The Letter
Asleep at the Wheel Lyrics

Johnny Walker sat
Johnny Walker, the singer of the song, was sitting at a table in a bar.

At a table in a bar
Johnny Walker was specifically sitting at a table, within the bar.

Minding his own affairs
Johnny Walker was keeping to himself and not bothering anyone else.

Drinking his namesake
Johnny Walker was drinking a type of whiskey that shares the same name as him (Johnny Walker whiskey).

Over the rocks
Johnny Walker was drinking his whiskey with ice (or specifically, over ice cubes).

He was drunk
Johnny Walker had consumed enough alcohol to become intoxicated.

Too drunk to care
Due to his level of intoxication, Johnny Walker was not concerned about much.

When a girl in the bar
An unidentified girl entered the same bar where Johnny Walker was drinking.

Walked up beside him
The girl walked up to Johnny Walker's table and stood next to him.

And this is what she said
The girl spoke to Johnny Walker the following words:

She said, a woman came by
The girl told Johnny Walker that a woman had come to the bar looking for him.

With a letter for you
The woman had brought a letter addressed to Johnny Walker.

And this is what the letter said
The letter contained a message that the girl was about to reveal to Johnny Walker.

Dear, John, please, Johnny
The letter started off by using two different forms of Johnny Walker's name, addressing him as 'John' and 'Johnny'.

Please come home
The letter was requesting or pleading with Johnny Walker to return home.

I need your love and
The letter explained that the person writing it needed Johnny Walker's love and attention.

The kids, they gotta be fed
The letter also mentioned that Johnny Walker's children were in need of food and care.

And John, if you don't
The letter warned Johnny Walker that if he did not return home, something bad would happen.

Hurry back, I'll be gone
The letter threatened that the author of the letter (presumably Johnny Walker's partner) would leave him if he did not come home soon.

Yes, that's what the letter said
The girl confirmed that the previous statements were indeed what the letter said.

Then John
After hearing the contents of the letter, Johnny Walker took action.

He got up from the table
Johnny Walker stood up from his seat.

Slowly, he walked outside
He left the bar at a leisurely pace.

He was thinking of his wife
On his way out of the bar, Johnny Walker was contemplating his marital situation.

And little children at home
Johnny Walker was also thinking about his children, who were waiting for him at home.

And how his drinking
Johnny Walker began to consider the impact of his drinking on his family and life in general.

Had ruined their lives
Johnny Walker realized that his excessive drinking had negatively affected the lives of his loved ones.

Then John, he stared off
Upon reaching the outside of the bar, Johnny Walker gazed off into the distance.

Into that street light
Specifically, Johnny Walker was looking at the light emanating from a street lamp.

And a vision filled his
While staring at the light, Johnny Walker experienced a sort of premonition or vision.

Poor, poor heart with dread
The vision filled him with a deep sense of apprehension and sadness.

For it was him lying drunk
The vision that Johnny Walker saw was of himself, drunk and incapacitated.

There in that gutter
More specifically, the vision showed Johnny Walker lying in a dirty and neglected area on the street.

Clutching in his hand
Despite his inebriated state, Johnny Walker was holding onto something tightly.

The letter that Johnny Walker read
The thing that Johnny Walker was gripping onto was revealed to be the letter that he had just received.

And this is what it said
The song repeats the chorus to emphasize the impact of the letter on Johnny Walker's life.