According to Gill, Merle Haggard advised him to "just tell the truth. That's the most important thing of all." A number of the songs in the album have personal elements. For example, in "Forever Changed," which talks about sexual abuse, Gill drew from the experience of running away from a gym teacher who had behaved inappropriately toward him, while "When My Amy Prays" is about his wife Amy Grant and religion.[5] Other songs deal with issues such as teenage pregnancy ("What Choice Will You Make,") and racial equality.
Gill said: "My life has never been political, I've never been out there saying endorse this candidate, or that one. But I’m not afraid to have a decent conversation about some of this stuff. We could solve so many things by being fair-minded."[6]
He also said: "All I tried to do was have these songs maybe be about subjects that were tough, but maybe tell these stories without judgment".[5]
Commercial performance
Okie debuted at No. 9 on Billboard' Top Country Albums with 10,000 units, 9,000 of which are traditional album sales. This is Gill's 16th top 10 album on the chart.[7] The album has sold 32,500 copies in the United States as of March 2020.[8]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Vince Gill except as noted
