Following an unsuccessful spell in the mid-1990s as part of a band called Spoonful, in 1998 Hoge began touring the American south with guitarist Dan Baird (former of The Georgia Satellites). Hoge independently released his first CD, Live At The Exit/In, a live set recorded at the Nashville club. This drew some attention and that, and constant touring, led to the release Hodge's first studio album, Carousel. A record deal followed in early 2002 and his major label debut, Blackbird On A Lonely Wire, in 2003.
Hoge was involved in a scooter accident on August 20, 2008 after leaving a studio session for what would be his next album, "The Wreckage". Following numerous surgical procedures (mainly on his shattered femur/leg), Hoge made a full recovery.
His album "Number Seven" was released in 2011.
Hoge has made a career of writing and singing powerful songs about life’s cruel and dark turns. Not long ago, he fell victim to one such turn. As Hoge rode his scooter home from the studio, he was struck by an oncoming van that had veered into his lane. There were no skid marks. Launched off his bike, Hoge ended up bloodied, broken-boned, temporarily blinded, and near death. “[The accident] was like stopping a record as it spins,” says Hoge, who had been halfway through recording material for his new record before getting derailed. “It was like taking the needle and pushing it off the turntable.” For ten months, the accident sidelined Hoge. For ten months, it made him do something he hadn’t done in 18 years: stop the music. Larger matters dominated his life, like physical recovery and the well-being of his family. “People would say, ‘I bet you’re ready to get back to playing and writing.’ I’m thinking, ‘Playing or singing is not the issue right now. I’m ready to get back to walking.’”
His previous album, Draw the Curtains, had been a unanimous high-water mark in his career, a magnificent collection of rock, country, soul, blues, and folk. With a great band, good vibes, and clear skies overhead, Hoge felt like he was building something real as a career artist. Eight months after the incident he re-entered the studio in pursuit of that mission.. “Making The Wreckage opened me up in a different way,” says Hoge. “I felt a calmness, a purpose. Right now it feels like I’m getting to the core of what I want to do and why.”
The Wreckage listens like a record with a purpose. Having stared down his own mortality, Hoge has now rediscovered the simple joys of making good music. “It’s hard to explain, but I felt a certain serenity making this album,” he says. “It doesn’t come through in the songs, but the process has become easier, and I believe the songs flow with more confidence.”
When Hoge’s fans hear these songs, they’ll feel that resolve too. The Wreckage both curses life’s wrong turns and celebrates its triumphs. “I’ve always tried to make albums that have a good reason for every song, and for the sequence of those songs. On this album you get 40:18 of music, and hopefully you’ll want to hear the whole thing start to finish.”
The album was crafted with a depth of sound and musicality that breaks new ground for Hoge. Rugged, pulsating rock fuels “Just Like Me.” Spirited melody characterizes tunes like “Highway Wings” and “Even If It Breaks Your Heart.” The gruff ghosts of the barroom return on Hoge’s “Hard to Love,” as does the searing country roots rock of “Long Gone.” Ballads like “What Could I Do” and “The Wreckage” are rife with the sort of brooding melancholy you’d expect from a guy who has been to the edge and back. “‘The Wreckage’ is one of the favorite songs I’ve ever sung,” Hoge admits. “I couldn’t have sung this physically before the accident, because my voice just wasn’t suited to how quiet it is.”
“Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” his paean to rock and roll as life’s true calling, is another tune Hoge admires. “The minute we started recording it, it was one of those songs that drove itself. Everyone in the room understood the sentiment. There was magic in that moment you don’t get very often.”
Even though half of The Wreckage was written and most of it recorded after the crash, images of the episode are only discreetly woven into the fabric of the album, like streaks of red on a dark surface. That’s because Hoge would rather leave those lines, words, and phrases to interpretation.
Released one year almost to the day of his accident, The Wreckage is not, song by song, a celebration of life. The sentiments are too dark, his lyrics too biting, his voice brimming with moodiness. Risen from the ashes of Hoge’s own “wreckage,” the recording is an incredible achievement, hands-down his best work to date. And that is as good a cause as any for real celebration.
www.willhoge.com
American Dream
Will Hoge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the pony went away
Ended up in China
Cause they make it cheaper there they say
The store fronts all are empty and the factory is dead
And these streets I used to walk on
Now they're just my bed
And I'm going down, down down
Did a couple of years at college
But I just couldn't make it stick
Had to come back here and help mama
Cause Daddy left when she got sick
She worked every day for nothin until she turned 62
And on the same day that I buried her
The bank foreclosed on her house too
It's my American dream
I've been all that I can be
And nothing left to lose at all
I guess I'm free
It's my American dream dream dream
It's my American dream
Now I stand here at this offramp
Smile as best I can
With a sign that says Jesus loves you
But it's hard to think he gives a damn
When they roll down the windows
And put some spare change in my hand
But I'd give it all right back to just be looked at like a man
And I'm going down down down
I'm going down
When its cold I try the mission
On nights like this I sleep outside
Under a bridge beside the interstate
Where I can hear those trucks drive by
And imagine I'm inside one
Just rollin down the road
But I wake up just to realize
That this place is now my home
It's my American dream
I've been all that I could be
And nothing left to lose at all
I guess I'm free
It's my American dream
It disappeared in front of me
With nothing left to lose at all
I guess I'm free
It's my American dream dream dream
It's my American dream
Will Hoge's song "American Dream" tells the story of a man who has fallen on hard times in the United States. The song starts with a description of a town that used to have a thriving economy but has since lost its main source of income, a factory that moved to China. The man sings of how he used to walk these streets, but now he has become homeless, forced to sleep on them instead. He is going down, down, down, as the chorus repeats, insinuating that his situation is only getting worse.
In the second verse, the man reveals that he had attempted to break out of his circumstances by going to college. However, he was unsuccessful in completing his education and was forced to return home to take care of his sick mother when his father left. Despite working every day, his mother's home was foreclosed on the same day she passed away at age 62. The man is left with nothing, feeling hopeless and with no future prospects.
The chorus repeats once more, "It's my American Dream, I've been all that I can be, and nothing left to lose at all, I guess I'm free." The man acknowledges that he has lost everything but still owns his freedom. However, he also admits that his American Dream has disappeared before his very eyes, leaving him with nothing.
"American Dream" is a powerful ballad that speaks to the reality of life for many Americans who have fallen through the cracks of society. The song paints a vivid picture of the desperation and hopelessness experienced by those who have lost everything due to circumstances beyond their control.
Line by Line Meaning
Used to be a one horse town
This place was small and insignificant.
But the pony went away
The main source of work moved to another place.
Ended up in China
The work, which was the backbone of this small town, shifted overseas.
Cause they make it cheaper there they say
The reason behind the shift in work was that it was more cost-effective to manufacture elsewhere.
The store fronts all are empty and the factory is dead
The whole town suffers due to this lack of work, and there are no remaining opportunities.
And these streets I used to walk on
The singer has fond memories of this place from before the downturn happened.
Now they're just my bed
Now that he is homeless, the streets of his former home is where he sleeps.
And I'm going down, down down
The artist feels like he is spiraling downwards with no way out.
Did a couple of years at college
The artist pursued higher education but faced challenges with college life.
But I just couldn't make it stick
The artist was not able to succeed academically or financially.
Had to come back here and help mama
The singer had to return home to take care of his mother.
Cause Daddy left when she got sick
The father had abandoned their family when the mother was ill.
She worked every day for nothin until she turned 62
The mother worked tirelessly with little compensation until she retired at 62.
And on the same day that I buried her
On the day of his mother's funeral, another tragedy occurred.
The bank foreclosed on her house too
The bank seized the mother's home when she could no longer make payments on it.
It's my American dream
The artist is speaking of his life story, which reflects the idea of the American dream of working hard to achieve success.
I've been all that I can be
The artist has done everything he could possibly do to improve his situation, but he's failed nonetheless.
And nothing left to lose at all
The singer has reached a point where he has nothing left to lose.
I guess I'm free
The singer sees his homelessness as a form of freedom from the burdens of life.
Now I stand here at this offramp
The artist is now beggarly.
Smile as best I can
The artist is still trying to maintain a positive outlook despite the hardships he has faced.
With a sign that says Jesus loves you
The artist uses religion as a way of connecting with people who pass him by on the street.
But it's hard to think he gives a damn
Despite his faith, the singer struggles to believe in the goodness of the world.
When they roll down the windows
The people who offer him spare change are usually in moving cars.
And put some spare change in my hand
The singer relies on the kindness of strangers for his survival.
But I'd give it all right back to just be looked at like a man
More than anything, the singer wants to be treated with dignity and respect, rather than as a beggar.
When its cold I try the mission
The singer seeks refuge in a homeless shelter, but it is not always enough.
On nights like this I sleep outside
The artist sometimes is forced to sleep in the cold due to a lack of shelter space.
Under a bridge beside the interstate
The artist must take advantage of whatever shelter he can find.
Where I can hear those trucks drive by
The singer can hear the sounds of industry, a reminder of the work that he no longer has access to.
And imagine I'm inside one
The singer fantasizes about being employed and able to support himself.
Just rollin down the road
The artist dreams of a future where he is able to have a job and a home.
But I wake up just to realize
His dreams quickly fade, and he's left with the stark realization of his situation.
That this place is now my home
The artist is resigned to the fact that he is homeless, and that reality has become his new reality.
It disappeared in front of me
The singer's American dream has vanished due to circumstances out of his control.
With nothing left to lose at all
The artist has reached rock bottom, and nothing can be taken from him anymore.
I guess I'm free
Despite his struggles, the singer is still trying to see the bright side of things.
It's my American dream dream dream
The repeating chorus reinforces that he still wants the American dream, but it has become distorted and tarnished by the realities of life.
It's my American dream
The singer is still trying to hold on to what's left of his American dream, despite everything.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Will Hoge
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind