Patricia Lynn Yearwood was born in Monticello, Georgia to Jack and Gwen Yearwood, and developed her musical talent in Nashville, Tennessee, where she interned as a receptionist for the local company MTM Records.
Garth Brooks and Yearwood first met in October 1987 recording demos for songwriter Kent Blazy. The two immediately hit it off as friends, and pledged whoever made it big first would help the other out. When Garth landed a major tour in 1991, he brought Trisha along to open all of his shows. Even when they became two of the biggest country stars of the 1990s, they remained close friends.
Yearwood's self-titled debut album was released in 1991, and the lead single, "She's in Love with the Boy," went to the top of the country charts, making her an instant star. Yearwood secured similar success with the 1992 release of "Hearts in Armor", which featured the hit singles “Wrong Side of Memphis,” and “Woman Walk the Line”.
The title track of 1993's "The Song Remembers When" went to number two, and she followed it with a Christmas album, "The Sweetest Gift", in 1994; that year, she also won her first Grammy award. In 1995, Yearwood released her fourth studio album, "Thinkin' About You". The lead single, "XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl)" peaked at #1 on the Billboard Country Chart, her first #1 since her debut single, followed by her third #1 single, "Thinkin' About You". Yearwood performed at the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
In 1997, Yearwood issued her first compilation, "(Songbook) A Collection of Hits", which became her first album to top the country charts and also reached the pop Top Five. She won a Best Female Country Vocal Performance Grammy for “How Do I Live”. Yearwood's two additional new singles from her Songbook album were major hits, "Perfect Love", which peaked at #1, and a duet with Brooks, "In Another's Eyes". Yearwood was also named "Top Female Vocalist" in 1997 by the Academy of Country Music and won the "Female Vocalist of the Year" award from the Country Music Association in 1997 and 1998.
In 1998, Yearwood won her third Grammy and released her next all-new album, "Where Your Road Leads". Yearwood was inducted into the famed and historic Grand Ole Opry in 1999, cementing her status as a true icon in country music. 2000's "Real Live Woman" was a more personal outing that reflected some of her heartbreak and turmoil caused by her divorce from her husband at the time. She released her eighth studio album in 2001, "Inside Out". The lead single, "I Would've Loved You Anyway" became a Top 5 Country hit, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Country Chart in 2001 and became her first Top 10 since 1999, and her last single to reach the Top 10 to date. Yearwood also played Lt. Cmdr. Teresa Coulter on the TV show JAG as a Navy coroner and forensic pathologist who aids JAG on several cases (seasons 3-7, 7 episodes).
After a three year hiatus from recording albums, Yearwood released her ninth studio album "Jasper County" in 2005. The album was a return to a more country sound than her last several studio recordings. The first single, "Georgia Rain," set the tone for the album, with Yearwood altering the lyrics to pay homage to her home, singing about "the Georgia rain on the Jasper County clay."
In late 2006, Yearwood announced she was parting ways with MCA Records. MCA then released a "Greatest Hits" CD on September 11, 2007. The album features two new songs, plus fifteen other tracks covering her career from 1991-2001. MCA also released "Love Songs" on January 15, 2008; an album made up of previously released tracks from her prior MCA albums. Yearwood's tenth album, "Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love", was released by independent Nashville label Big Machine Records in November 2007, and spawned 3 singles, with the title track peaking at #19 on the Billboard Country Chart.
Yearwood has won three Grammy Awards among several nominations. She has also won the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards for Best Female Performer (CMA: 1997, 1998; ACM: 1997).
She married her first husband, Christopher Latham, in 1987 but the two divorced in 1991. Trisha married Robert Reynolds, the bass player for The Mavericks, on May 21, 1994, and they divorced in 1999.
On May 25, 2005, Yearwood became engaged to fellow country superstar and longtime friend Garth Brooks in front of 7,000 fans. On December 10, 2005, they were married in a private ceremony at the couple's home in Owasso, Oklahoma. It was Brooks' second marriage and Yearwood's third. Brooks has three daughters from his first marriage--Taylor, August, and Allie.
Trisha hit the country charts in 2006 with a duet with her husband called "Love Will Always Win". It was the fifth duet the couple has recorded; the others were "In Another's Eyes," "Where Your Road Leads," "Wild as the Wind," and "Squeeze Me In."
Yearwood lives on a ranch in Owasso, Oklahoma with husband Brooks and his three daughters. When she's not touring, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and reading. In April 2008, she released a cookbook entitled "Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trisha_Yearwood
The Sweetest Gift
Trisha Yearwood Lyrics
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To see and eering but precious son
She told the warden
How much she loved him
It did not matter what he had done
She did not bring to him
A parole or pardon free
(Brought no gold)
No pomp nor style
(Longed to see)
It was a halo bright
Sent down from heaven's light
The sweetest gift
A mother's smile
She left a smile
You can remember
She's gone to heaven
From heartaches free
Those walls around you
Could never change her
You were her baby
And ere will be
She did not bring to him
A parole or pardon free
She brought no silver
(Brought no gold)
No pomp nor style
(Longed to see)
It was a halo bright
Sent down from heaven's light
The sweetest gift
A mother's smile
The song "The Sweetest Gift" by Trisha Yearwood tells a heartwarming story of a mother's love towards her son. The lyrics describe a mother's visit to her son who is in prison, but despite his wrongdoings, the mother still loves him and brings him the sweetest gift, which is her smile. The song emphasizes the depth and power of a mother's love, which is unconditional and unwavering.
The first verse describes the mother's visit to her son in prison, where she tells the warden how much she loves her son. The mother's love is so strong that it does not matter what her son has done; she still loves him and accepts him. In the second verse, the mother leaves her son with a smile, which he can always remember. Even though the mother passes away eventually and goes to heaven, her love and presence will always remain with her son. The final verse repeats the message of the sweetest gift, which is not materialistic, but instead, it is a mother's love and smile.
Overall, "The Sweetest Gift" is a touching and uplifting song that reminds us of the importance of a mother's love and how it can influence and shape us for the rest of our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
One day a mother went to prison
A mother visited her son who was in prison.
To see and eering but precious son
The son was very dear to her and she went to see him with longing.
She told the warden
She spoke to the person in charge of the prison.
How much she loved him
She expressed her love for her son.
It did not matter what he had done
Her love for her son was unconditional.
She did not bring to him
She did not come bearing gifts.
A parole or pardon free
She did not bring him any legal documents to help him get out of prison.
She brought no silver
She did not bring him any money.
(Brought no gold)
She did not bring him any valuables or treasures.
No pomp nor style
She did not come to impress anyone with her appearance or status.
(Longed to see)
What she longed to see was her son.
It was a halo bright
What she brought him was something intangible and heavenly.
Sent down from heaven's light
It came from a divine source.
The sweetest gift
It was the most beautiful and valuable thing she could offer.
A mother's smile
That gift was her loving smile that showed her son she still cared for him.
She left a smile
Before leaving, she left a lasting impression on her son.
You can remember
The son could always remember the smile his mother left him.
She's gone to heaven
The mother is now in heaven.
From heartaches free
She is now free from any pain or suffering.
Those walls around you
Although her son is still in prison, he is not alone.
Could never change her
Her love for her son is unwavering and cannot be affected by external circumstances.
You were her baby
Regardless of age, her son will always be her child.
And ere will be
Their bond will endure forever.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: James B. Coats
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind