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
I'm Sorry Now
Will Hoge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
so i know that you can't sleep.
i'm down here with a secret
that i ain't prepared to keep.
sometimes things are over,
sometimes over doesn't last.
sometimes i can't find my way back home
'til the bottom of a glass,
honey, i'm sorry now.
honey, i'm sorry now.
i build it up and i tear it down.
but, honey, i'm sorry now.
i was thinkin' as i stumbled,
like a thousand times before,
i always seem to end up
back in pieces on your floor.
it breaks your heart and then you tell me
that you're a fool to let me in.
and i promise this won't happen anymore
'til i do it all again.
but, honey, i'm sorry now.
honey, i'm sorry now.
honey, i'm sorry now.
i wanna be better, but i don't know how.
honey, i'm sorry now.
honey, i'm sorry now.
honey, i'm sorry now.
seems like everytime i let you down,
but, honey, i'm sorry now.
and next time i come back, love,
know that it's not really me
who's down here with a secret
that i ain't prepared to keep.
In Will Hoge's song "I'm Sorry Now," the singer is standing outside his love's window, acknowledging that she's still awake and unable to sleep. He's holding a secret he doesn't want to keep hidden any longer. The lyrics detail a relationship that has been tumultuous in the past but is still making attempts at reconciliation. Hoge sings about how sometimes things are over, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the end. He mentions how he often turns to alcohol to cope with his issues, but ultimately is sorry for his actions.
The singer is aware of his flaws and the way in which he continuously destroys what he loves. He's sorry for the mistakes he's made and the heartache he's caused. He acknowledges that he doesn't know how to be better and how sorry he is that he keeps hurting her. It's evident throughout the song that the singer's love is a constant in his life and that he wants to do better to make things right.
Overall, "I'm Sorry Now" is a heartfelt apology from a person who recognizes their wrongdoings and wants to make amends. The lyrics are powerful and relatable to anyone who has ever made mistakes in a relationship and wishes for another chance to make things right.
Line by Line Meaning
the lights on in your window,
I can see that you're awake and unable to sleep.
so i know that you can't sleep.
I can infer that you are up because of my actions.
i'm down here with a secret
I am hiding something that I can't keep from you.
that i ain't prepared to keep.
I am not ready to hold back the truth.
sometimes things are over,
Sometimes things come to an end naturally.
sometimes over doesn't last.
Sometimes we think things are finished, but they're not.
sometimes i can't find my way back home
Sometimes I get lost and struggle to find my way.
'til the bottom of a glass,
I often resort to drinking to cope with my struggles.
but, honey, i'm sorry now.
I feel remorseful for my actions and words.
i build it up and i tear it down.
I tend to create a cycle of a good and bad behavior.
i was thinkin' as i stumbled,
As I was walking, I had a moment of reflection.
like a thousand times before,
I have thought about this situation many times.
i always seem to end up
I always find myself back in the same position.
back in pieces on your floor.
After the fallout, I still end up hurting you.
it breaks your heart and then you tell me
I hurt you every time and you express your disappointment.
that you're a fool to let me in.
You feel foolish for continuing to let me into your life.
and i promise this won't happen anymore
I make a commitment to change, to be better.
'til i do it all again.
But despite my promise, I end up repeating my mistakes.
i wanna be better, but i don't know how.
I truly want to change, but I am struggling to do so.
seems like everytime i let you down,
I repeatedly disappoint you.
and next time i come back, love,
If I come back again, know that...
know that it's not really me
...I may not be in control of my actions or feelings.
who's down here with a secret
It's not that I'm intentionally hiding things from you.
that i ain't prepared to keep.
It's just that I am not capable of keeping the truth to myself.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MICHAEL JUDE CHRISTODAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
AmpdUP11
Forever will give me chills... being in the same room listening to this man playing and singing is good for your soul!
Jossta Zhang
I like this song so much. it makes me wanna cry everytime hear it, associating to sth in the past, and missing a certain person, etc..
jburnham93
Will Hodge is the man!
Sherrice Waller
I really like this song alot
Billy Avalon
man... such a good song..
Susan Johnson
Awesome