If it’s true what they say, that parenthood teaches some of the most profound lessons in patience and humility, this could partly explain the professional maturation that singer-songwriter Wade Bowen has experienced over the last couple of years. Settled nicely into his new role of father and family man, Wade Bowen has learned that both in the music process and in life, it’s hard to rush a good thing. Thankfully while recording his February 2006 release, Lost Hotel, Wade Bowen had time to push a step further and truly come into his own, resulting in his most depth-reaching, acclaimed effort yet.
Today, he’s already a familiar and awarded name in music, performing along the active touring highways of Texas and the Southwest and selling out top venues like the legendary Gruene Hall in New Braunfels. Carving out a dedicated fan base with his magnetic appeal and proven abilities, Wade Bowen has enjoyed a 7 year stint as a leader amongst a flourishing Americana and Alt-Country music community. From the numerous successes of his February 2006 release, Lost Hotel, to his recent tour with Lee Ann Womack and Friends, Wade Bowen shows absolutely no sign of slowing down.
The most recent on his growing list of musical accolades, the single off Lost Hotel, “God Bless This Town”, charted at #1 on the Texas Music Chart and was voted the # 4 Song of the Year on both the Texas Regional Radio Report and the Texas Music Chart’s Top 30 Songs of 2006, landing just below Pat Green, Jack Ingram, and Randy Rogers on both respective charts. Plus, consider that Bowen is impressively the only artist in that ranking without the support of a major label. The video for “God Bless This Town” debuted on the Top 20 countdown on CMT and stayed in the #1 spot for several weeks on CMT’s Pure Country 12 Pack Countdown, in the company of pinnacle artists like Alan Jackson and Brad Paisley.
Back in 2000, hardworking Bowen whetted his musical appetite and sharpened his abilities via various bar room and backyard BBQ gigs while he simultaneously pursued and obtained a degree in public relations from Texas Tech University. Soon, Bowen helped establish West 84, the initial grouping that toured throughout Texas in the wake of the young songwriter’s quality originals and captivating vocal abilities. The magnetic singer-songwriter was naturally spurred to center spotlight and eventually the name West 84 was retired for the more apt, Wade Bowen. The soon to be out of print debut, Just For Fun, revealed a burgeoning uniqueness that put Wade Bowen on the map and on the road full time, hashing out his style while delving full force into the musical process.
The 2002 follow up, Try Not To Listen, propelled Bowen to new heights as he continued to refine his songwriting and live performance. The title track single reached #8 on the Texas Music Chart, in addition to being named the chart’s #26 Song of 2002. The intensifying energy both onstage and in the audience ushered in Wade Bowen’s first live effort in 2003, The Blue Light Live, which parked on the LoneStarMusic.com Top 25 best-sellers list for an impressive 2 and a half years, most of that spent in the Top Ten list. The Blue Light Live won 2004 Album of the Year honors from MyTexasMusic.com, was nominated for Live Album of the Year by GruenewithEnvy.com, and spotlighted Bowen as the 2004 Male Vocalist of the Year by MyTexasMusic.com as well.
With musical influences that cite everyone from Aerosmith to Patty Griffin to Led Zeppelin and Paul Thorn, the result of Wade Bowen’s incessant touring is something akin to a smooth shot of roots rock with an alt-country back, served on ice with doses of traditional country and sensitive blues, but with a fiery edge, too. A blend made all its own while not overwhelming the music pallet, Bowen is passionate about being a genre-crossing artist, learning from a variety of musical styles.
Bowen’s influences have melded to form a well-rounded songwriter, familiar with shaping melodies to evoke emotion, and boosted by a layered vocal intensity that shines. His writing skills have garnered a stash of notable songwriting credits and co-writes, including the widespread acclaim earned for his co-write with Pat Green on “Don’t Break My Heart Again,” the lead single for Green’s Top 10 release, Lucky Ones. Wade Bowen has written with the likes of Ray Wylie Hubbard, who also made a cameo appearance in Bowen’s video for the single “God Bless This Town.” Bowen and his brother in law, aka Cross Canadian Ragweed front man Cody Canada, penned “When It All Goes Down” together, which was released on Cross Canadian Ragweed’s Garage album.
On Lost Hotel, Wade Bowen again teamed up with J.R. Rodriguez, producer of The Blue Light Live, and headed to Nashville with a new lot of original songs and co-writes with peers like Randy Rogers, Brandon Rhyder, and Bleu Edmondson. Almost four years since his last studio album, Lost Hotel was released on Sustain Records in 2006 and was the first opportunity Bowen had in the studio where he felt free from the typical time and studio challenges. Giving Bowen ample time to examine old wounds and dig deeper in his songwriting, the album reflects themes of struggle and loss as well as hopeful perseverance and new beginnings.
If the record reveals transitional themes, it’s rightly so, as these days Bowen and wife Shelby have made New Braunfels home to them and their first born, Bruce (tellingly after the Springsteen variety and not Willis, though Die Hard would also be an apt description of the Bowen family’s dedication to the craft of music.) Enjoying a continuously growing horizon, Bowen and cohorts are stretching their legs across the nation, touring regularly in the Midwest and Southeast, in addition to heavy performing spanning the Southwest.
Paralleling his personal maturation as a father, Wade Bowen has ascended to a new level as an artist, a player, and a writer in the wake of Lost Hotel. With a personality that has been described as unabashedly straightforward and honest, his raw approach simply transcends to his craft and makes audiences feel more like friends, lucky enough to witness the next gifted performer as he rises out of Texas. Hence, Bowen’s journey on Lost Hotel truly parallels his real life musical process, where guts and faith are everything and a patient struggle culminates in triumph. Well-oiled, primed, and ready to surpass an already impressive tally of accomplishments, Bowen is anxious to get back into the studio with his brand new material, expected for release later this year.
As for humility, well, despite his high ranking within the Southwest’s lively Americana music community, Wade Bowen says things like this and means it: “I may be crazy, but it's hard for me to believe that I have fans that honestly care enough to listen to my music….It shocks me every day.” Some would say that even parenthood can’t teach that level of humility, not to one of today’s most promising and poignant singer-songwriter talents, Wade Bowen.
Mood Ring
Wade Bowen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything I do wrong
Sometimes it's hard to fathem, just what Page she's on
Well I found a pretty little mood ring, at this local five a dime
It's gunna solve all my problems for a Dollar Ninety Nine
If it turns black, I should turn back
If it turns red she likes what I said
If it turns blue, I should leave her alone
She wants me I know
I followed the instructions
Yeah, I read them word for word
And I memorized the color charts
Oh cause I wanted to be sure
I told her baby it's the thought that counts
As I slipped it on her hand
Yeah and then I crossed my fingers
With this ring I'll understand
If it turns black, I should turn back
If it turns red, she likes what I said
If it turns blue, I should leave her alone
If it turns green, she wants me I know
She wants me I know
Oh, all the things she's not saying
I'll know
While the color is changing
If it turns black, I should turn back
If it turns red, she likes what I said
If it turns blue, I should leave her alone
If it turns green, she wants me I know
She wants me I know
Oh
If it turns black, yeah I should turn back
If it turns red, she likes what I said
Yeah and if it turns blue, I should leave her alone
Oh and if it turns green, she wants me i know
She wants me I know
Yeah she wants me I know
Oh she wants me I know
Oh she wants me I know
Oh she wants me I know
Yeah she wants me I know
Oh she wants me I know
She's got to want me I know
She's got to want me I know
The song "Mood Ring" by Wade Bowen tells the story of a man who is struggling to understand the woman he is with. He has trouble deciphering what page she is on and feels like he can't do anything right. However, he finds a mood ring that he believes can help him solve all of his problems for a dollar ninety-nine. The ring changes color based on the wearer's mood, and he memorizes the color chart in hopes of understanding his partner better.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the different colors the ring can turn and what they mean for their relationship. Black means he should turn back, red means she likes what he said, blue means he should leave her alone, and green means she wants him. Throughout the song, the man emphasizes his desperation to understand his relationship, even if it means relying on a mood ring.
The song's lyrics tackle themes of communication, understanding, and the complexities of relationships. The singer struggles to communicate with his partner, and the mood ring provides him with a sense of control over the situation. The ring symbolizes a desire for a clear answer and certainty in a relationship that lacks it.
Line by Line Meaning
I know nothing about this woman
The singer does not know much about the woman he is with.
Everything I do wrong
The singer does not seem to be able to please the woman he is with.
Sometimes it's hard to fathem, just what Page she's on
The singer is unsure of what his partner is thinking or feeling.
Well I found a pretty little mood ring, at this local five a dime
The singer found a mood ring at a cheap store.
It's gunna solve all my problems for a Dollar Ninety Nine
The singer believes the mood ring will help him understand what his partner is feeling and thinking.
If it turns black, I should turn back
If the mood ring turns black, it means the woman does not like the singer's actions, and he should leave her alone.
If it turns red she likes what I said
If the mood ring turns red, it means the woman likes what the singer is saying.
If it turns blue, I should leave her alone
If the mood ring turns blue, it means the woman wants to be left alone by the singer.
If it turns green, she wants me I know
If the mood ring turns green, it means the woman wants to be with the singer.
I followed the instructions
The singer carefully followed the instructions on how to use the mood ring.
Yeah, I read them word for word
The singer read the instructions very carefully.
And I memorized the color charts
The singer made sure to remember what each color on the mood ring meant.
Oh cause I wanted to be sure
The singer wanted to make sure he understood what the mood ring was telling him.
I told her baby it's the thought that counts
The singer tries to reassure his partner that he is sincere and caring, and that he is not just using the mood ring as a trick.
As I slipped it on her hand
The singer put the mood ring on his partner's finger.
Yeah and then I crossed my fingers
The singer was hoping the mood ring would help him improve his relationship with his partner.
With this ring I'll understand
The singer believes the mood ring will help him understand his partner's thoughts and feelings better.
Oh all the things she's not saying
The singer is unsure about what his partner is thinking or feeling, and hopes the mood ring will help him understand.
I'll know
The singer believes the mood ring will help him understand what his partner is thinking or feeling.
Yeah she wants me I know
The singer believes the mood ring confirms that his partner wants to be with him.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: JENNIFER KIMBALL, CHUCK CANNON, PAUL WAYNE THORN, WAYNE ANTHONY HECTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JuliasGallery, LLC
My friend used to play this song in his set...
He has since passed away. I miss he and his music deeply
Wade Bowen
Thank you so much I sincerely hope you never stop listening to my music 🎶❤️
DixieRebel201989
Wade bowen is a great artist and a good person mood ring is just one of the many many hits to come hell us texas country people know that oh if your wonderin what texas country is dont worry about it cause its a texas thing all yall other people wouldnt understand
lonesome cowboy
DixieRebel201989 dann right haha
whodoer9999
Great song from Paul Thorn. Hes got some funny shit but to really appreciate him you have to listen to his very honest and insightful music. I love his 800lb Jesus.
Monica Rios
How did I barely find out about this song?!...this is totally my song. Men tell me all the time they can’t read me. I love this. 🥰
Amy Gable
One of Paul Thorn’s best songs. Excellent cover!
Wade Bowen
Thank you so much I sincerely hope you never stop listening to my music 🎶❤️
Jessika
I dance to this song all the time with my friend, Tanner. He introduced me to this and I play it on repeat all the time.
maryjane berry
Poor Tanner.. in the friend zone 😂