"Whiskey Lullaby" is a largely acoustic ballad in the key of B minor, accompanied mostly by acoustic guitar and Dobro. Its narrative centers on a couple who separate and eventually drink themselves to death: The man because of the woman's infidelity and the woman because of her guilt. Paisley sings the first verse and chorus, which focus on the male character, while Krauss sings the second verse and chorus, which focus on the female character.
Jon Randall, one of the song's co-writers, had just divorced from country singer Lorrie Morgan before writing this song. In addition, he had lost a record deal, and had not been able to find a songwriting contract either. He found himself drinking whiskey regularly, and pursuing sexual desires. After seeing the condition that Randall was in at the time, his manager told him, "Hey man, every now and then you've got to put a bottle to your head and pull the trigger." Randall then wrote down that line, and decided to use it in a song. He then met Bill Anderson and began to write the song, which eventually made its way to Paisley. Randall himself also included a version on his 2005 album Walking Among the Living.
Whiskey Lullaby
Brad Paisley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She broke his heart, he spent his whole life tryin' to forget
We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time
But he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mind
Until the night
He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger
And finally drank away her memory
Life is short, but this time it was bigger
Than the strength he had to get up off his knees
We found him with his face down in the pillow
With a note that said, "I'll love her 'til I die"
And when we buried him beneath the willow
The angels sang a whiskey lullaby
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
The rumors flew but nobody knew how much she blamed herself
For years and years she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath
She finally drank her pain away a little at a time
But she never could get drunk enough to get him off her mind
Until the night
She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger
And finally drank away his memory
Life is short, but this time it was bigger
Than the strength she had to get up off her knees
We found her with her face down in the pillow
Clinging to his picture for dear life
We laid her next to him beneath the willow
While the angels sang a whiskey lullaby
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
The lyrics of Brad Paisley's song Whiskey Lullaby tells a tragic story of two lovers who turned to alcohol to numb their pain after the breakup of their relationship. The first verse describes the guy's heartbreak and how he tried to forget his love by drinking his pain away. But he could never get her off his mind until he finally took his life. The second verse describes how his former lover also struggled with her pain and tried to forget him with alcohol until she couldn't take it anymore, and she also took her life. The chorus repeats the haunting phrase, "Life is short, but this time it was bigger, Than the strength they had to get up off their knees," showing how the tragedy was too much for them to handle.
The lyrics also describe how the people around them, probably their friends and family, found them dead after they took their lives. The final lines suggest that they were buried together under a willow tree, and the angels sang a "whiskey lullaby" as a dirge for their tragic end. The song ends with a few more melancholic notes, repeating the first verse.
Line by Line Meaning
She put him out like the burnin' end of a midnight cigarette
She ended their relationship abruptly and callously, leaving him feeling harsh, empty, and consumed.
She broke his heart, he spent his whole life tryin' to forget
The pain of their separation was so profound that it became an ever-present focus of his thoughts that he could never shake.
We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time
As he couldn't forget her, he sought solace in drinking - but only occasionally and in small quantities at first.
But he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mind
No amount of alcohol could effectively make him forget or stop loving her; instead, it made him feel worse and more consumed by his grief.
Until the night
He chose to end his life, finally giving in to the emotional pain and drinking himself to death.
He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger
He committed suicide by shooting himself while drunk.
And finally drank away her memory
He drank himself to death, finally eradicating her memory from his mind.
Life is short, but this time it was bigger
The anguish he felt over her loss was too great compared to the time he had left to live.
Than the strength he had to get up off his knees
He was completely overcome by emotions, unable to fight against depression or despair.
We found him with his face down in the pillow
He died alone and depressed, succumbing to his overwhelming emotions.
With a note that said, "I'll love her 'til I die"
He left behind a note showcasing his eternal devotion to the woman he never stopped loving.
And when we buried him beneath the willow
His final resting place is under the shade of a weeping willow tree.
The angels sang a whiskey lullaby
The mournful wails of mourners sounded like a sorrowful melody accompanied by the empty bottles of whiskey.
The rumors flew but nobody knew how much she blamed herself
After their split, she struggled with alcoholism and felt guilty about the relationship ending, but few people knew the depth of her emotional struggles.
For years and years she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath
She attempted to keep her addiction to alcohol secret, even when its effects became visible.
She finally drank her pain away a little at a time
She gradually drank more and more alcohol to cope with her pain and grief.
But she never could get drunk enough to get him off her mind
No amount of drinking could assuage her grief or make her forget her past love.
Until the night
She also chose to end her life, drowning in alcohol and emotions.
She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger
She committed suicide by drinking herself to death.
And finally drank away his memory
Her grief was so profound that it took death to free her from the memory of their past love and separation.
While the angels sang a whiskey lullaby
Even in her death, the sorrowful song of whiskey emphasized the depth of their pain and despair.
We laid her next to him beneath the willow
They were laid together in death, symbolically reunited under the shade of the willow tree.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Bill Anderson, Jon Randall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-zs6nn6bc4q
Anyone watching in 2024
@roniquemohabeer2852
Here, feeling the same shit, jus takin it a day at a time, reminiscing what cud have been
@upcomingbillionaire4388
😢😢
@andrewhutsuls8275
Hey , say hello to Russia , im watching this video , i love Brad Paisley and i love country music, thanks...
@robmclean5284
EHHH YOOO
@DanceWithLillian
Me, but I knew this song for ever!!
@barbaraedwards8548
This song is from the heart that has been broken. My mom cheated on my dad when he was in Vietnam. She shamed herself. Something broke in dad and he left one day to heal in the wilderness. To this very day I have not seen nor spoken to him. I know he is alive and well. He has another family now. I have not tried to contact him, I don't want to bring the sadness back to him. By reminding him of a life he worked hard to forget. I love you daddy.
@brianrupp5974
Please try contacting him. You really should at least try. You deserve to have a relationship with him
@christopherremen2606
Trust me... You Dad is missing a huge part in his life without. Speaking from experience. As a Daddy.
@tetesilcy9609
Awww.. U need to connect to ur dad