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
It Doesn't Have to Be That Way
Will Hoge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweeping its way here to you and me
But all the lights are out and the streets are dark
And there's a soul without a fire trying to find a spark
And this heartbreak season, it's leaving its mark on me
But it doesn't have to be that way
It's not the way that it has to be
It's not the way that it has to be
Doesn't have to be that way
Black night sitting heavy all around
I got a mind full of heartaches and hand me downs
I got a freight train screaming inside my head
That says you can't find love in a stranger's bed
And my mouth is full of all the words that I wish I had said
It's so much harder now
That the blues skies have gone away
I wish I had just one more day
Whiskey like water flowing down a drain
And I'm wasted as a candle in a hurricane
But you can't stop something that's this far gone
Goodbyes are easier than I was wrongs
And suicide ain't a matter of degree
Will Hoge's song "Doesn't Have to Be That Way" strongly expresses the emotional turmoil of a person who is going through a tough time in their life. The metaphor of the storm brewing out on the open sea is symbolic of the emotional storm that the person is going through. They feel like they are drowning in their pain and are desperate for a spark to reignite their soul. The heartbreak season has left its mark on the person, and they feel lost in the dark. However, the person realizes that this is not the only way and that things can change. The line "It doesn't have to be that way" is an assertion that things can get better with hope, perseverance, and a refusal to give up.
The remaining lyrics follow the same theme of a person trying to overcome the negativity in their life. The person feels like they are trapped in a black night, filled with heartaches and a freight train of negative thoughts. The line "you can't find love in a stranger's bed" is a reminder to the person that rushing into something new will not heal their pain. The song ends on a somber note, with the person feeling wasted and helpless. The line "suicide ain't a matter of degree" serves as a cautionary reminder that giving up is not a solution.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a storm brewing out on the open sea
There's trouble approaching and it's getting closer
Sweeping its way here to you and me
It will soon affect us both
But all the lights are out and the streets are dark
Things seem bleak and hopeless
And there's a soul without a fire trying to find a spark
Someone is struggling to find motivation or inspiration
And this heartbreak season, it's leaving its mark on me
The difficult experiences have had an impact
But it doesn't have to be that way
Things can be different
It's not the way that it has to be
How things currently are is not the only option
It's coming over the walls and I'm drowning in it, can't you see?
The emotions are overwhelming and suffocating
It's not the way that it has to be
There are alternatives
Doesn't have to be that way
The situation can change for the better
Black night sitting heavy all around
The atmosphere feels oppressive and negative
I got a mind full of heartaches and hand me downs
Memories of past difficulties are weighing heavily
I got a freight train screaming inside my head
Thoughts and emotions are intense and overwhelming
That says you can't find love in a stranger's bed
It's not healthy or fulfilling to seek affection in casual relationships
And my mouth is full of all the words that I wish I had said
Regret over unspoken thoughts or feelings
It's so much harder now
The current situation is more challenging than before
That the blues skies have gone away
The previous optimism or hopefulness is now absent
I wish I had just one more day
A desire to go back and make things right or different
Whiskey like water flowing down a drain
Alcohol consumption is excessive and unproductive
And I'm wasted as a candle in a hurricane
Emotional turmoil has left the artist feeling burned out and helpless
But you can't stop something that's this far gone
It's difficult to change something that's already progressed so far
Goodbyes are easier than I was wrongs
It feels easier to walk away, even if it means admitting fault
And suicide ain't a matter of degree
Mental health should not be taken lightly or dismissed as insignificant
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WILL HOGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind