuted at #27 on the country charts, the highest debut for the duo. It became their third Number One single in August 2008. Already Gone followed in September of the same year and in January 2009 became their fourth Billboard Number One.
The "Deluxe Fan Edition" of Love on the Inside was released on July 22, 2008. The fan edition includes the duo's collaboration with Little Big Town and Jake Owen, a cover of The Dream Academy's 1985 hit "Life in a Northern Town." It also introduces four other bonus tracks, including "Fall Into Me," "Operation: Working Vacation," "Wishing," and a cover of Matt Nathanson's "Come On Get Higher."
The duo is starting the Love on the Inside Tour on September 13 in Asheville, North Carolina and it will conclude after 25 performances on November 16 in Bossier City, Louisiana. They will be joined by special guests Ashton Shepherd and Kellie Pickler. It will be their second headlining tour.
In March 2009, Sugarland toured in Europe starting with performances at military stations in Italy. They were scheduled to perform in France, the Netherlands, Germany, England, Scotland, and Ireland. Later in 2009 they joined Keith Urban in select cities as part of his Escape Together World Tour and joined Kenny Chesney on his Sun City Carnival Tour.
The third single from Love on the Inside, and 11th single overall, "It Happens", was released in February 2009 and became their fifth #1 in May 2009. The album's fourth single, "Joey" is a warning about drunkdriving, encouraging those sober to "take the keys," and thematically is heavily influenced by Concrete Blonde's 1990 single of the same name. It peaked at #17 on the US country charts.
On May 19, 2009, Sugarland received five CMT Award nominations including a nomination for Video of the Year. They were presented the award for Video Duo of the Year at the award show that broadcasted on June 16, 2009. During the awards show, they also performed "Love Shack" with a surprise appearance by the B-52's.
On September 10, 2010, Sugarland appeared on The Today Show and performed "Stuck Like Glue" - the first single from their album The Incredible Machine, which was released on October 19, 2010 in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. The album was released in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2011.
It was announced on January 11, 2011 that Sugarland was the #5 selling country album of 2010 with The Incredible Machine and the #3 selling digital country track of 2010 with their single "Stuck Like Glue".
On April 3, 2011 Sugarland hosted and performed at the first annual ACM Fan Jam during the ACM awards show. Sugarland was nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year and Video of the Year for "Stuck Like Glue", and won for Vocal Duo of the Year at the 46th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Nettles performed alongside pop star Rihanna at the ceremony, performing "California King Bed".
"Tonight" is the second single released in the U.K. from The Incredible Machine as well as the third country radio single, released April 11.
In April 2011, Sugarland began their own radio station, which was launched by A.P.E. Radio. The station is programmed by Nettles and Bush, and gives fans the opportunity to hear experiences from both singers' lives and from their current musical endeavours.
The duo appeared at the 2011 CMT Music Awards, winning for "Duo Video of the Year" but losing to Taylor Swift's "Mine" for video of the year. They also performed their donation song "Stand Up"
Hello
Sugarland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the house where my mama was raised
That old September wind feels just like a long lost friend
And I
[Chorus]
I want to run through those cottonwood trees
Fall asleep in a big bed of fresh fallen leaves
It's not goodbye, it's hello
When we met underneath the blue skies of summer
And those summer skies turn into fall
That sweet September wind made us so much more than friends
On Night
And we ran through those cottonwood trees
We made love in a big bed of fresh fallen leaves
And in every wind that blows there's an innocence that knows
It's not goodbye, it's hello
In the moment that one thing ends
Is the same time that one begins
And return as we must
We are ashes to dust, amen.
When the days of my youth have all faded
And the memories are all that remain
Let that old September wind take me back to where I've been
So I
I can run through those cottonwood trees
And remember the smell of those fresh fallen leaves
Now in every wind that blows there's a part of me that knows
It's not goodbye, it's hello
The lyrics of Sugarland's song "Hello" paint a vivid picture of nostalgia and yearning for a simpler time. The singer sings about being born in the midst of a hurricane season and growing up in the house where her mother was raised. She describes the feeling of the September wind as a long lost friend, and how it reminds her of her childhood memories. The elemental connection between the singer and nature is further emphasized as she expresses a desire to run through cottonwood trees and sleep on a bed of fallen leaves.
The chorus of the song expresses a universal longing to hold onto memories and the innocence of youth. The wind blowing through the trees and the leaves serves as a metaphor for the inevitability of change, and the singer embraces it by saying "it's not goodbye, it's hello." She then goes on to describe a romantic encounter under the cottonwood trees with the same September wind making it more than just a memory, and turning it into a part of her. The song ends with a sense of acceptance and returning to her roots and memories, ready to embrace whatever the future holds in store for her.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in the heart of a hurricane season
I was born in a time of turbulence and danger
In the house where my mama was raised
I was raised in the house of my mother's upbringing
That old September wind feels just like a long lost friend
The familiar wind of September brings nostalgia and familiarity
I want to run through those cottonwood trees
I desire to experience the freedom and beauty of nature
Fall asleep in a big bed of fresh fallen leaves
I yearn for the calming and peaceful feeling of being outside and embraced by the earth
And in every wind that blows there's a song of letting go
Every breeze represents a chance to move on and relinquish what once was
It's not goodbye, it's hello
This is not an end, but a new beginning
When we met underneath the blue skies of summer
When we connected during a time of happiness and brightness
And those summer skies turn into fall
As the times change from good to bad, our love remains strong
That sweet September wind made us so much more than friends
The wind of September symbolizes the romantic relationship that blossomed between us
And we ran through those cottonwood trees
We experienced the beauty of nature and freedom together
We made love in a big bed of fresh fallen leaves
Our passion was ignited and embodied within nature
And in every wind that blows there's an innocence that knows
Even amidst change, hope and purity can still guide us
It's not goodbye, it's hello
This is not an end, but a new beginning
In the moment that one thing ends
At the exact moment of something ending
Is the same time that one begins
There is no clear distinction between endings and beginnings, as they are intertwined
And return as we must
As we are destined to come back
We are ashes to dust, amen.
In the end, we are all mortal and will return to the earth
When the days of my youth have all faded
When I am older and my youth has disappeared
And the memories are all that remain
Only my memories will remain when my body fails
Let that old September wind take me back to where I've been
May the September wind bring me back to the memories of my past
So I can run through those cottonwood trees
So I can experience the feeling of freedom and beauty once again
And remember the smell of those fresh fallen leaves
To reminisce about the memories of passion and nature
Now in every wind that blows there's a part of me that knows
Whenever I feel that familiar wind, I am reminded of my past experiences
It's not goodbye, it's hello
This is not the end, but a new beginning
Lyrics © GREATER GOOD SONGS
Written by: JENNIFER NETTLES, KRISTEN HALL, KRISTIAN BUSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind