His musical interest came at an early age, when his father taught him to play the guitar. In high school, he joined a gospel music group called the New Commitments. He was also a member of Future Farmers of America (FFA). Later, Adkins went on to study petroleum technology at Louisiana Tech University, where he also played football. After graduation, he took up work at an oil rig. He lost the pinky finger on his left hand in an accident, and asked doctors to reattach the finger at an angle so that he could continue to play guitar. After working on the oil rigs for a few years, Adkins embarked on what he calls his "true musical education" -- playing one honky-tonk after another. While singing at Tillie's & Lucy's Pub in Nashville, Adkins was spotted by a Capitol Records executive and was signed to the label.
Adkins's first single, There's a Girl in Texas, was released in 1996, reaching the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. It was followed by the release of his debut album, Dreamin' Out Loud, later that year. The album produced several hit singles, including his first Top 5 single, Every Light in the House, his first Number One in (This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing, and another Top 5 hit in I Left Something Turned on at Home. The latter single was also a Number One hit in Canada. His second album, Big Time, produced a Top 5 in The Rest of Mine, but subsequent singles proved less successful. A change in management delayed the release of Adkins's third album, but the album (More...) was eventually released in late 1999. Although the album's title track reached Top 10, More... failed to achieve gold status.
On July 5, 2001, Adkins was charged with driving under the influence in Nolensville, Tennessee. The singer pled guilty and was sentenced to 11 months in jail; however, the sentence was suspended after 48 hours. In addition, he had to pay $350 in fines, and his driver's license was suspended for one year. Shortly afterward, he was injured in a tractor accident and had to temporarily cancel touring. He later entered a 28-day alcohol rehabilitation program in Nashville, shortly after the release of his fourth album, Chrome. Chrome was the first album of Adkins's to reach the Top 5 on the country albums charts. Its title track reached Top 10 in late 2002.
In 2003, Adkins released two albums: a Greatest Hits collection and Comin' on Strong. The same year, he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He also made appearances as the center square on the game show Hollywood Squares, and did voice-overs in commercials for fast-food chain KFC. Only one single, Then They Do, was released from the Greatest Hits compilation. Comin' on Strong, which succeeded the Greatest Hits album, produced two singles: the Top 5 single Hot Mama, and Rough & Ready, which peaked at #13.
Adkins and Travis Tritt played the roles of prison convicts in a February 2004 episode of the television series "Yes, Dear".
In 2005, Adkins released Songs About Me. The album's second single, Arlington, generated controversy over its content (a first-person account of a fictional soldier who was about to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery). It was followed by Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, which became a highly successful crossover hit, bringing Adkins into the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time.
2006 saw the release of Adkins's seventh studio album, Dangerous Man. Swing, the album's lead-off single, peaked at #20, while the follow-up Ladies Love Country Boys became Adkins's first Number One single on the country charts since (This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing in 1997. The album's final release, I Wanna Feel Something, proved unsuccessful on the charts and as a result, Adkins announced that he would stop supporting the single.
In August 2007, Adkins released a single entitled I Got My Game On. Originally, the song was planned to be the lead-off to a new album, tentatively titled Game On; however, Adkins decided not to release a full album, and instead released his second Greatest Hits compilation, American Man: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2, for which I Got My Game On served as the lead-off single. The album has also produced Adkins' fastest-climbing single to date in its second single, You're Gonna Miss This.
You're Gonna Miss This has also become his third Number One hit on the Hot Country Songs, as well as the most successful single to date on the Billboard Hot 100 (#12), Billboard Pop 100 (#19), and Hot Digital Songs charts (#8).
He also released his first book, entitled A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Free-Thinking Roughneck.
Adkins was a January-March 2008 contestant on NBC's The Celebrity Apprentice. Each celebrity contestant on the show was playing for money for his or her own selected charity. Adkins was playing for the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, which provides education, advocacy and research support to families dealing with the daily nightmare of serious and/or life-threatening food allergies. The musician chose the charity because his 6-year-old daughter, Brianna, suffers from life-threatening reactions to peanuts, milk and eggs. Adkins made it to the finale as one of the two finalists. Donald Trump ultimately "hired" Adkins' rival, tabloid editor Piers Morgan, who had his own charity.
Adkins appeared on the May 2nd, 2008 episode of CBS's The Young and the Restless playing himself and singing an acoustic version of "You're Gonna Miss This" to the characters of Nicholas and Phyllis.
In 2008, Trace Adkins released the single Muddy Water the lead single from X, which was released on November 25.
Adkins made his acting debut in the 2008 film "An American Carol".
To bring in 2009, Adkins will be performing with .38 Special and Lynyrd Skynyrd in both Pikeville, Kentucky and Nashville, Tennessee on the same night, New Year's Eve. The show will begin in one city and close in the other. The order for the Nashville show, at the Sommet Center, is Trace Adkins, followed by .38 Special, followed by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Ride
Trace Adkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bogalusa, Baton Rouge
New Orleans, Picayune
Boloxi, Pascagoula
Mobile Bay,Big full moon
Diesel up just north of Destin
Headed cross to Jacksonville
Through the bugs
On a big windshield
Yeah, that's right
Tear it down in Raleigh-Durham
Haven't got an hour to lose
Head up to the coast to Virginia
Read the newest Newport News
Back across the Appalachians
Blowin' into Louisville
Love to feel the big wheels turnin'
Always have and always will
Somewhere inside me
There's a new direction
Somewhere before me
There's an open road
Can't go to sleep
Without that diesel singin'
Somebody tellin' me
It's time to go
Let's ride
Come on boys, let's ride
Come on boys, let's ride
Little Rock, Texarkana,
Dallas, Fort-Worth and El Paso
A hundred and ten in the desert
Pedal down
Go dog go
Always love to see the people
Always love to hear the crowd
Always love to bring a party
Turn it up and play it loud
Somewhere inside me
There's a new direction
Somewhere before me
There's an open road
Can't go to sleep
Without that diesel singin'
Somebody tellin' me
It's time to go
Let's ride
Come on boys, let's ride
Let's ride like the wind
I'll be back again
As sure as this world's spins around
One day I might find a reason
To shut this thing down
But for now
Let's ride
Somewhere inside me
There's a new direction
Somewhere before me
There's an open road
Can't go to sleep
Without that diesel singin'
Somebody tellin' me
Tell me, it's time to go
Let's ride
Come on boys, let's ride
Come on boys, let's ride
Yeah
Let's ride
The lyrics of Trace Adkins's song "Ride" describe a man's love for traveling across the United States. He begins his journey in Bogalusa and passes through Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and other cities. He is driving a big rig and cannot go to sleep without the diesel engine singing. He has a new direction in his life and feels that the open road is calling him. He wants to feel the big wheels turning and see the world come at him through the bugs on the windshield. He enjoys seeing the people, hearing the crowd, and bringing a party everywhere he goes. He loves turning up the music and playing it loud, and he invites his friends to join him on this journey, urging them to ride like the wind.
The theme of the song is about the freedom and joy that can be found in traveling, especially when one is driving a big rig. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a man who loves to see new places, meet new people, and experience new things. His love for travel seems to be a lifestyle for him, and he cannot imagine a life without it. The song's message is one of hope, positivity, and adventure.
Line by Line Meaning
Take a trip from here
Let's hit the road and explore.
Bogalusa, Baton Rouge
Let's travel from Louisiana to Mississippi, through Alabama, and into Florida.
New Orleans, Picayune
We'll pass through several cities in Louisiana.
Boloxi, Pascagoula
We'll also pass through several cities in Mississippi.
Mobile Bay,Big full moon
We'll drive through Alabama and the full moon will provide ample light.
Diesel up just north of Destin
We'll make a pit stop near Destin to refuel the vehicle.
Headed cross to Jacksonville
We'll cross into Florida and head to Jacksonville.
Love to see the world come at me
I enjoy experiencing the world from the driver's seat.
Through the bugs
Despite the obstacles in our path like bugs on the windshield, I still enjoy the drive.
On a big windshield
I appreciate seeing the view through a large windshield.
Yeah, that's right
That's definitely the plan.
Tear it down in Raleigh-Durham
We'll drive fast and hard through Raleigh-Durham.
Haven't got an hour to lose
We don't have time to waste.
Head up to the coast to Virginia
We'll head up to the Virginia coast.
Read the newest Newport News
We'll check out the latest news in Newport.
Back across the Appalachians
We'll drive back through the Appalachian Mountains.
Blowin' into Louisville
We'll arrive in Louisville, Kentucky.
Love to feel the big wheels turnin'
I enjoy the sensation of traveling on big wheels.
Always have and always will
This love of the open road will never change.
Somewhere inside me
Deep within myself.
There's a new direction
I feel a change in my life's trajectory.
Somewhere before me
Up ahead on the road.
There's an open road
An opportunity to explore and adventure.
Can't go to sleep
I can't rest.
Without that diesel singin'
Without the sound of a diesel engine.
Somebody tellin' me
I need someone to tell me.
It's time to go
That it's time to hit the road again.
Let's ride
Let's get going.
Come on boys, let's ride
Let's hit the road together.
Little Rock, Texarkana,
We'll drive through Arkansas into Texas.
Dallas, Fort-Worth and El Paso
We'll pass through several cities in Texas.
A hundred and ten in the desert
We'll be traveling at a high speed in the hot desert.
Pedal down
We'll keep accelerating.
Go dog go
We'll keep driving at top speed.
Always love to see the people
I enjoy meeting new people on my travels.
Always love to hear the crowd
I enjoy hearing the sounds around me, from the engine to the people.
Always love to bring a party
I enjoy making the atmosphere fun and exciting.
Turn it up and play it loud
We'll turn up the music and keep the energy high.
Let's ride like the wind
Let's go fast and free.
I'll be back again
I will continue to travel and explore the world.
As sure as this world's spins around
It's inevitable that I'll continue to travel and enjoy the ride.
One day I might find a reason
In the future, I may decide to slow down and stop traveling.
To shut this thing down
To stop traveling and live a stationary life.
But for now
But right now.
Come on boys, let's ride
Let's keep going and enjoying the open road.
Yeah
Definitely.
Let's ride
Let's continue the adventure.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CRAIG MICHAEL WISEMAN, PETER SVEN KVINT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind