Drinking is a theme that comes up often in country music. The context varies. It might be folks at a friendly local watering hole good-naturedly tossing back a few brews together. Liquor, when used responsibly, can be an integral part of casual social interactions.
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Maybe it's about lovelorn guys and gals drowning their sorrows by tying one on.
A country music song with drinking in it could also be about using alcohol just to relax, unwind, and put pesky daily cares in the rear-view mirror.
You could say booze, if not overindulged, is an accepted and traditional part of the rugged, earthy, downhome, all-American country lifestyle.
Whatever the backstory happens to be, drinking frequently emerges as a country music staple. We wanted to take a closer look at some of the best country drinking songs (most of which are sung by men) and why they are notable. So let's raise our glasses to these fine country music tunes from marquee artists that feature a tipple or two!
Best Country Songs About Drinking
1. "I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink" - Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard could actually qualify to have a few songs on this drink-drenched hit list. This one was written by Haggard himself. Released in 1980 on his Back to the Barrooms album, it rose to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It features tasty instrumental solos that are utterly delectable.
The woebegone narrator sounds just about ready to shrug and give up on his girl, the world, and everything in it. Haven't we all had miserable times like that when we want to crawl into the bottom of a whiskey bottle and stay there?
The best country songs are the ones that encapsulate that kind of pain and anguish in a few pointed, penetrating lines. This song accomplishes that and then some. This bouncy toe-tapper is good to the final sip.
"Could be holding you tonight
Could quit doing wrong, start doing right
You don't care about what I think
I think I'll just stay here and drink
Hey, putting you down, don't square no deal
Least you'll know the way I feel
Take all the money in the bank
Think I'll just stay here and drink..."
2. "Whiskey River" by Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson proves once again that he is a definitive master of the country music song. Drinking too much is the narrator's aim, sweet oblivion is the goal. The song shows up on his Shotgun Willie album released in 1973 and is regarded as one of Nelson's signature tunes.
Although he was not the first to record it - that distinction belongs to its co-writer, Johnny Bush - Nelson has certainly made it his very own, outlaw style.
The poetic lyrics and rich imagery embedded in "Whiskey River" set it apart. An air of longing gilds every word. A true classic of the country music drinking song subgenre rendered by a superstar!
"Whiskey River, take my mind
Don't let her mem'ry torture me
Whiskey River, don't run dry
You're all I've got, take care of me
Whiskey River, take my mind
Don't let her mem'ry torture me
Whiskey River, don't run dry
You're all I've got, take care of me...."
3. "Drink In My Hand" by Eric Church
This sassy, kick-up-your-heels anthem from Eric Church, who co-wrote it, was released in 2011 from his Chief album. It rocketed to the highest rung of the Billboard country chart. According to one of the tune's co-writers, Michael Heeney, drinking was not the engine that drove this song's creation.
He reportedly told American Songwriter, [Co-writer] Luke [Laird] doesn't drink. I barely drink anymore. Eric was just pumped up from the shows he had that week. His fans inspired the song."
It sounds like the song came about kind of organically, like many great songs do. Said Heeney, "I recall we wrote most of it after one of [Eric's] shows and buttoned it up the next morning. It fell out pretty fast—we were just jamming. We had been out for several days and the song was pretty much was just a reaction to his crowds...turn it loose and rock and roll."
"Early Monday morning, 'til Friday at five
Man I work, work, work but I don't climb, climb, climb
Boss man can shove that overtime up his can
All I wanna do is put a drink in my hand
To fill it up, or throw it down
I got a 40 hour week worth of trouble to drown
No need to complicate it, I'm a simple man
All you got to do is put a drink in my hand...."
4. "Bartender" by Lady A
I confess to a big weakness for Lady A. Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley just sound great together. Their silky harmonies put them on the map and they never left it. They perform their trademark musical alchemy on "Bartender," a song about a bunch of gal pals who don their stilettos and short skirts then head out to douse their troubles with a few giddy gulps of their favorite beverages.
"8 o'clock on Friday night, I'm still at home
All my girls just keep on blowing up my phone
Saying "Come on, he ain't worth the pain
Do what you gotta do to forget his name"
Now there's only one thing left for me to do
Slip on my favorite dress and sky-high leather boots
Check the mirror one last time
And kiss the past goodbye..."
5. "I Love This Bar" by Toby Keith
Toby Keith, who died earlier this year of stomach cancer, was simply a pillar of country music. His stature will never be eclipsed, which is one reason why he is missed so dearly by his admiring colleagues and legions of devoted fans.
The lyrics remind me of the sitcom Cheers. The bar Keith describes is a place where all are welcome. Those who congregate there are a wonderfully eclectic mix of humanity. Keith lovingly holds a mirror up to all of them. No wonder that "I Love This Bar" topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
"...We got cowboys
We got truckers
Broken-hearted fools and suckers
And we got hustlers
We got fighters
Early-birds and all-nighters
And the veterans talk about their battle scars
Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, I love this bar
I love this bar
It's my kind of place
Just walkin' through the front door
Puts a big smile on my face
It ain't too far
Come as you are
Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, I love this bar..."
6. "The More I Drink" by Blake Shelton
Once again, Blake Shelton proves that he is a storyteller extraordinaire in the best country music narrative tradition. This song, from his 2007 Pure BS album, is about the bottomless, unquenchable desire for liquor of the person singing. It has potent imagery that Shelton makes the most of. With enough booze under his belt, he is transformed into a swaggering hotshot who woos women, struts his stuff, and is the soggy life of the party.
It's all a pathetic illusion that will fade with the onset of sobriety. For now, though, let the music blare and make the alcohol keep comin'......
"...A couple of cold ones, and somebody hands me a shot
Hell, even buck-tooth and bow-legged women start lookin' hot
And pretty soon I'm bummin' cigarettes, and sweet talkin' some big brunette
Yeah, once I get on a roll, ain't no tellin' where I'll stop
'Cause the more I drink, the more I drink
Yeah, I'm the world's greatest lover and a dancin' machine
I get loud, I get proud, and it gets worse
Well, if I have one, I'll have thirteen
Naw, there ain't no in-between
'Cause the more I drink, the more I drink..."
7. "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" by Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett go together like French fries and ketchup. When they teamed up for this tune, instantaneous musical combustion was guaranteed. It's a one-way ticket to Margaritaville for sure. This is pure euphoria in a bottle. Jackson and Buffett pay homage to the restorative power of drinking and say the heck with waiting 'til the clock strikes five to start the party.
With ample reason, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" snagged the Country Music Association Award for Vocal Event of the Year in 2003. Raise your glasses, folks!
"The sun is hot and that old clock is movin' slow and so am I
Workday passes like molasses in wintertime, but it's July
I'm gettin' paid by the hour, and older by the minute
My boss just pushed me over the limit
I'd like to call him somethin', I think I'll just call it a day
... Pour me somethin' tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve, but I don't care
It's five o'clock somewhere..."
8. "Tequila Does" by Miranda Lambert
Miranda "The House That Built Me" Lambert deserves a prime spot on any list of two-fisted country music drinking songs with this beauty from her Wildcard album. Its loping pace and peppy chorus render it a winner from start to finish. She sings about her lovers, none of which register with her like tequila does. In her estimation, the bottle is better than a beau...or even a bevy of them!
Lambert's voice is undiluted country, on this or any tune she tackles. Wildcard won a Grammy for Best Country Album. This song likely helped to propel it to the win.
"His last name was Flores
He came up from Juárez
Lookin' for a hell of a time
With a blonde señorita
And a tall margarita
We danced on the tables all night
Then I said "Adiós
Casamigos is taking me home tonight"
'Cause he don't love me like tequila does, nobody can
He don't give me that border town buzz like tequila does..."
9. "Hey Whiskey" by Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw sure does know how to get his point across in a song. "Hey Whiskey," from the 2023 album Standing Room Only, isn't his first go-around with liquor as the subject of a tune. There was also "Whiskey And You" in 2008.
In "Hey Whiskey," McGraw grapples with the detrimental impact of alcohol on his life, kind of a "can't live with it, can't live without it" set-up. Plaintive and powerful, it's a rumination on how that amber-colored beverage ravage a person. Turning their life topsy-turvy is the danger - and the seductive allure
"All I ever did was give you my attention
Every Friday night since I turned twenty-two
I trusted you with my naive intentions
Hey whiskey, what'd I ever do to you?
I gave you every penny in my pocket
You helped me lie and made me tell the truth
Stayed out with you all night when you came calling
Hey whiskey, what'd I ever do to you?..."
10. "But I Got A Beer In My Hand" by Luke Bryan
Luke Bryan must have been born with a grin on his face. The affable American Idol judge and country music superstar has a terrifically likable persona, no matter what he sings about. In But I Got A Beer In My Hand," Bryan cuts loose as only he can.
Per siriusxm.com, "...the song "encapsulates the spirit of finding joy in the simple pleasures of life, reminding us all to embrace the highs and let go of the lows with a smile, a wink, and a drink raised high." A neat little country song about alcohol indeed!
"That old familiar, meant to kill you, middle finger, rearview mirror
Supposed to make a country boy sad
I should be in my recliner, whiskey typin' up one-liners
Cryin', trying to get you back
Yeah, I know how that country song goes
I'm supposed to be heart-broke
But I got a beer in my hand, and I got it raised up high (high)
I ain't got a give in my damn right, I can do this all night..."
