The Secret of Life (album)
The Secret of Life is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters. It was released in 1996, and featured a minor hit single in the track, "When You Are Old". The song reached number 68 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The album was the first release for Imprint Records. Faith Hill covered the title track and took it to number 4 on the country chart in the States (while also scraping into the top 50 on the "Billboard" Hot 100). Trisha Yearwood recorded her own version of "On a Bus to  St. Cloud" for her full-length Thinkin' About You (two years prior to the release of this album), while Martina McBride has recorded 3 songs: "This Uncivil War", "When You Are Old" and "Independence Day" which she took to number 12 on the U.S. country chart. Reception. AllMusic gave the album three stars (out of a possible five), comparing her to fellow singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, calling the songs "highly introspective, thoughtful and intelligent". An uncredited review in "Billboard" said that Peters "proves to be as satisfying a singer as she is a writer." The Secret of Life (album