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"
Nightswimming / Joey
Sugarland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Deserves a quiet night
The photograph on the dashboard
Taken years ago
Turned around backwards so the windshield shows
Every street light reveals a picture in reverse
Still its so much clearer
I forgot my shirt at the waters edge
Night swimming
What if I said yes
What if I'd gone out that night
What if you'd turned left
Everything would've turned out alright
What if I'd spoke up
What'd if I'd took the keys
What if I had tried a little harder instead of always trying to please
Joey I'm so sorry
Ohh can you hear me
Joey I'm so sorry
What if I'd said no
What if we'd never fell in love
What if we'd gone slow
Or a little be faster and broken up
Would I know this hurt
Would I feel this pain
Do you know that with all I have left in my very last breath I will call your name
Joey I'm so sorry
Ohoohoh can you hear me?
Joey I'm so sorry
Were you sad
Were you scared
Did you wish for a prayer to be free
Was it quiet and cold
Was it light or too dark to see
And did you reach for me
Joey I'm so sorry
Ohh can you hear me?
Joey I'm so sorry
Oohhhohh can you hear me
Joey I'm so...
Joey I'm so..... sorry
The song Nightswimming/Joey by Sugarland is a heartfelt song about the lingering pain and regret that a person may feel after losing someone they cared about. The first verse describes a peaceful evening of swimming in the moonlight, accompanied by a photograph on the dashboard that turns backwards as they drive. The second verse then begins to reflect on what could have been different if choices were made differently in the past. The chorus then speaks directly to Joey, apologizing for the singer's role in their separation. The final verse poses a series of questions to Joey about his experience after they parted ways, again expressing their regret.
The song is powerful in its emotional honesty, and the imagery of the night swimming and photograph on the dashboard help to illustrate the lingering memories and regrets that can remain after a relationship ends. The singer's apologies to Joey create a sense of catharsis as they attempt to make amends for their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Night swimming
The act of swimming during the night
Deserves a quiet night
Swimming during the night deserves a peaceful environment
The photograph on the dashboard
A picture placed on the dashboard of a car
Taken years ago
The photograph was captured several years back in time
Turned around backwards so the windshield shows
The photo has been flipped, and the windshield reflects it
Every street light reveals a picture in reverse
When the car is near a streetlight, the photo in the windshield appears in reverse
Still its so much clearer
The flipped photo is brighter and clearer
I forgot my shirt at the waters edge
The singer forgot their shirt near the water
The moon is low tonight
In the night sky, the moon is low and visible
What if I said yes
What if I agreed to something that I'm hesitant about?
What if I'd gone out that night
What if I had left my house that night?
What if you'd turned left
What if you chose another direction?
Everything would've turned out alright
Things would have been better had one decision been made differently
What if I'd spoke up
What if I had expressed myself better?
What'd if I'd took the keys
What if I decided to drive instead?
What if I had tried a little harder instead of always trying to please
What if I had put in more effort instead of always wanting to make others happy?
Joey I'm so sorry
The singer is telling Joey that they are sorry
Ohh can you hear me
The singer is asking if Joey can listen to what they're saying
What if I'd said no
What if I had declined the offer?
What if we'd never fell in love
What if we never had loving feelings for each other?
What if we'd gone slow
What if we took things slow?
Or a little be faster and broken up
What if we had moved too quickly and ended things sooner?
Would I know this hurt
If things were different, would I understand this pain?
Would I feel this pain
If things were different, would I still feel the same level of hurt?
Do you know that with all I have left in my very last breath I will call your name
The singer promises that, even when they're about to die, they will call out Joey's name
Were you sad
When you passed away, were you unhappy?
Were you scared
When you died, were you afraid?
Did you wish for a prayer to be free
Did you ever wish to be free of your problems?
Was it quiet and cold
Was the place where you were found quiet and chilly?
Was it light or too dark to see
What was the lighting like around you when you passed away?
And did you reach for me
Before you died, did you seek me out?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Michael Mills, Michael Stipe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sandradavis1590
My husband didn't turn left and he died. This happened about the time this song came out. I sobbed many, many times while playing this song. Here, 13 years later, I'm still sobbing listening to this song.
@neldaanncox9832
I'm so sorry, that's heart breaking to hear this! I luv this lady,the way she makes anyone feel the passion of the love you once & only felt,knowing it will never happen again! God Bless you 🙏
@davidhampton5494
What a voice, a girl with a very big heart. She means every word, she sings ! Love her.
@debrahabian361
My daughter's best friend, Joey Spicer drowned in the Manistee River in N.W.Lower Michigan. R.I.P.Joey!! You were such a GREAT FRIEND to my daughter, Amy.😇😇😇😇😇✌✌✌✌
@stevesmith5687
To have this much talent! I’m glad she shares it with us and never disappoints!!
@frankmaitland2569
Great Tribute to REM .
@angelalindsey5427
my little brother, Joel Gabe Parnell ( Joey ) drowned at Bryan beach in Freeport, Tx. His body was never found, I listen to this song and my heart fills with such sadness, because I gave him the permission to go with his friends to the beach that night. No one could ever imagine how many times I spoke the words ( Joey I'm so sorry)....
@cathygriffith746
angela lindsey.......I AM SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOST. BE CAREFUL AND SAFE MY FRIENDS. GOD BLESS YOU.
@take1994
Angela, Your comment is 2 years old and I hope you stumble across this comment at some point. I’m sure you’ve heard this hundreds of times, but your brother’s death was in no way caused by your decision. Accidents happen, little decisions that lead up to the accident will seem like causation in hindsight, but unless you intentionally put your brother in harms way, this is nothing more than accident. Like getting hit by a car crossing the street or choking on a piece of food. If analyzed, there will always be one or more people who made decisions that helped put the individual in the time and place of the accident. If someone dwells on those decisions and feels responsible it’s the brain taking feelings of love and protection for the individual and finding guilt and responsibility in the wake of their loss. The brain always tries to make sense of things, but this is a 2+2=13 scenario. It’s the mind looking for things that aren’t there due to grief. I hope you’re doing well today. Take care.
@angelalindsey5427
@Cathy Griffith thank you.