Reckless Kelly is an American country rock band. Formed in Idaho, the band … Read Full Bio ↴Reckless Kelly is an American country rock band. Formed in Idaho, the band moved to Austin, Texas in October 1996 and is now based there.

Led by brothers Willy (vocals/guitar) and Cody Braun (vocals/fiddle/mandolin/harmonica), the alternative country-rock outfit Reckless Kelly formed in Bend Oregon in February 1996 before moving to Austin, Texas. The Brauns had previously toured with their father in Muzzie Braun & the Boys, a Western swing band, and were joined in their own group by the lead guitarist Casey Pollock, the bass guitarist Chris Schelske and the drummer Jay Nazz.

With their younger brothers Micky and Gary, Cody and Willy were raised in central Idaho near the Sawtooth Mountains, between Clayton and Challis in Custer County, and were homeschooled by their mother. Originally they were "Muzzie Braun & the Little Braun Brothers", as Muzzie and his brothers Gary and Billy were the "Braun Brothers" from Twin Falls in the 1970s and early 1980s, sons of the musician Eustaceus "Mustie" Braun (1917–1981). From North Dakota, Mustie was a neighbor and relative of the bandleader Lawrence Welk, and was a keyboard player during the last days of legalized gambling in Idaho at Weiser in the early 1950s. He then moved to the new Club 93 in Jackpot, Nevada, on the Idaho border, and moved his family to Twin Falls, about fifty miles (80 km) north. In February 1981, Mustie and wife Marian (née Beckman) were involved in a head-on collision north of Jackpot, and both died from their injuries.

In 1989, Muzzie and his sons appeared on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show twice.

Reckless Kelly played locally on the historic Sixth Street in Austin. They turned Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar, a small bar and restaurant, into a noted music venue. From November 1996 to May 1998, they filled the venue with their Monday night show. During this period, other music venues in Austin invited them to play, including the Continental Club, the Saxon pub, Stubb's barbecue, and Antone's home of the blues.

Reckless Kelly's first album, Millican, appeared in fall 1997 and was officially released in 1998. Acoustic: Live at Stubb's and The Day followed two years later, after which David Abeyta replaced Pollock on lead guitar. Under the Table & Above the Sun in 2003 began the band's relationship with the high-profile Sugar Hill label and won the hearts of the music press and the honky tonkin' legend Joe Ely, who sang the band's praises in interviews. Wicked Twisted Road was released in 2005, and the next year the live album Reckless Kelly Was Here captured the band's stage presence. Bulletproof was released in summer 2008 on a new label, Yep Roc Records, and includes tracks critical of and reflecting on recent sociopolitical unfoldings, such as the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina. In 2010, Reckless released an album of songs by one of their musical heroes, Pinto Bennett. Somewhere in Time, in the band's own words, highlighted their love of "straight-up honky tonk". The band regularly returns to Austin to play before capacity crowds at venues like Nutty Brown Cafe & Amphitheatre.

Younger brothers Micky and Gary Braun front their own band, Micky & The Motorcars. Both bands play at the annual Braun Brothers Reunion in Challis, Idaho, in August.

Drink Your Whiskey Down
Reckless Kelly Lyrics

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When trouble comes knockin'
Beatin' down your front door
When the devil starts stalkin'
One thing holds the cure

Drink your whiskey down
Put sorrow in the ground
Drink your whiskey down

When no life can be found
Drink your whiskey down

If you've had an evil woman
Use you and leave you for dead
Don't hang your head in sorrow
Just pick up that bottle instead

Drink your whiskey down
Put sorrow in the ground
Drink your whiskey down
When no life can be found
Drink your whiskey down

When those cold winds are blowin'
Good times have come and went
Life's dealt a losin' hand, child
But one thing remains a sure bet

Drink your whiskey down
Put sorrow in the ground
Drink your whiskey down
When no life can be found
Drink your whiskey down

Drink your whiskey down
Let's all drink our whiskey down

Come on now boys
Let's drink our whiskey down

Overall Meaning

The song 'Drink Your Whiskey Down' by Reckless Kelly is a classic country song that talks about the power of whiskey in times of trouble. The lyrics suggest that whiskey is the cure when there is no other solution. The song talks about how when trouble comes knocking, and you feel like there's no escape, drinking whiskey helps to put the sorrow in the ground. It suggests that when you've had an evil woman, who has used you and left you for dead, you should not hang your head in sorrow but instead reach for that bottle of whiskey. The song appears to suggest that whiskey helps one forget their problems and move on.

The lyrics also talk about how when good times have come and gone, and life has dealt you a losing hand, one thing remains a sure bet, that is, whiskey. The song appears to suggest that even when hopelessness takes over, whiskey brings some solace. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, but the message is clear - when times are tough, drink your whiskey down and put your sorrows in the ground.

Overall, the song is an ode to whiskey, and its ability to help people forget their troubles. The music is typical bluegrass and country mixed together, giving it a great rhythm and melody.

Line by Line Meaning

When trouble comes knockin'
When life gets tough and difficult situations arise

Beatin' down your front door
Causing chaos and destruction in your life

When the devil starts stalkin'
When negativity and evil thoughts take over

One thing holds the cure
Whiskey is the remedy for life's problems

Drink your whiskey down
Indulge in alcohol to forget about your sorrows

Put sorrow in the ground
Get rid of your sadness and pain

When no life can be found
When everything seems hopeless and lost

If you've had an evil woman
If you've had bad experiences with love and relationships

Use you and leave you for dead
Treat you poorly and abandon you when you need them

Don't hang your head in sorrow
Don't feel defeated and hopeless

Just pick up that bottle instead
Turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism