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
Silver or Gold
Will Hoge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
here without nothin' to say.
i wish you would tell me that you didn't mean
the things that you said yesterday.
sometimes a woman needs more than nothin'
to keep her from goin' astray,
but you come home every evenin',
make me think leavin' is the only thing to keep from goin' insane.
angels don't work for nothin'.
i ain't askin' for silver or gold.
oneday you'll wake up to find that i've left you behind,
and it'll just be 'cause you were so cold.
now i've always wondered why love is like money:
when you need it the most, it's all gone.
it's not like i'm askin' for a fist full of diamonds
every night when you come back home.
but i've raised your 5 children, put food on the table,
so don't you think sometime you might
close your eyes and just kiss me, whisper you miss me,
before you lay down and shut out the light.
angels don't work for nothin'.
i ain't askin' for silver or gold.
oneday you'll wake up to find that i've left you behind,
and it'll just be 'cause you were so cold.
ohhh, it'll just be 'cause you were so.. cold.
angels don't work for nothin'.
i ain't askin' for silver or gold.
oneday you'll wake up to find that i've left you behind,
and it'll just be 'cause you were so cold.
oh, lord, it'll just be 'cause you were so cold.
ohhh, lord, it'll just be.. 'cause you were so cold.
The lyrics of Will Hoge's "Silver or Gold" express the sentiments of a woman who is tired of being taken for granted and unappreciated by her partner. She is alone on a Sunday afternoon with nothing to say and wishes her partner would take back the hurtful things he said yesterday. She admits that sometimes a woman needs more than mere words to prevent her from losing her way and straying. Though he comes home to her every evening, she is convinced that leaving is the only thing that will save her from going insane.
The woman compares her love to money and wonders why, much like money, when she needs it the most, it isn't there. She doesn't expect her partner to shower her with diamonds every night but wishes he would acknowledge her efforts to raise their children and provide food for the family. She asks him to close his eyes and whisper that he misses her before shutting off the lights and going to bed. The song concludes with the woman warning her partner that one day, he will wake up to find that she has left him behind because of his coldness.
Overall, "Silver or Gold" portrays a message of appreciation and love in the face of neglect and verbal abuse. It is a reminder that even small gestures of love, like kind words and recognition, can make a significant difference in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
two o'clock sunday and i'm all alone,
here without nothin' to say.
It's Sunday and I'm by myself with nothing to do. I wish we could talk about yesterday and you could tell me you didn't mean the hurtful things you said.
i wish you would tell me that you didn't mean
the things that you said yesterday.
I want you to apologize for what you said yesterday and tell me that you didn't mean it.
sometimes a woman needs more than nothin'
to keep her from goin' astray,
Sometimes a woman needs more than just being alone to keep her from cheating.
but you come home every evenin',
make me think leavin' is the only thing to keep from goin' insane.
You come home every night, but our relationship is so strained that the only way to preserve my sanity is to leave.
angels don't work for nothin'.
i ain't askin' for silver or gold.
I'm not asking for money or monetary rewards because love should be enough.
oneday you'll wake up to find that i've left you behind,
and it'll just be 'cause you were so cold.
One day you'll wake up to find that I've left you because of the emotional distance you've created between us.
now i've always wondered why love is like money:
when you need it the most, it's all gone.
I've always wondered why love is like money because when you need it most, it's not there.
it's not like i'm askin' for a fist full of diamonds
every night when you come back home.
I'm not asking for extravagant gifts, just a little affection and attention.
but i've raised your 5 children, put food on the table,
so don't you think sometime you might
close your eyes and just kiss me, whisper you miss me,
before you lay down and shut out the light.
I've taken care of our children and household, so it's not too much to ask for a little affection and intimacy before you go to bed.
ohhh, lord, it'll just be.. 'cause you were so cold.
It will be solely because of your emotional distance that I will leave.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Will Hoge
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind