Gill was born in Norman, Oklahoma, the home of the University of Oklahoma Sooners and learned to play several instruments, including banjo and guitar before he started high school at Oklahoma City's Northwest Classen High School. After he graduated, he played in a number of bluegrass bands. He debuted on the national scene with the country-rock band Pure Prairie League in 1979, appearing on that band's album Can't Hold Back. Gill is the lead singer on their hit song, "Let Me Love You Tonight" (1980), which he was still performing in concert years later - thus, he said, confusing many fans who knew him only from his subsequent solo work. Gill appeared on two subsequent albums along with his then-wife Janis Oliver.
Departing Pure Prairie League in 1981, Gill joined Rodney Crowell’s backing band The Notorious Cherry Bombs, where he met and worked with Tony Brown and Emory Gordy Jr., both of whom would later produce many of his future solo albums.
Signing as a solo artist with RCA Records in 1983, he first charted while on that label. In 1989 he switched to MCA Records where he recorded his breakthrough hit "When I Call Your Name." His 1998 album The Key received great critical acclaim. His other albums include Next Big Thing (2003) and Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye (2000). The Guitar Slinger Songfacts says that Gill released his twelfth studio album, Guitar Slinger, on October 25, 2011 via MCA Nashville. It was his manager, Larry Fitzgerald, who came up with the title, as he felt there was something different the way Gill was playing the guitar on the record.
Gill hosted the CMA Awards every year from 1992 to 2003. In 2004 he received a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. In 1997, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
He married country singer Janis Oliver (of Sweethearts of the Rodeo fame) in 1980. The couple have one daughter, Jennifer Jerene Gill, born 5 May 1982. Vince and Janis separated in the mid-1990s and eventually divorced in June 1998. Vince later began dating and eventually married Christian/pop singer Amy Grant in March of 2000. They have one daughter, Corrina Grant Gill born 12 March 2001.
Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler was a fan of Gill's, and had asked Gill to join the band full time. Gill turned down the invitation but did sing backup on one song ("The Bug") from Dire Straits' album On Every Street.
Gill has also sung duets with numerous artists, including Dolly Parton ("I Will Always Love You"), Reba McEntire ("Oklahoma Swing," "The Heart Won't Lie," "It Just Has to Be That Way"), Amy Grant ("House of Love"), and Barbra Streisand ("If You Ever Leave Me"); his other credits as a backup vocalist have included "Girls With Guitars" by Wynonna Judd (written by Mary-Chapin Carpenter, who, coincidentally, had a country hit with her cover of "The Bug") and "Nothing Left Behind Us" by Richard Marx.
Shoot Straight From Your Heart
Vince Gill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby just know what you bring
Will always be enough
All of those things that you do
Are the reasons that I fell for you
And why, I believe in us
[Chorus]Baby shoot straight from your heart
You'll never miss your mark
Baby always shoot straight from your heart
Let truth be the path that you choose
There ain't no way we can lose
Baby always shoot straight from your heart
We're gonna make some mistakes
'Cause baby I sure ain't no saint
I swear I'm in for the long haul
It doesn't matter how far
I love you just how you are
I will answer when you call
[Chorus]
Vince Gill's song Shoot Straight From Your Heart is a beautiful love ballad about being genuine and open in a relationship. The lyrics advise the listener not to hide anything and to always speak from the heart. There's no need to be perfect or pretend to be someone else because true love accepts one's flaws and imperfections. The song acknowledges that there will be mistakes made along the way in the relationship, but as long as both partners are honest with each other, they can overcome any obstacle. The chorus is particularly powerful, emphasizing the importance of truth and encouraging the listener to always tell the truth, no matter what.
Overall, Shoot Straight From Your Heart is a song about vulnerability, trust, and commitment. It tells the story of two people who are in love and willing to be their true selves with each other. The lyrics emphasize the importance of communication and honesty in a successful relationship, reminding listeners that love is about accepting each other's flaws and always speaking from the heart.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no need to hide anything
You don't have to conceal anything from me
Baby just know what you bring
Understand and appreciate your own worth
Will always be enough
You will always satisfy and fulfill me
All of those things that you do
All your actions and qualities
Are the reasons that I fell for you
Are the specific traits I love about you that made me fall in love with you
And why, I believe in us
These are the reasons why I have faith in our relationship
Baby shoot straight from your heart
Always speak truthfully and openly from your heart
You'll never miss your mark
You'll always succeed and communicate exactly what you intend to
Let truth be the path that you choose
Always choose honesty and sincerity as your guide
There ain't no way we can lose
We cannot fail or be defeated
We're gonna make some mistakes
We will make errors or misjudgments
'Cause baby I sure ain't no saint
Because I am not perfect or faultless either
I swear I'm in for the long haul
I promise to stick with you through thick and thin, for the long-term
It doesn't matter how far
No matter how far apart we may be physically
I love you just how you are
I love you for exactly who you are
I will answer when you call
I will always be there for you when you need me
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Vincent Grant Gill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind