“23”
Chayce Beckham
Written by Chayce Beckham
I guess it’s time to start watching American Idol again?
Chayce Beckham was just crowned the winner of the current season, making history by performing a self-written song in the finals. “23” is a powerful personal narrative of alcohol addiction, and he sings the hell out of it.
The lyrics pack a hard punch, and are drenched with self-loathing and regret:
Well, I had a girl who loved me the whole damn time
And I’d drink my whiskey and she’d drink wine
But soon, my bottle was too much to company
Yeah, we’d sit on the river and we’d fish all day
And we’d drive across the country, let the radio play
Seven damn years, I never thought she’d leave
Beckham’s ability to put himself back in the emotional state he felt before his Idol run, when his alcoholism cost him a long-term relationship, is a promising counterpoint to the gloss usually associated with American Idol. Don’t look now, but we might just have picked up a brilliant singer and songwriter from a twenty year old reality show.
Grade: A
This is great!