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
Better off
Will Hoge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There ain't ever gonna be a way to work it out not after a night like this
I've been waiting on your call now just the silence and me
I know you want me to chase you around but I'm so tired of asking you please
I'm through with this I'll forget your kiss and move on
There will be no sleepless nights I'll be alright from now on
I'm better off now that you're gone
You put me so far down girl I couldn't even stand on my own
Ghosts of you would come back to me whenever I was alone
Now the candles have all burned out and the doors are locked and chained
Have no doubts this time I've figured out a way to end all these games
Nights filled with empty bottles and picking up broken glass
Well I should have known from the very first night that this just would never last
The song "Better Off Now" by Will Hoge is a breakup anthem that depicts the emotional turmoil and sense of liberation that comes with ending a toxic relationship. The lyrics convey the singer's emotional exhaustion as they reflect on the relationship that's come to an end. The line "I threw away a lifetime you laughed and called it a sin" suggests that the singer has invested a lot of time and effort into the relationship, only to have it end unceremoniously. The next lines "There ain't ever gonna be a way to work it out not after a night like this, I've been waiting on your call now just the silence and me" indicate that there was likely some kind of conflict or final straw that led to the breakup. The singer is left feeling hurt, but also empowered by the fact that they don't have to deal with the drama anymore.
The chorus of the song emphasizes how much better off the singer is now that the relationship has ended. They reaffirm their decision to move on, even though they know that the other person wants them to try to reconcile. The lines "You put me so far down girl I couldn't even stand on my own, Ghosts of you would come back to me whenever I was alone" reveal that the singer has been struggling with some kind of emotional abuse or trauma related to the relationship. They describe the feeling of being haunted by the memory of their ex, even when they're not around. By the end of the song, however, the singer has found a sense of closure and peace. They've "figured out a way to end all these games" and are ready to move forward with their life.
Overall, "Better Off Now" is a song about the liberating power of letting go. It's a reminder that sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is walk away from toxic situations, even if we still care about the other person. The song's imagery of broken glass and burning candles serves as a metaphor for the pain and destruction caused by the failed relationship, but also for the possibility of renewal and healing that comes with letting go.
Line by Line Meaning
I threw away a lifetime you laughed and called it a sin
I made a major sacrifice for you, but you didn't value it even a bit.
There ain't ever gonna be a way to work it out not after a night like this
After all that happened, there's no possibility of reconciliation.
I've been waiting on your call now just the silence and me
I was hoping for you to contact me, but now all I have is peace and quiet.
I know you want me to chase you around but I'm so tired of asking you please
Even though you want me to run after you, I'm sick of begging for your attention.
I'm through with this I'll forget your kiss and move on
I'm done with this relationship; I'll forget about our intimate moments and move on.
There will be no sleepless nights I'll be alright from now on
I won't suffer from insomnia anymore; I'll be fine from now on.
I'm better off now that you're gone
I'm in a much better place without you in my life.
You put me so far down girl I couldn't even stand on my own
You brought me down so low that I couldn't even function properly.
Ghosts of you would come back to me whenever I was alone
Whenever I was by myself, memories of you haunted me.
Now the candles have all burned out and the doors are locked and chained
I've symbolically closed the door on our relationship and locked it shut.
Have no doubts this time I've figured out a way to end all these games
I'm confident that I've found a way to stop playing these mind games and move forward.
Nights filled with empty bottles and picking up broken glass
My nights were spent drinking alone and cleaning up the mess from our fights.
Well I should have known from the very first night that this just would never last
In hindsight, I should have realized that our relationship was destined for failure from the start.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brian Phillip Layson, Will Hoge
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind