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
She Don
Will Hoge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walking up on my street to her swanky little job uptown
She's got an office with a window I'm looking out my window too
I wish the four winds would blow and change my point of view
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
She wears them high steppin shoes and her dress seems to fit so right
I got two pair of corduroy pants everybody says they fit too tight
I want to pick her up and take her down but she's already been there probably two times
[Chorus:]
And every time I see her I just cry
Ain't no sense in even wondering why
She don't care about me
I know she lives on 4th street or somewhere round about all
I want to do is hold her hand or hang her dirty laundry out
She's got a sister names Alice her older brother's name is bill
She ain't got no dentist but her teeth are shiny still
[Chorus]
She probably likes those older men with those big long cars and don't care much for fools like me That spend time in all these smoke filled bars
She likes shirts and ties and cigarettes that smell like fallen leaves I just want to be the monkey That she lets climb her big tall tree
[Chorus]
The song "She Don't Care" by Will Hoge tells the story of a man who is infatuated with a woman he sees every morning on his street, as she is walking to her office job uptown. He describes her attire and appearance as he watches her from his window, and compares it to his own attire and appearance, expressing his admiration for her. However, he also acknowledges that she does not care about him and that he is wasting his time wondering why.
The lyrics reveal the man's insecurities and low self-esteem, as he believes that the woman is out of his league and that she probably likes older, wealthy men instead of him. He also mentions her family and details about her life, indicating that he has tried to learn more about her, but all his efforts are futile since she does not reciprocate his interest.
Overall, the song portrays the pain and frustration of unrequited love, and the feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness that often accompany it.
Line by Line Meaning
I see her every morning as the sun drips slowly down
The singer sees the woman he likes every morning on his street when the sun is rising slowly.
Walking up on my street to her swanky little job uptown
She walks to her fancy job situated in the upper part of the town by the street where the singer resides.
She's got an office with a window I'm looking out my window too
The woman has an office with a view, and the singer also looks through his window to get a glimpse of her.
I wish the four winds would blow and change my point of view
The artist wants a change in his perspective, and he hopes that the wind can bring him that.
She wears them high steppin shoes and her dress seems to fit so right
The woman wears heels, and her dress fits her perfectly.
I got two pair of corduroy pants everybody says they fit too tight
The singer has two pairs of corduroy pants, and people often say they are too tight.
I got a 3 dollar shirts on she got 55 dollar hair
The singer wears a cheap shirt, while the woman has expensive hair.
I want to pick her up and take her down but she's already been there probably two times
The artist desires to be with the woman, but she has already had experience with others.
And every time I see her I just cry
Every time the artist sees the woman he loves, he cries.
Ain't no sense in even wondering why
There is no point in wondering why the artist cries.
She don't care about me
The woman does not have any feelings for the singer.
I know she lives on 4th street or somewhere round about all
The artist knows that the woman lives somewhere around 4th street.
I want to do is hold her hand or hang her dirty laundry out
The singer wants to hold the woman's hand or do laundry for her.
She's got a sister names Alice her older brother's name is bill
The woman has a sister named Alice and an older brother with the name of Bill.
She ain't got no dentist but her teeth are shiny still
The woman does not have a dentist, but her teeth are still shiny.
She probably likes those older men with those big long cars and don't care much for fools like me
The artist thinks that the woman likes older men with big cars and dislikes people like him.
That spend time in all these smoke filled bars
The artist spends time in smoky bars.
She likes shirts and ties and cigarettes that smell like fallen leaves
The woman likes shirts, ties, and cigarettes that have a scent like fallen leaves.
I just want to be the monkey That she lets climb her big tall tree
The singer wants to be the person whom the woman loves and can climb her tall tree like a monkey.
She don't care about me
The woman does not have any feelings for the artist.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WILL HOGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind