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
Strong
Will Hoge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's a love one woman for all his life
He's a shirt off his back give you his last dime
He's strong
He's a need to move something you can use my truck
He's an overtime worker when the bills pile up
Everybody knows he ain't just tough
Strong
He'll pick you up and won't let you down
Rock solid inside out
Somebody you can trust
Steady as the sun
Ain't nothing gonna knock him off the road he's rollin on
He's strong
It ain't what he can carry what he can lift
It's a dirt road lesson talkin to his kids
Bout how to hold your ground and how to live
Strong
He's strong
He'll pick you up and won't let you down
Rock solid inside out
Somebody you can trust
Steady as the sun
Ain't nothing gonna knock him off the road he's rollin on
He's strong
Strong
Like the river rollin'
Strong
Gonna keep on going
Strong
When the road runs out
They gonna keep on talkin about
How he was strong
Strong
He'll pick you up and won't let you down
Rock solid inside out
Somebody you can trust
Steady as the sun
Ain't nothing gonna knock him off the road he's rollin on
He's strong
Everybody knows he ain't just tough
He's strong
The song "Strong" by Will Hoge pays tribute to a man who epitomizes strength in character and resilience. The lyrics describe him as someone who is dependable and unshakeable, with an unwavering commitment to his family and community. The opening lines establish his reliability, punctuality, and loyalty, while the subsequent ones highlight his generosity, resourcefulness, and work ethic. It is clear that this man is not just physically strong but emotionally and mentally resilient as well.
The chorus emphasizes the subject's stability, trustworthiness, and perseverance. He is portrayed as a pillar of strength that cannot be broken by any adversities or challenges that come his way. The bridge of the song brings in an element of wisdom that the man imparts to his children by teaching them the value of standing firm and living their lives with integrity. The message of the song is that true strength lies in one's ability to endure and overcome obstacles while also maintaining their moral compass and values.
Line by Line Meaning
He's a twenty year straight get to work on time
He has maintained a consistent work ethic of showing up on time for 20 years.
He's a love one woman for all his life
He has stayed committed to one woman throughout his life.
He's a shirt off his back give you his last dime
He is willing to go to great lengths to help others, even if it means giving away all he has.
He's strong
He possesses great physical and emotional strength.
He's a need to move something you can use my truck
He is always willing to lend a helping hand by providing the use of his truck.
He's an overtime worker when the bills pile up
He is willing to work overtime when financial responsibilities arise.
Everybody knows he ain't just tough
He is not just physically strong, but he also has a great character.
Strong
He embodies strength in all forms - physical, emotional, and mental.
He'll pick you up and won't let you down
Rock solid inside out
Somebody you can trust
Steady as the sun
Ain't nothing gonna knock him off the road he's rollin on
He's strong
He is a reliable, trustworthy, and steady individual who will lift you up when you are down and won't be deterred from his path.
It ain't what he can carry what he can lift
It's a dirt road lesson talkin to his kids
Bout how to hold your ground and how to live
Strong
He values passing on lessons of perseverance, resilience, and living with integrity to his children.
Strong
He embodies strength both in himself and in his teachings to others.
Like the river rollin'
Strong
Gonna keep on going
Strong
When the road runs out
They gonna keep on talkin about
How he was strong
He rolls on like a river with his unwavering strength and determination, even when faced with challenges, and his legacy of strength will continue to be spoken about even after he is gone.
Everybody knows he ain't just tough
He's strong
He is universally respected for his strength and character.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ASHLEY GORLEY, MILLER CROWELL, WILL HOGE, ZACH CROWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Duda Duda
Lyrics
He's a twenty year straight get to work on time
He's a love one woman for all his life
He's a shirt off his back give you his last dime
He's strong
He's a need to move something you can use my truck
He's an overtime worker when the bills pile up
Everybody knows he ain't just tough
He's strong
Strong
He'll pick you up and won't let you down
Rock solid inside out
Somebody you can trust
Steady as the sun
Ain't nothing gonna knock him off the road he's rollin on
He's strong
It ain't what he can carry what he can lift
It's a dirt road lesson talkin to his kids
Bout how to hold your ground and how to live
Strong
He's strong
He'll pick you up and won't let you down
Rock solid inside out
Somebody you can trust
Steady as the sun
Ain't nothing gonna knock him off the road he's rollin on
He's strong
Strong
Like the river rollin'
Strong
Gonna keep on going
Strong
When the road runs out
They gonna keep on talkin about
How he was strong
Strong
He'll pick you up and won't let you down
Rock solid inside out
Somebody you can trust
Steady as the sun
Ain't nothing gonna knock him off the road he's rollin on
He's strong
Everybody knows he ain't just tough
He's strong
Lori Stromski
My dad's leaving the world soon. He was a railroad man and a proud union supporter.. Thank you Dick Brookman for everything you taught me. You survived a alcoholic father and never once spoke bad of him. You lost your beloved mother on your 27th birthday. The love of your life my mother divorced you after 25 years of marriage. You lost your third child when she was 41. Dad this song is dedicated to your never giving up. I will always be your baby boo
Vickie
I remember hearing this on the Chevrolet commercial and thinking, I wish I would meet a man like this song. Almost four years later and my fiance and I are still going strong. This song is all about him.
Birch
My father was this man. RIP doesnt cover it
Halcyon Days
So funny, I always wanted to be like the men in this song.
Jonathan Corbin
Every year i listen to this song. It takes everything ive got to not cry. It reminds me heavily of my grandfather. The man that taught me alot i know and some things i never realized till i got older. He was always there to help. Always one i could count on. When i needed help. Rip granddad. Your missed more than you could ever imagine ya hard ass
Lifted Bodhisattva
♡ they ( those we love ) never go away really.. we think its us thinking about them when they are in our thoughts,hearts and minds,but it's trally their only way to show us that they've never forgotten us and purely there 💜
Justin Kurth
It’s ok to cry. Bless you
jennifer dulmage
Me too. My dad fell in love with this song before he died.
Jamie Beasley
So many comments about Dads....Lost my dad in 2018 and played this at his funeral. I come here yearly.....What am amazing song. Miss you Bud!
wrestlingguy
Incredibly motivating song. Will Hoge has the incredible ability to transcend country music to appeal to people who normally wouldn't listen to the genre. Proof that good writing and musicianship is what people really want today. Thank you, sir.....