Today’s category is…
A Drinking Song
Here are the staff picks:
Tara Seetharam: “Smoke a Little Smoke” – Eric Church
I’m still digging this one – part trippy, part creepy vibe and all.
Kevin Coyne: “Misery and Gin” – Merle Haggard
The Back to the Barroom album is best known for its raucous closing track, “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink.” But the opening ballad sets the mood for the entire record, and sets the template for a whole bunch of George Strait hits to boot.
Leeann Ward: “Set ‘Em Up Joe” – Vern Gosdin
With as many cheating songs that there are in country music, there are at least just as many drinking songs. I love so many of them, but few more than Vern Gosdin’s “Set Em Up Joe”, to reach back a little. It’s even one of those prime examples of how to worthily drop a name.
Dan Milliken: “Tik Tok” – Ke$ha
I could choose from a couple dozen country favorites here. But they all come from an older perspective than mine. Ke$ha’s goofy trash-pop captures the experience of being twenty-one and living life tongue-in-cheek, trying to enjoy a last hurrah of irreverence and irresponsibility before proper adulthood.
“The More I Drink” – Blake Shelton is my fave.
“Set ‘Em Up Joe” is definitely on my list, along with George Jones’ “If Drinkin’ Don’t Kill Me (Her Memory Will).” “Bottle Let Me Down” is also up there.
I hated “TiK ToK” when it first came out, but I’ve lately found myself admitting that’s it’s extremely catchy.
“Drinking Dark Whiskey” – Gary Allan
Ben said: “I hated “TiK ToK” when it first came out, but I’ve lately found myself admitting that’s it’s extremely catchy.”
Tell me about it.
My drinkin’ song pick is “The Lord Loves the Drinkin’ Man” sang by Mark Chesnutt. I don’t drink (whoa!), but this song will back me up if I ever get round to having a few (too many) :)
My favorite country drinking song is “Here I Am” by Patty Loveless.
“Dry Town” – Miranda Lambert
Emmylou Harris – Two More Bottles Of Wine
“There’s A Tear In My Beer” Hank Williams Sr and Jr
“Killin’ Time” Clint Black
“Cheap Whiskey” Patty Loveless (or Martina McBride)
“I Like Beer” Tom T. Hall
“Pretty Good At Drinking Beer” Billy Currington
“She’s Acting Single (and I’m Drinking Double)” Gary Stewart
“Alcohol” Brad Paisley
“Mr. Bartender” Bradley Gaskin
“Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo” Tracy Byrd
“I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink” Merle Haggard
“Whiskey Lullaby” Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss
“One More Drinking Song” Jerrod Niemann
I’m finding it difficult to choose just one
“Midnight Choir” by Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers. The chorus goes:
Will they have Mogen David in Heaven
Dear Lord we’d all like to know
Will they have Mogen David in Heaven, sweet Jesus
If they don’t, who the hell wants to go.
“Dear Blank” by Hedley
How can you argue with an opening line like “Dear blank, I’m sorry I blanked your blank, but you’d understand if you knew how much beer that I drank”?
“There Stands The Glass” by Webb Pierce
There stands the glass …
That will ease all my pain …
That will settle my brain …
It’s my first one today …
There stands the glass …
That will hide all my tears …
That will drown all my fears …
Brother, I’m on my way. … …
So many to list, but my favorite is probably “Here I am” by Patty Loveless
It’s drinking songs folks…
I used to joke with Buck Owens and Ray Moran that we push “Bars and Cars” on country radio 24 hours a day. We sell cars and push people to bars, but no one talks about how all those folks get home from the bars in their cars. I can only remember Johnny Paycheck and Eddie Rabbitt getting in trouble for mentioning the taboo.
My drinkin’ tunes are:
White Lightnin’ – George Jones
Jose Cuervo – Shelly West
Pop-a-Top – Jim Ed
Barstool Mountain – Moe
Big Ol’ Brew – Mel McDaniel
and Margaritaville.
Mix those songs and you get blood poisoning.
Please Operator and Under the Table from Garth’s ‘Lost Sessions’ are great drinking songs from a man who has had several good drinking songs…and doesn’t drink!
I’ll have to check out that Gatlin Brothers song, Bob. Really interesting chorus. Thanks for the recommendation.
If you ask- Faith Hill
Drinking problem- Lori McKenna
I’ve always liked “Neon Moon” by Brooks & Dunn. Also Pam Tillis’ “Whiskey On The Wound.”
I love Rebecca Lynn Howard’s “It Didn’t Look Like Alcohol To Me. “
I Drink- Mary Gauthier (or Blake Shelton)
I Love This Bar- Toby Keith
…, highway 101 – “whiskey if you were a woman”
Two Garth Brooks classics from his Sevens album:
“Longneck Bottle”
“Two Pina Coladas”
Wish I had thought of “There Stands The Glass.” Another great drinking song for sure!
Now this is a big part of what country music is supposed to be about, so this list is long and (hopefully) distinguished:
“What’s Made Milwaukee Famous”–Jerry Lee Lewis
“C.C. Waterback”–George Jones/Merle Haggard
“Drinking My Baby Off Of My Mind”–Eddie Rabbitt
“Close Up The Honky Tonks”–Buck Owens
“I Like Beer”–Tom T. Hall
“Lightning Bar Blues”–Linda Ronstadt
“Whisky River”–Willie Nelson
“Drinking In My Sunday Dress”–Maria McKee
“Bartender’s Blues”–James Taylor
“Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down”–Merle Haggard
“Two More Bottles of Wine” – Martina McBride. I’m not big on drinking songs these days since I’ve seen a lot of young people my age abuse it. I also like “She’ll Have You Back” by Tim McGraw.
pretty good at drinkin’ beer- billy currington
whiskey and you – tim mcgraw
whiskey lullaby” brad paisley and alison krauss
wasted – carrie underwood
sen’orita margarita- tim mcgraw
you and tequila” kenny chesney
tequila love me’ kenny chesney
For someone who doesn’t drink more than maybe 6 times a year, I LOVE a good drinking song! Crazy, huh?
Andrew named the first one that came to my mind with Gary Allan’s “Drinking Dark Whiskey”…and I love the cover of Ferlin Husky’s “Wine Me Up” on Gary’s debut album. Back in 2003 Gary used to perform a mean cover of the Merle “Think I’ll Stay Here and Drink” chestnut in his live shows that totally turned me on to a song I hadn’t paid much attention to before.
Toby Keith has had some good drinking songs I’ve enjoyed over the years, and so has Lee Ann Womack on the ladies’ side.
“Drinkin’ Me Lonely”- Chris Young
Whiskey Lullabye by Brad Paisley. His very best song.