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"
Wide Open
Sugarland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh ay oh ay oh
Oh ay oh ay oh
Oh ay oh ay oh
I've been waiting my whole life betting on a change
See it coming getting better getting better now
Feel the shake shake steady of a soul to the flame
Come in closer oh come feel the love on the inside
Electric current in my veins
Lets me know I'm alive
I burn I breathe I blink I change
Wide wide wide wide open
And it's a fine fine fine fine world
And this is my my life I'm hoping
Will be a fine fine fine fine world
Oh ay oh ay oh
Oh ay oh ay oh
Every life has a moment where sweat meets fate
On your mark get ready get ready now
Gonna find out fast what a heart can take
Come in closer oh come feel the love on the inside
Electric current in my veins
Lets me know I'm alive
I burn I breathe I blink I
Wide wide wide wide open
And it's a fine fine fine fine world
And this is my my life I'm hoping
Will be a fine fine fine fine world
Around a wide, wide, wide, wide open
And it's a fine fine fine fine world
(Oh ay oh ay oh)
Get ready get ready now (oh ay oh ay oh)
Get ready get ready now (oh ay oh ay oh)
Get ready get ready now (oh ay oh ay oh)
Get ready get ready GO (oh ay oh ay oh)
The lyrics to Sugarland's song “Wide Open” express a sense of anticipation and excitement for a future that is bursting with possibilities. The singer has been waiting their entire life for a change, and now they can see it coming and feel it getting closer. They acknowledge that life is full of ups and downs, using the analogy of a soul shaking steady like a flame. Despite this, they are ready for whatever comes their way, and they feel driven by an electric current that runs through their veins, reminding them that they are alive. The repetition of “I burn, I breathe, I blink, I change” serves as a mantra that encapsulates this sense of transformation and growth.
The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, as it expresses a desire for a world that is “fine fine fine fine” - a world that is wide open and full of possibilities. The singer is hoping that their life will be a part of that world, and that they will be able to take advantage of everything it has to offer. The repetition of “oh ay oh ay oh” fits seamlessly into the melody of the song, adding an ethereal quality that underscores the sense of anticipation and excitement.
Overall, “Wide Open” is a song full of hope and optimism, capturing the idea that life is an adventure and that anything is possible if you are willing to take risks and embrace the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been waiting my whole life betting on a change
I have been waiting for a surprising transformation to occur all my life, and I've been willing to take risks for it.
See it coming getting better getting better now
I can sense that the change I've been waiting for is arriving, and things are beginning to look up.
Feel the shake shake steady of a soul to the flame
I can feel the steady excitement in my soul, as if I'm on fire with passion and life.
Come in closer oh come feel the love on the inside
I invite you to come closer and feel the love and intensity that is within me.
Electric current in my veins
I feel an electric current flowing through my veins, which is a sign of my energy and vitality.
Lets me know I'm alive
This sensation confirms that I'm really alive and that I'm capable of experiencing all sorts of new things.
I burn I breathe I blink I change
I'm constantly experiencing transformation and growth, which is why I feel like I'm burning, breathing, and blinking in order to keep up with the pace of life.
Wide wide wide wide open
I am fully exposed and vulnerable to life, and I am willing to take risks and embrace new experiences.
And it's a fine fine fine fine world
Despite the risks and challenges of life, I see the world as a beautiful and wonderful place.
And this is my my life I'm hoping
I am hoping that my life will continue to be full of excitement, uncertainty, and new experiences.
Every life has a moment where sweat meets fate
In every person's life, there is a critical moment when their hard work and determination face off against the unpredictable forces of fate.
On your mark get ready get ready now
Now is the time to prepare, to get ready to meet fate and do whatever it takes to succeed.
Gonna find out fast what a heart can take
The coming challenge will reveal how much my heart can handle, and I'm ready to find out.
Around a wide, wide, wide, wide open
I am surrounded by the boundless possibilities of life, and I am poised to explore them all.
Get ready get ready GO
The moment of truth has arrived, and it's time to take action and see what happens.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JENNIFER NETTLES, KRISTIAN BUSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind