Paisley has sold over 11 million albums and has won three Grammy Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards, and two American Music Awards. He has also earned country music's crowning achievement, becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry.[2] Paisley also wrote songs for Pixar's Cars franchise ("Behind the Clouds", "Find Yourself", "Collision of Worlds" (along with Robbie Williams), "Nobody's Fool", etc.).
Paisley has stated that his love of country music stems from his maternal grandfather, who gave Paisley his first guitar at age 8 and taught him how to play. At age 12, Paisley wrote his first song, and by 13 he was the opening act for country singers.
Paisley graduated from John Marshall High School in Glen Dale and enrolled at Belmont University (from 1993 to 1995). While in college, he met Frank Rogers, a fellow student who went on to serve as his producer. Paisley also met Kelley Lovelace, who became his songwriting partner.
After graduating from Belmont, Paisley signed a songwriting contract with EMI Music Publishing. His debut as a singer was with the label Arista Nashville, with the song, "Who Needs Pictures" (released February 22, 1999). In May of that same year, he made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Seven months later he had his first #1 hit with, ""He Didn't Have To Be."
In 2000, Paisley made an appearance on the nationally televised special, "Route 66: Main Street America" featured on TLC (TV channel) and later that same year he won the Country Music Association's (CMA) Horizon Award and the Academy of Country Music's best new male vocalist trophy. He received his first Grammy Award nomination a year later. On February 17, 2001, after forty appearances on the show, he was inducted into the Opry Hall of Fame.
In 2002, he won the CMA Music Video of the Year for ""I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)." Several celebrities made notable guest appearances in the video, inluding Little Jimmy Dickens, Kimberly Williams (Paisley), Dan Patrick, and Jerry Springer.
Paisley released his third album, Mud on the Tires (2003), following Who Needs Pictures and Part II. The album features the hit song "Celebrity," the video of which parodies reality shows such as Fear Factor and American Idol and included such celebrities as Jason Alexander, Little Jimmy Dickens, Trista Rehn, and William Shatner. The album's title track, "Mud on the Tires," reached Billboard #1 in 2004.
In 2005, after touring with Reba McEntire and Terri Clark on the critically acclaimed "Two Hats and a Redhead Tour," he released Time Well Wasted, containing 15 tracks, including "Alcohol", a duet ("When I Get Where I'm Going") with Dolly Parton, another ("Out in the Parking Lot") with Alan Jackson, and a bonus track, "Cornography".
Brad Paisley was the 2008 CMA and ACM Male Vocalist of the Year winner. Starting with the release of his 1999 album Who Needs Pictures, Paisley has recorded seven studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashville label, with all of his albums certified gold or higher by the RIAA. In addition, he has charted 25 singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 15 of which have reached #1 with a record 10 consecutive singles reaching the top spot on the charts. On November 10, 2010, Paisley won the coveted Entertainer of the Year award at the 44th annual CMA Awards.
In 2009 he released American Saturday Night which has his first single Then.
His song "High Life," on the 2014 album Moonshine in the Trunk, refers to suing Carrie Underwood after hearing that one of Carrie's songs "reminded me of a poem my brother wrote back in second grade." This was a subtle joke about an actual lawsuit from a songwriter who accused Brad of using her material. (In real life, the lawsuit was won by Paisley in 2016.)
Paisley released "Without a Fight", a duet with Demi Lovato, on May 13, 2016. It was to have served as the lead single to his eleventh studio album, but due to poor chart performance it did not make the album's final cut. He was selected as one of thirty artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track of "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "On the Road Again" and "I Will Always Love You" which celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards. The second single "Today" was released on October 6, 2016, which gave Paisley his first Country Digital Song Sales #1, opening at the top of the chart with 41,000 first-week downloads. The single landed in the #1 spot on the Country Aircheck/Mediabase charts, marking Paisley's 24th #1 song. On November 11, Paisley announced on Twitter that the title of the album would be Love and War, which was released in April 2017.
Love and War features several collaborations with iconic artists, including Timbaland, John Fogerty, Bill Anderson, and Mick Jagger, as well as a songwriting credit with Johnny Cash.
On October 4, 2018, Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley partnered with Belmont University and opened a free referral-based grocery store in Nashville to help the community in need. The Board of Trustees for The Store include Brad Paisley, President; Megan Zarling, Chair; Pete Fisher, Vice-Chair; Doug Paisley, Secretary and Elaine Bryan, Treasurer. Other board members include Sarah Cates, Jaynee Day, Hope Fisher, David Minnigan, John Zarling, Olivia Munn, John Schario, Scott Scovill, Michael Stagg, Becca Stevens and Kimberly Williams-Paisley. Executive Director is Gina Hancock.
In November 2018, Paisley released "Bucked Off", the lead single from his upcoming studio album. On March 11, 2019, Paisley released "My Miracle".
In 2021, Paisley released his own Bourbon brand called "America Highway Reserve." As this whiskey was aged in barrels in the "Rolling Rickhouse" semi-trailer that followed Paisley's 2019 concert tour, Paisley collaborated with Bardstown Bourbon Company to create this Bourbon.
Alcohol
Brad Paisley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can make you believe any lie
I can make you pick a fight
With somebody twice your size
Well I've been known to cause a few breakups
And I've been known to cause a few births
I can make you new friends
And since the day I left Milwaukee
Lynchburg and Bordeaux, France
Been making the bars lots of big money
And helping white people dance
I got you in trouble in high school
But college, now that was a ball
You had some of the best times
You'll never remember with me
Alcohol, alcohol
I got blamed at your wedding reception
For your best man's embarrassing speech
And also for those naked pictures of you at the beach
I've influenced kings and world leaders
I helped Hemingway write like he did
And I'll bet you a drink or two that I can make you
Put that lampshade on your head
'Cause since the day I left Milwaukee
Lynchburg and Bordeaux, France
Been making a fool out of folks just like you
And helping white people dance
I am medicine and I am poison
I can help you up or make you fall
You had some of the best times
You'll never remember with me
Alcohol, alcohol
Yeah, since the day I left Milwaukee
Lynchburg and Bordeaux, France
Been making the bars lots of big money
(And helping white people dance)
Yeah, I got you in trouble in high school
But college, now that was a ball
You had some of the best times
You'll never remember with me
Alcohol, alcohol
The song "Alcohol" by Brad Paisley is a satirical take on the effects of alcohol. The lyrics describe the various ways in which alcohol can influence people's lives, both positively and negatively. The song opens with the line "I can make anybody pretty," suggesting that alcohol has the ability to make people see things in a different light, making them feel more confident and attractive. The following lines highlight the power that alcohol has to make people believe lies, pick fights, and cause both breakups and births.
The second verse explores the idea that alcohol can be both medicine and poison. The line "I am medicine and I am poison" acknowledges that alcohol has the ability to help people relax and unwind but can also lead to negative consequences such as addiction and self-destruction. The final verse references famous figures such as Ernest Hemingway, suggesting that even highly intelligent and creative individuals have fallen under alcohol's spell.
Overall, "Alcohol" uses humor to highlight the complex and often contradictory effects of alcohol on people's lives. The message seems to be that while alcohol can be enjoyable and can help people let their hair down, it can also be dangerous and should be consumed in moderation.
Line by Line Meaning
I can make anybody pretty
Alcohol can make a person feel more attractive or desirable.
I can make you believe any lie
Under the influence of alcohol, people may be more susceptible to believing falsehoods.
I can make you pick a fight with somebody twice your size
Alcohol can cause aggression and poor judgement, leading to potentially dangerous situations.
Well I've been known to cause a few breakups
Alcohol abuse can contribute to relationship problems and even breakups.
And I've been known to cause a few births
Alcohol can lead to unprotected sex and unwanted pregnancies.
I can make you new friends
Alcohol can lower social inhibitions and encourage networking.
Or get you fired from work
Alcohol abuse can lead to poor performance, negative interactions with colleagues, and even job loss.
And since the day I left Milwaukee Lynchburg and Bordeaux, France
The consumption of alcohol as a mind-altering substance is ubiquitous around the world.
Been making the bars lots of big money
The popularity of alcohol consumption leads to profits for the bars and restaurants that serve it.
And helping white people dance
Alcohol can give people confidence to dance and have fun.
I got you in trouble in high school
Underage drinking can lead to disciplinary action, both at school and at home.
But college, now that was a ball
In college, alcohol consumption is often considered a hallmark of the college experience.
You had some of the best times, you'll never remember with me
Alcohol can cause blackouts and memory loss, leading to a loss of memories even of positive experiences.
I got blamed at your wedding reception
Excessive alcohol consumption at wedding receptions can lead to embarrassing speeches and behavior.
For your best man's embarrassing speech
Alcohol can cause a lack of inhibitions leading to unfiltered and often embarrassing speech
And also for those naked pictures of you at the beach
Excessive alcohol consumption can lower inhibitions and cause people to shed their clothes.
I've influenced kings and world leaders
Alcoholism and excessive drinking has been a problem for many influential historical figures.
I helped Hemingway write like he did
Alcohol has been linked to creativity and has been attributed to some works of famous writers.
And I'll bet you a drink or two that I can make you put that lampshade on your head
Under the influence of alcohol, people may engage in silly behavior and dressing up inappropriately.
I am medicine and I am poison
Alcohol can have both using and destructive effects on the human body.
I can help you up or make you fall
Alcohol can cause both elation and depression.
You had some of the best times, you'll never remember with me
Alcohol can cause people to forget experiences, both good and bad.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Brad Paisley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@emny23
Years and years later this song still hits the nail on the head.
@geordanbowen8989
no kidding there
@thecorpsecollector2939
alcohol doesnt change much
@cemiltekerrur4336
boğmacılardan tennese cilere selam dayıı
@eliinamihhailova8191
Hm ok
@thejoyofcheese4927
listening in 2021 still hits
@TheaterRaven
"I am medicine and I am poison." D My favorite lyric out of the whole song. Deep. So true.
@bradleycarroll8187
Brad is one of the most underrated guitarists in Country Music
@TheForcerYT
him and Keith Urban are top 2
@__gharks__
Yo, Brad Paisley! I'm Bradley but I'm drunk. I'm "Brad" to many people, so I feel this song. Much love, dear mate.