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
Favorite Waste Of Time
Will Hoge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How did everything good just disappear
How could I change something I don't know
You say that this ain't a game
Say that you think I won't ever change
Say I learn my lessons far too slow
I'll just take what's left and leave this place
And when you look back I hope I'll always be your favorite waste of time
Your favorite waste of time
Just a spinning wheel
Say that that's the way I made you feel
Since the day I wandered through your door
Now that the deal is done
I roll west into the setting sun
Where I can't waste your precious time no more
So you got the best of me
I'll just take what's left and leave this place
And when you look back I hope I'll always be your favorite waste of time
Your favorite waste of time
The Will Hoge's song, "Favorite Waste of Time," tells the story of a failed relationship. The singer is reflective, trying to make sense of how they ended up in their current state. They question what went wrong and how everything that was once good disappeared. They express regret for not being able to change what they don't know. The singer alludes to the other person feeling like the relationship wasn't serious or important, referring to it as a game. And despite being told that they won't change, the singer ultimately decides to leave that place behind.
The term, "favorite waste of time," refers to the singer themselves. They acknowledge that they were a waste of time for the other person and that they never meant to be. They compare themselves to a "spinning wheel," something that just creates chaos and doesn't really serve a purpose. The singer is leaving to start fresh and to stop wasting the other person's time.
Overall, "Favorite Waste of Time" is a poignant reflection on failed relationships, regret, and moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
How did we end up here
Questioning how the situation deteriorated to this point.
How did everything good just disappear
Expressing confusion about how all the positive aspects disappeared so suddenly.
How could I change something I don't know
Feeling helpless about fixing an issue that they don't fully understand.
You say that this ain't a game
Acknowledging that the situation should be taken seriously.
Say that you think I won't ever change
Hearing criticism that they won't improve despite trying.
Say I learn my lessons far too slow
Being told that the individual is slow to understand the lesson.
So you got the best of me
Admitting defeat in the situation.
I'll just take what's left and leave this place
Taking what they can and walking away from the situation.
And when you look back I hope I'll always be your favorite waste of time
Hoping that even though they weren't beneficial, they provided some entertainment or value to the other person.
Just a spinning wheel
Feeling like they were just going around in circles, getting nowhere.
Say that that's the way I made you feel
Hearing that their behavior caused negative emotions in the other person.
Since the day I wandered through your door
Reflecting on the beginning of the relationship and how things have changed.
Now that the deal is done
Acknowledging that the relationship is over.
I roll west into the setting sun
Moving on from the situation and leaving it behind.
Where I can't waste your precious time no more
Acknowledging that the other person's time is valuable and not wanting to waste it any longer.
And when you look back I hope I'll always be your favorite waste of time
Repeating the hope that even though the relationship wasn't fruitful, they were still a positive part of the other person's life.
Contributed by Ryan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Virginia Taylor
Great artist! I discovered him when he opened for another band years ago. I met him after the show and bought his CD. No idea why he hasn't made it to the mainstream...
Aika24
just a fantastic tune, start to finish. Gets stuck in my head and I hum it for days.
good breakup tune.
Bobby
this guy rock's!!!!! Why the hell he isn't recognized more beats the hell out of me.
Tyler Ramer
First song I've ever heard by this artist. Solid! I like it.
bedspringkiss
Who are the people who disliked this song? Will Hoge is an amazing musician and great person. His music is fantastic 💜
smileimagirl
makes me think of Tom Petty.
Ole que ole
He's coming to Spain!!!
Kaitlyn Shinbaum
He is my cousin!!
Joe Mystery
This guy and recording are great, great. But choose another name for the song. Marshall Crenshaw made this title famous. Still awesome performance.