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.
These Days
Vince Gill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've had my back against the wall
Pain and misery, empty victories
Then you came along
Oh, these days, I'll take these days
Over any other days I've ever known
Oh, your sweet ways make these days
Man, I've chased some crazy dreams
Reaching for that big brass ring
Bitter memories, I've put behind me
I found out it's the little things
Oh, these days, I'll take these days
Over any other days I've ever known
'Cause your sweet ways make these days
Feel like home
Oh, these days, I'll take these days
Over any other days I've ever known
Oh, your sweet ways make these days
Feel like home
'Cause your sweet ways make these days
Feel like home
Vince Gill's song "These Days" is a heartfelt tribute to a lover who has transformed his life. Through the lyrics, he says that he has seen it all – pain, misery, empty victories, and back against the wall. But when he met his lover, he realized that the tough times were worth it. He says that he will take these current days over any other days he has ever known. The sweet ways of his lover make these days feel like home to him. He goes on to say that he had chased some crazy dreams and was always reaching for that big brass ring. But he has realized that it was the little things that made the difference. He has put the bitter memories behind him and has found joy in life through his lover.
The song is a reflection of how Vince Gill's life changed for the better when he met his wife – Sonya Isaacs. It showcases the importance of having the right person in your life who can make your bad days feel good. It is a song about love – both the big and small things.
Line by Line Meaning
Man, I've seen it all
I've experienced a lot in life, both good and bad.
I've had my back against the wall
I've faced difficult situations that felt insurmountable.
Pain and misery, empty victories
I've endured suffering and heartache, and even when I thought I had won, I still felt empty.
Then you came along
But then, you appeared in my life, and everything changed.
Man, I've chased some crazy dreams
I've pursued some ambitious, perhaps unrealistic goals.
Reaching for that big brass ring
I've strived for the ultimate prize, no matter how difficult it seemed.
Bitter memories, I've put behind me
I've left behind negative experiences, and moved on from them.
I found out it's the little things
But I've discovered that it's the small, everyday moments that really matter.
Oh, these days, I'll take these days
Now that you're here, I prefer this current time period above all others.
Over any other days I've ever known
I'd rather have these days than any other time in my life.
Oh, your sweet ways make these days
It's because of your kindness and love that I feel this way about this moment in time.
Feel like home
Being with you feels like being exactly where I belong: at home.
'Cause your sweet ways make these days
I can attribute these feelings solely to how wonderful you are to me.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Vincent Grant Gill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind