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
Little Bitty Dreams
Will Hoge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hoping someday I'd be up there living all my dreams
And I could be a hollywood hero, make the girls all smile and weep
Think that someday they might have a boy like me
And I'd remember playing baseball, standing on the pitcher's mound
Thinking someday a fastball might get me out of this town
Maybe I could wear the pinstripes, be a Yankee true and proud
But all that seems a million dreams away right now
And I'd settle down in the same small town and swear you were the one
Some might call it giving up, but it don't feel that way to me
I think it's just the two of us and our little bitty dreams
I remember I first met you, oh, how you loved to dance
Said you'd be a ballerina if you just had the chance
Maybe go to some big city, where nobody knows your name
Bathe in all the bright lights, and find your fortune and fame
But I met you and then I knew that your big dreams were done
We'd settle down in the same small town and you'd swear I was the one
Some might call it giving up, but it don't feel that way to me
I think it's just the two of us and our little bitty dreams
I remember you first told me a baby boy was on the way
And everything I thought I wanted, it just washed away
Cause I met you and then I knew my big dreams were done
I'd settle down in the same small town and try to raise a son
Some might call it giving up, but it don't feel that way to me
I think it's just the three of us and our little bitty dreams
Thank God it's just the three of us and our little bitty dreams
The song "Little Bitty Dreams" by Will Hoge is a somber and reflective piece that is consumed with the passage of time and how our youthful dreams don't always come to fruition as we grow older. The song follows the narrative of two young lovers who had different aspirations but, in the end, found solace in each other and the simplicity of their small town.
The first verse depicts a young man who dreamed of becoming a Hollywood hero, imagining the adoration of girls and the world's eye gazing upon him. He also sees himself wearing the Yankee pinstripes and representing his hometown's hometown team, escaping the mundanity of small-town life. However, through his love for his girlfriend, he found the home and the sense of belonging he always longed for. The second verse shifts the focus to the girlfriend, who is set on becoming a ballerina and making a name for herself in the big city. But just like the singer, she found solace in her love for her boyfriend, and her glittering, ambitious dreams collapsed as they started a family. The song's characters found peace and fulfillment in their simpler existence and recognized that, although their dreams were modest, they were content and happy.
Overall, "Little Bitty Dreams" is a poignant observation on the development of dreams and idealism and the passage of time that alters a person's perspective. The characters in the song learned that sometimes the best things in life come in small packages, and their hometown and their small family unit are just as precious as any glittering Hollywood dream.
Line by Line Meaning
I spent my small-town Saturdays watching a big 'ol movie screen
As a child in a small town, I spent my weekends dreaming big while watching movies on a large outdoor screen.
Hoping someday I'd be up there living all my dreams
I hoped that one day I would be able to achieve all of my dreams.
And I could be a hollywood hero, make the girls all smile and weep
My biggest dream was to be a Hollywood hero and have a profound affect on people (mostly women).
Think that someday they might have a boy like me
I believed that someday, someone might have a child with aspirations and dreams like my own.
And I'd remember playing baseball, standing on the pitcher's mound
I often reminisced about playing baseball and being the pitcher on the mound.
Thinking someday a fastball might get me out of this town
I imagined that hitting the perfect fastball could be my escape out of the small town.
Maybe I could wear the pinstripes, be a Yankee true and proud
I also dreamed of playing baseball professionally and being a proud member of the New York Yankees team.
But all that seems a million dreams away right now
Unfortunately, these dreams seemed quite far from being attainable at that time.
Cause I met you and then I knew my big dreams were done
After meeting the person I love, I realized that my previous big dreams were no longer as important.
And I'd settle down in the same small town and swear you were the one
I am content to settle down in the same small town with the person I love most and to call them my one and only.
Some might call it giving up, but it don't feel that way to me
While others might believe that I have given up on my big dreams, I personally don't perceive things that way.
I think it's just the two of us and our little bitty dreams
I believe that it is just the two of us now, living our modest dreams together.
I remember I first met you, oh, how you loved to dance
I fondly recall the first time I met my beloved partner, and how much they loved to dance.
Said you'd be a ballerina if you just had the chance
That person expressed a desire to become a ballerina if given the opportunity.
Maybe go to some big city, where nobody knows your name
They also desired to go to a bustling city where they weren't known by everyone and try to make it big.
Bathe in all the bright lights, and find your fortune and fame
They hoped to be able to revel in all the bright lights and subsequently become famous and wealthy.
But I met you and then I knew that your big dreams were done
After falling in love with that person, I realized that their big dreams were no longer central to their life aspirations.
We'd settle down in the same small town and you'd swear I was the one
We would eventually settle down and live in the same small town, and we would consider each other our soulmates in life.
Some might call it giving up, but it don't feel that way to me
Although outsiders may see it as giving up on larger aspirations, we, personally, don't perceive it that way.
I think it's just the two of us and our little bitty dreams
We believe that it is simply the two of us now, with our small but significant dreams for the future.
I remember you first told me a baby boy was on the way
One of the most memorable moments of our lives was when my partner first told me that we were expecting a baby boy.
And everything I thought I wanted, it just washed away
It was a life-changing moment, and I realized that everything I had seen as important in my life before just dimmed in comparison.
Cause I met you and then I knew my big dreams were done
After meeting my beloved partner, I knew that the big dreams I once held onto were no longer at the forefront of my aspirations.
I'd settle down in the same small town and try to raise a son
Instead of pursuing the bigger dreams I once held, I would now focus on settling down in the same small town and raising a family with my partner.
Some might call it giving up, but it don't feel that way to me
Although people might view my decision as giving up on my aspirations, I personally do not perceive it that way.
I think it's just the three of us and our little bitty dreams
I believe that it is simply us three, living our modest but meaningful dreams together.
Thank God it's just the three of us and our little bitty dreams
These simple dreams may not seem grandiose, but we are grateful to have each other and our loving unit of three.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: WILL HOGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kate Scroggs
Will was one of my friends when I was in college. I met him at his first solo gig after Spoonful broke up at The Casbah in Johnson City, Tn. It was a total dive. There were about 15 people there, and that's being generous.
I never had the chance to see that band but his cousin Jeb gave me a bootleg cassette(this was in the 90s) and I loved it. Will has an amazing sound. It carried me through some really tough times in my life.
fun fact when I lived in DC and he and the band were there playing Dave Grohl's Black Cat Club I gave them all a tour of the Capitol and "cooked" dinner for them at my half -furnished Alexandria apartment. Looking back it's kind of embarrassing but I was all of 22 years old and had no idea what to do with guests.
Aside from being an absolutely amazing songwriter and an even more amazing vocalist (he's ok on the guitar, lol) he's just a great human being. Even though he won't get back to me on Facebook. I can't blame him though, after the Grammy nod and all I'm sure that he has people who handle social media and other stuff for him.
If one of you people who think he's so important that he can't talk to a very, VERY old friend is reading this, ask him to message me. His music was the soundtrack to my coming of age. He was important to me. Also, he's just a super chill, cool, funny SOB. Ask him about "Sarge" at Friendly's in JC. Good times.
I have a 3 year old, wear glasses and work at a desk now and he still means the same to me; He'll always be my friend, He'll always be an amazing musician and he'll always be a truth teller.
Everyone should listen to his music. It speaks to the heart.
Kate Scroggs
Will was one of my friends when I was in college. I met him at his first solo gig after Spoonful broke up at The Casbah in Johnson City, Tn. It was a total dive. There were about 15 people there, and that's being generous.
I never had the chance to see that band but his cousin Jeb gave me a bootleg cassette(this was in the 90s) and I loved it. Will has an amazing sound. It carried me through some really tough times in my life.
fun fact when I lived in DC and he and the band were there playing Dave Grohl's Black Cat Club I gave them all a tour of the Capitol and "cooked" dinner for them at my half -furnished Alexandria apartment. Looking back it's kind of embarrassing but I was all of 22 years old and had no idea what to do with guests.
Aside from being an absolutely amazing songwriter and an even more amazing vocalist (he's ok on the guitar, lol) he's just a great human being. Even though he won't get back to me on Facebook. I can't blame him though, after the Grammy nod and all I'm sure that he has people who handle social media and other stuff for him.
If one of you people who think he's so important that he can't talk to a very, VERY old friend is reading this, ask him to message me. His music was the soundtrack to my coming of age. He was important to me. Also, he's just a super chill, cool, funny SOB. Ask him about "Sarge" at Friendly's in JC. Good times.
I have a 3 year old, wear glasses and work at a desk now and he still means the same to me; He'll always be my friend, He'll always be an amazing musician and he'll always be a truth teller.
Everyone should listen to his music. It speaks to the heart.
Cordell
Kate Scroggs im sorry to hear that
sophie
I got this off iTunes and it's my alarm in the morning. I love this song and I love waking up to it! 💖
Faedrie Swan
I sure love his voice. :)
Metoons
this is my most favorite song ever, and i love the story behind it
N2BFW
I just heard you on NPR. Great performance! I'm looking forward to sharing your music with a friend.
Mickey Farrell
Love Will. Great live.
Scott Padilla
So awesome!!!!!!
Terrance D. Schemansky
Fantastic! That's all I gotta say right now.
Richard Jameson
i got this song free of itunes years ago pretty nice track