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
Just Like Me
Will Hoge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All these things you can't believe
So you thought that you would call me up to check and see
Say that you don't understand
That's not really who I am
But you left and you gave up your right to give a damn
When you went away
It's not like me to drink alone
It's not like me to take her home
It's not like me
Oh but darling that ain't true
Because it's just like me without you
Just in case you're keeping score
You don't own me anymore
Things have changed since the day that you walked out my door
I did everything I could
When you were here to keep it good
Now I'm doing all the things you thought I never would
Because you wouldn't stay
It's not like me to drink alone
It's not like me to take her home
It's not like me to not be waiting by the telephone
It's not like me to mess around
It's not like me to wreck this town
It's not like me
Oh but darling that ain't true
Because it's just like me without you
The lyrics of Will Hoge's "Just Like Me" talk about the aftermath of a break-up wherein the singer's partner left. The singer appears to have changed and engaged in actions that were previously not like them. The first verse talks about how the partner heard things on the street that they couldn't believe, leading to them calling the singer. Although the partner claims that they don't understand, the singer argues that they've given up the right to care. The chorus then follows, stating that it's not like the singer to drink alone, take someone home, or mess around, but the partner's departure has caused them to act differently.
The second verse has the singer addressing their ex-lover, informing them that they don't own them anymore. The singer then reminisces how everything they did when their partner was with them was to keep things good. However, because the partner left, the singer claims they're doing things their partner thought they never would. The chorus then repeats, highlighting how the singer's actions now are not like them but, in reality, are just like their natural selves, but without their ex-lover.
"Just Like Me" tells the story of many people, possibly breaking up and engaging in activities that were previously out of their comfort zone. The song speaks of changing over time due to experiences that come along. It may also resonate with someone looking to move on from a past relationship, acknowledging that who they are with someone isn't the same as who they are without them.
Line by Line Meaning
So you heard talking on the street
You heard some rumors or gossip from other people about me.
All these things you can't believe
You find it hard to believe all the things you heard about me.
So you thought that you would call me up to check and see
You decided to call me to verify the things you heard.
Say that you don't understand
You express that you are having a hard time comprehending the situation.
That's not really who I am
You believe that the rumors do not match up with your perception of me as a person.
But you left and you gave up your right to give a damn
You abandoned me and forfeited your right to care about my actions and decisions.
When you went away
You left me and our relationship behind.
But now you say
You have come back and have something to say.
It's not like me to drink alone
You assume that it is out of character for me to drink without someone else around.
It's not like me to take her home
You believe that it is unusual for me to take a woman back to my place.
It's not like me
You think that my recent behavior is completely different from how I used to be.
Oh but darling that ain't true
You are mistaken and your assessment of my actions is incorrect.
Because it's just like me without you
My current actions and decisions are simply a reflection of who I am, regardless of whether or not you are in my life.
Just in case you're keeping score
You may be tracking or keeping a record of what I am doing.
You don't own me anymore
You no longer have any control or influence over my life and behavior.
Things have changed since the day that you walked out my door
Things are now different since you left me and our relationship ended.
I did everything I could
I made every effort to maintain a good relationship with you while you were still with me.
When you were here to keep it good
I tried my best to keep our relationship in a positive and healthy state when you were still present in my life.
Now I'm doing all the things you thought I never would
I am now doing things that you may have judged me for or thought I was incapable of doing before.
Because you wouldn't stay
You chose to leave and end our relationship, despite my efforts to make things work.
It's not like me to not be waiting by the telephone
You expect that I would typically be waiting by the phone for someone to call me.
It's not like me to mess around
You assume that it is out of character for me to be unfaithful or cheat on someone.
It's not like me to wreck this town
You believe that I am not the type of person to cause trouble or damage in my community.
It's not like me
You insist that my recent behavior is unusual and unexpected.
Oh but darling that ain't true
You are incorrect in your assessment of my actions and behavior.
Because it's just like me without you
My current behavior is simply a reflection of who I am, regardless of whether or not you are a part of my life.
Contributed by Eli P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.