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.
Sweet
Trace Adkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ya See Mama knew my taste in women
She'd say whatever you do, boy find you one that's sweet
Mama I finally found one that I'd like you to meet
She's sweet like a Cadillac
Sweet like a stack of hard cash
Sweet like the diamond bling
She's sweet like a handful of aces
Tattoos in secret places
Mama can't you see she's sweet
No mama she ain't into ironing
And she ain't one to scrub the house and clean
no Mama she couldn't boil a pot of water
So she won't need non of Grandma's recipes
But mama don't you worry none
She's taking real good care of me
She's sweet like a Cadillac
Sweet like a stack of hard cash
Sweet like the diamond bling
Dangling down from her belly button ring
She's sweet like a handful of aces
Tattoos in secret places
Mama can't you see she's sweet
She's sweet like a Cadillac
Sweet like a stack of hard cash
Sweet like the diamond bling
Dangling down from her belly button ring
She's sweet like a handful of aces
Tattoos in secret places
She's sweet like a Hollywood dream
7,7,7 on a slot machine
She's sweet
In Trace Adkins's song "Sweet", the lyrics depict a conversation between the singer and his mother. The singer is proclaiming his love for a woman who is sweet in every way possible, from her jewelry to her tattoos, even if she may not fit his mother's ideal woman. Despite not being able to cook or clean, the woman takes "real good care" of the singer.
The singer uses vivid imagery to describe how sweet the woman is, comparing her sweetness to a luxurious Cadillac or a stack of cash. He also highlights the woman's physical appearance, referencing her belly button ring and secret tattoos.
This song speaks to the idea that love is not always about what society deems as perfect, but about finding someone who makes you feel happy and loved. It's a celebration of embracing differences and finding the good in each other. The repeated chorus line of "she's sweet" emphasizes the singer's admiration for his partner, despite any perceived flaws or differences.
Line by Line Meaning
Back as far as I remember Mama always worried about me
From my earliest memories, Mama was always anxious about me
Ya See Mama knew my taste in women
Mama understood what kind of women I was attracted to
She'd say whatever you do, boy find you one that's sweet
She'd always tell me to find a girl who was good natured
Mama I finally found one that I'd like you to meet
I've finally found a girl, Mama, who I think you'll approve of
She's sweet like a Cadillac
She's incredibly sweet, like a luxurious car
Sweet like a stack of hard cash
Her sweetness is comparable to a lot of money stacked up
Sweet like the diamond bling
She's as sweet as an expensive and flashy piece of jewellery
Dangling down from her belly button ring
This jewellery interest of hers is further demonstrated by the belly ring that hangs down
She's sweet like a handful of aces
Her sweetness is compared to a lucky winning hand of playing cards
Tattoos in secret places
She also has hidden tattoos, which is not the most traditional thing
Mama can't you see she's sweet
Mama, don't miss the fact that this girl is really nice
No mama she ain't into ironing
She's not interested in doing laundry or housework
And she ain't one to scrub the house and clean
She's not the kind of person to enjoy cleaning the house
no Mama she couldn't boil a pot of water
She doesn't even know how to boil water
So she won't need non of Grandma's recipes
Because of this, she won't be asking for any of Grandma's recipes
But mama don't you worry none
But don't you worry, Mama
She's taking real good care of me
She is really good at taking care of me
She's sweet like a Hollywood dream
She's like a character from a glamorous movie
7,7,7 on a slot machine
This line suggests that the singer feels very lucky to have found such a sweet woman
She's sweet
Overall, this song is about a girl who is incredibly kind and loving, which is something the artist really appreciates and notices about her
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: KELLY GARRETT, KENDELL WAYNE MARVEL, TIM OWENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind