Besides these two songs, five more of Montgomery's singles have reached the top of the country charts: "I Love the Way You Love Me", "Be My Baby Tonight", "If You've Got Love", "I Can Love You Like That", and "The Little Girl", while thirteen more have reached Top Ten. Montgomery's recordings of "I Swear" and "I Can Love You Like That" were both released concurrently with R&B versions by the group All-4-One. Montgomery has also released eleven studio albums, counting a Christmas album.
John Michael joined the family band (which also included his brother, Eddie Montgomery, who would later join Troy Gentry in the duo Montgomery Gentry) as guitarist before taking the lead singing role when his parents divorced. Afterwards, he made a frugal living on the local honky-tonk scene as a solo artist playing what he referred to as "working man's country." Eventually, Atlantic Records signed him.
Love And Alcohol
John Michael Montgomery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, you look good tonight,
That cotton dress sure suits you right,
But I may not be thinkin' what you're thinkin'.
Before I go an' promise you,
All those things that lovers do,
Girl, you need to know that I've been drinkin'.
Under normal circumstances, I'd never lie to you,
You know love and alcohol,
Can't trust that stuff at all.
It always seems to get the best of me.
The combination's dangerous,
Every time I mix 'em up,
I end up sayin' somethin' I don't mean.
Well, it ain't my fault:
Blame it on love and alcohol.
Now if you happen to decide,
To take me home with you tonight,
Baby, I'll be glad to go along.
But there'll be no "I told you so's".
I'll tell you now so now you know:
Come tomorrow morning, I'll be gone.
Now before you drink another,
Before I finish mine, I think I oughta warn you one more time.
You know love and alcohol,
Can't trust that stuff at all.
It always seems to get the best of me.
The combination's dangerous,
Every time I mix 'em up,
I end up sayin' somethin' I don't mean.
Well, it ain't my fault:
Blame it on love and alcohol.
see'mon now.
Hey bartender, we need a couple more over here, now.
I ain't done yet.
You know love and alcohol,
Can't trust that stuff at all.
It always seems to get the best of me.
The combination's dangerous,
Every time I mix 'em up,
I end up sayin' somethin' I don't mean.
Well, it ain't my fault:
Blame it on love and alcohol.
You know, it ain't my fault:
Blame it on love and alcohol.
Ah, baby, you're lookin' better all the time.
John Michael Montgomery’s song “Love And Alcohol” is about the danger of mixing love and alcohol. The song is a cautionary tale about a man who warns his partner about his penchant for saying things he doesn't mean when he has had too much to drink. The opening lines show the man appreciating the appearance of his girlfriend in a cotton dress but acknowledges that he may not be thinking the same things that his partner might. The singer explains that under normal circumstances he would never lie to her, but when he’s had one or two drinks, the devil in him takes over, and he becomes unpredictable.
The chorus of the song reminds the listener that love and alcohol are not a trustworthy combination. It’s dangerous, and every time he mixes them up, he ends up saying something he doesn't mean. At the end of the song, the man warns his girlfriend that while he'll happily go home with her, the drink will probably lead to him leaving tomorrow morning. The lyrics of the song emphasize the potential pitfalls that can occur when love meets alcohol.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah, sit down here with me now.
Let's have a conversation together.
Baby, you look good tonight,
You look particularly attractive this evening.
That cotton dress sure suits you right,
Your choice of attire is fitting and flattering for this occasion.
But I may not be thinkin' what you're thinkin'
I may not share the same intentions as you at this moment.
Before I go an' promise you,
Before I make any declarations to you,
All those things that lovers do,
All the actions typically associated with romantic relationships,
Girl, you need to know that I've been drinkin'.
It's important that you're aware of my current state of inebriation.
Under normal circumstances, I'd never lie to you,
Typically, I wouldn't be dishonest with you.
But the devil in me dances when I've had one or two.
However, I am more prone to recklessness when I've consumed a small amount of alcohol.
You know love and alcohol,
The combination of love and alcohol,
Can't trust that stuff at all.
Is incredibly unreliable and unpredictable.
It always seems to get the best of me.
It tends to overpower and control my thoughts and feelings.
The combination's dangerous,
Mixing love and alcohol is risky,
Every time I mix 'em up,
Whenever I combine the two,
I end up sayin' somethin' I don't mean.
I often say things that don't accurately reflect my true thoughts or feelings.
Well, it ain't my fault:
I cannot fully take responsibility for this behavior,
Blame it on love and alcohol.
As the title suggests, love and alcohol are the contributing factors to my actions.
Now if you happen to decide,
If you choose to do so,
To take me home with you tonight,
If you invite me to your residence this evening,
Baby, I'll be glad to go along.
I would be happy to accompany you.
But there'll be no "I told you so's".
Please refrain from expressing any "I warned you" statements.
I'll tell you now so now you know:
I am informing you in advance,
Come tomorrow morning, I'll be gone.
I will not be present tomorrow morning.
Now before you drink another,
Before you consume another drink,
Before I finish mine, I think I oughta warn you one more time.
Prior to finishing my own drink, I feel the need to remind you once more.
see'mon now.
Come on now, let's get serious.
Hey bartender, we need a couple more over here, now.
Excuse me, could we please order a few more drinks?
I ain't done yet.
I'm not finished drinking yet.
You know, it ain't my fault:
As I mentioned before,
Blame it on love and alcohol.
The combination of love and alcohol is the root cause of this situation.
Ah, baby, you're lookin' better all the time.
Throughout the course of the night, you only become more attractive to me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON PFRIMMER, MELVERN RIVERS II RUTHERFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind