Don't Let the Whiskey Do the Talking (5:03)

A lot of great country songs are about drinking and bars and lover’s quarrels, so I figured I should write a song that fit in that category. Having spent some time in bars (in my younger days – really) I’ve often heard the expression “that’s just the whiskey talking” about some of the idiotic things people say in bars when they’ve had a little too much to drink. I decided that I could take that and turn it around a little so that the principle character tries to drown his sorrows but has a wizened old bartender set him straight about what’s important in life.
The story takes him from home to bar to home again in a way that opens his eyes to how drinking is affecting his relationship. I use an old battered bartender as the bearer of wisdom gained through personal experience. The bartender tells the younger man of his downfall and makes every effort to steer him straight. I always like to make sure my songs have a happy (or at least not too sad) ending so that listeners can feel like there’s hope.