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
Whan I Can Afford to Lose
Will Hoge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i've been tryin' to climb this wall.
two years, three months, five days,
well, please don't let me fall.
understand, my dear, when you come walkin' near,
i want you back again
'cause i know that i can't win.
it's not for me to choose.
i see your picture on my table
and your ghost is sleepin' in my bed.
your goodbye still rattles and rattles and rattles around
like thunder through my head.
so i'll have one more cigarette
and hope that soon i will forget
when you walked in.
'cause i know that i can't win.
it's not for me to choose.
i'll take you back again, when i can afford to lose.
take you back again, when i can afford to lose.
don't leave me hangin' on this borderline.
the things i could do with a whisper from you could just blow your mind.
and understand, my dear, when you come walkin' near,
i want you back again
'cause i know that i can't win.
it's not for me to choose.
i'll take you back again, when i can afford to lose.
take you back again, when i can afford to lose.
i'll take you back again, when i can afford to lose.
The lyrics to Will Hoge's song "When I Can Afford to Lose" tell the story of a person who has been trying to overcome a difficult situation for over two years. The singer is struggling to climb a wall and has been doing so for two years, three months, and five days. They are aware that they cannot win, but they want their love interest back. The singer has a picture of their love interest on their table, and the person's ghost is even sleeping in their bed. The goodbye of their love interest is still rattling in their head, like thunder.
The singer will take their love interest back again, but only when they can afford to lose. They are aware that attempting to get their love interest back could result in a significant loss. They do not want to risk it all until they feel like they can handle the consequences. The singer is trying to resist the temptation to reach out to their love interest until they are confident that they can navigate a potential loss.
The line "the things I could do with a whisper from you could just blow your mind" adds an element of seduction to the song. The singer is still drawn to their love interest, and they believe that even a whisper from them could have a significant impact.
Overall, the lyrics suggest that the singer is battling an internal and external struggle. They are fighting against a wall and trying to resist the temptation of reaching out to their love interest until they can afford to lose. The lyrics showcase the inner turmoil that people go through when they are trying to protect themselves from potential harm while also trying to pursue the things they want.
Line by Line Meaning
two years, three months, five days,
I have been struggling and trying to overcome an obstacle for a period of two years, three months, and five days.
i've been tryin' to climb this wall.
I have been endeavoring to overcome a challenge that has been blocking my path to success.
well, please don't let me fall.
I am afraid of failing and I am requesting assistance to prevent me from falling.
understand, my dear, when you come walkin' near,
When you approach me, please understand
i want you back again
that I desire to reunite with you
cause i know that i can't win.
because I know that I will be defeated without your help.
it's not for me to choose.
I do not have discretion in the matter.
i'll take you back again, when i can afford to lose.
I will re-establish our relationship if I can afford to risk losing it again.
i see your picture on my table
Your picture is on display on my table.
and your ghost is sleepin' in my bed.
I still feel your presence as if it was still here in my bed.
your goodbye still rattles and rattles and rattles around
Your farewell still echoes and resonates inside my head
like thunder through my head.
like thunderbolts striking inside my head.
so I'll have one more cigarette
I will have a final cigarette.
and hope that soon I will forget
in the expectation that shortly I will forget about you.
when you walked in.
the moment you came into my life.
'cause i know that i can't win.
because I am well aware that I am going to lose.
don't leave me hangin' on this borderline.
Please don't leave me in suspense over this uncertainty.
the things I could do with a whisper from you could just blow your mind.
If you say even a word, you'll be surprised about the outcome.
take you back again, when i can afford to lose.
I would allow you back in my life only when I can accept the risk of losing you again.
I'll take you back again, when I can afford to lose.
I will bring you back in my life only when I can afford to lose you again.
Contributed by Molly P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Conrad Black
This song was,is, and always will be my inspiration to be the man my baby did , does , and always will need me to be. Thank you Jesus for changing me into the man I want to be.
Alicia Dominique
Conrad Black God Bless you!
Joanne Adomaviciajr5860
You are her man that needs you god for all of them with a friend in Waterbury Moma Motown is in Ms joanne marie hinman adomavicia5760 who is still going to pops United states of America and was made in your hands lord Amen
Everett Mishio
no just wondernthelist
维睿安
praise the Lord. John 5:24
laci drawdy
@Joanne Adomaviciajr5860
i love you
Corina Rodriguez
This is the first song I heard Chris Yong sing. It blew me away. I was folding clothes and the video of this song played and I was in awe, dropped what I was doing and sat there and listened and cried. It still moves me. His voice is just incredible.
Eliana j Robinson
Me too, it's a GREAT introduction to his work. Love love love love this song. I'm in a similar boat as him in this song. I often play it to remind me that mine forgives all my 'getting it wrongs' and that we are all human.
Dave Ryan
My First To!!!!❤️🤍💙💯
Samantha
It truly is Incredible 🇿🇦