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"
Keep You
Sugarland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But we couldn't make us disappear.
Not a day goes by I don't wish I had you.
So in a way, I'm glad you're still here.
It's a bitter sweet victory.
Lovin' the ghost in front of me.
[Chorus]
And I can't run, can't hide.
What do I gotta do?
What do I gotta do to keep you?
What do I gotta do to keep you from doing this to me?
I wrote a couple of notes.
One in love, one in anger.
They're lying there dying in the dresser drawer.
Lived louder than my voice. Struggled through a stranger.
He loved me until I loved you even more.
It's a bitter sweet victory.
Knowing someone else wanted me.
[Chorus]
You get used to the pain, and numb to the sting
Till you can't feel anything.
You tried to explain, but I couldn't hear it.
As if your words were my tears.
Flowing freely, warm and quiet.
From the edges of my eyes and my ears.
Then all that disappears.
[Chorus: x2]
What do I gotta do?
What do I gotta do to keep you?
What do I gotta do to keep you from doing this to me?
The lyrics to Sugarland's song "Keep You" describe the internal conflict of a person who has lost their lover but still can’t let go of the relationship. The song starts by saying goodbye to the relationship and acknowledging that they tried to forget each other, but they couldn't. Even after some time, the person is still thinking about the person they lost, and they find that not a day goes by without them wishing they were still together. The person is happy to have their ex in their life, which is a bittersweet victory because they're not together anymore but they're still around.
The second verse illustrates how the person tried to move on from the relationship. One note was written in love, describing their feelings of adoration, while the other was written in anger, expressing frustration and disappointment in the relationship. The notes are now lying in the dresser drawer, reminding the person of their pain. The person is now seeing other people, but it's not the same as the love that they shared with their ex, which makes their current relationship a bittersweet victory.
The chorus is a plea to their ex, asking what they have to do to keep them from leaving them again. They feel helpless and vulnerable and are unsure of how to prevent their ex-lover from walking away. The bridge reflects the numbness that the person feels, where they are no longer feeling the same as they used to.
Overall, the song portrays the pain and confusion of a broken relationship. Despite the significant loss of the relationship, the person both wants and fears their ex-lover.
Line by Line Meaning
We said goodbye. Tried her hand at magic.
We parted ways and attempted to make our relationship disappear through various means.
But we couldn't make us disappear.
Despite our attempts, we were unable to fully erase our connection and feelings for each other.
Not a day goes by I don't wish I had you.
I constantly think about wanting to be with you.
So in a way, I'm glad you're still here.
Despite our separation, I am grateful for the lingering presence of our connection.
It's a bitter sweet victory.
Our situation is both a triumph and sorrowful at the same time.
Lovin' the ghost in front of me.
Despite the absence of an actual physical presence, I still love and long for you.
Now I can't laugh, can't cry.
My emotions towards our situation have left me feeling numb and unable to express myself.
And I can't run, can't hide.
It's impossible for me to escape or avoid the feelings I have for you.
I wrote a couple of notes.
I left behind some written messages expressing my feelings towards the situation.
One in love, one in anger.
One note was fueled by my love for you, and the other was fueled by my frustration and anger.
They're lying there dying in the dresser drawer.
The notes are neglected and forgotten, not fulfilling their intended purpose.
Lived louder than my voice. Struggled through a stranger.
My conflicting emotions were more powerful than my words, causing me to feel isolated and alone.
He loved me until I loved you even more.
I was once loved by someone else, but my love for you was stronger and caused me to lose that connection.
Knowing someone else wanted me.
I find comfort in the fact that I was desired by someone else, but still yearn for you.
You get used to the pain, and numb to the sting.
Over time, the hurt of our separation becomes more familiar and less affecting.
Till you can't feel anything.
Eventually, the emotional pain becomes so constant that it feels like there are no feelings left.
You tried to explain, but I couldn't hear it.
You attempted to clarify our situation, but I was unable to fully comprehend your words.
As if your words were my tears.
Your message was so emotional that I interpreted them as my own tears.
Flowing freely, warm and quiet.
The tears and emotions flow naturally and calmly, but still carry a sense of warmth and depth.
From the edges of my eyes and my ears.
These emotions and tears come from my deepest, most personal places.
Then all that disappears.
Eventually, these feelings and tears fade away and become less present in my life.
What do I gotta do to keep you?
I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep our relationship alive.
What do I gotta do to keep you from doing this to me?
I want to prevent the hurt and separation that we have experienced in the past from happening again.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BOBBY PINSON, JENNIFER NETTLES, KRISTIAN BUSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sage Allen
We said goodbye
Tried a hand at magic
But we couldn't make us disappear
Not a day goes by I don't wish I had you
So in a way, I'm glad you're still here
It's a bitter sweet victory
Loving the ghost in front of me
Now I can't laugh, can't cry
And I can't run, can't hide
What do I gotta do?
What do I gotta do to keep you?
What do I gotta do to keep you from doing this to me?
I wrote a couple of notes
One in love, one in anger
They're lying there dying in the dresser drawer
Lived louder than my voice
Struggled through a stranger
He loved me until I loved you even more
It's a bitter sweet victory
Knowing someone else wanted me
Now I can't laugh, can't cry
And I can't run, can't hide
You get used to the pain
And numb to the sting
Till you can't feel anything
You tried to explain, but I couldn't hear it
As if your words were my tears
Flowing freely, warm and quiet
From the edges of my eyes and my ears
Then all that disappears
Now I can't laugh, can't cry
And I can't run, can't hide
Now I can't laugh, can't cry
And I can't run, can't hide
What do I gotta do?
What do I gotta do to keep you?
What do I gotta do to keep you from doing this to me?
Michael Poyntz
Jennifer Nettles is one of the very few singers out there today who can always grab you by the socks, stop you in your tracks and make you want to listen to a particular song....over and over! I think she has best voice in country music today! Her vocal power, range and depth of emotional connection to any song she performs simply cannot be beat! I'm an old(er) guy, a distance trucker and regularly find myself singing to top of my lungs with her as I travel the country. Love this women's voice!
Ann Smarpat
Keep singing my friend 😊
Jeff Yoder
I can agree with you Michael Jennifer Nettles is the sexiest female singer in any genre of music these days 😊😅😅😮😊
Kyla Lorene
That would be me
Sarah Leis
My sentiments about her too. What a beautiful songbird she is. Such a strong voice. And with so my heart into it too.
Derps
Honestly won of the most accurate songs ever written lyrically to describe real heartache and the numbness that can come with it. Too many songs focus on pain and anguish, when really it's the lack of feeling that comes after that "hurts" the most. This song nails it, with an awesome vocal and melody.
David Hampton
One of the songs that is underrated, but one of the best of sugerland. What a voice, just so beautifully sung.😍😍😍
Jbingfa x
yeap i am also promoting that!
Bullit44
love her voice. Recognizable is rare these days. When she sings there is no doubt who it is. I miss that in modern commercial radio artists.
R Burks
Totally agree! Her voice is unmistakably AMAZING! !!