Coolidge's early career was as a backing vocalist, for artists such as Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, and Leon Russell. Her performance of "Superstar" on the Cocker/Russell Mad Dogs and Englishmen album helped gain her attention. She became known as "The Delta Lady" and inspired Leon Russell to write a song of the same name for her. It was during this time that she met Kris Kristofferson; the two married in 1973. With him, she recorded several duet albums which sold well, and earned them a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1974 for From the Bottle to the Bottom, and in 1976 for Lover Please.
In 1997, Coolidge was one of the founding members of Walela, a Native American music trio, that also includes Coolidge's sister Priscilla and Priscilla's daughter Laura Satterfield. The trio released albums in 1997 and 2000. Walela means hummingbird in Cherokee.
Whiskey Whiskey
Rita Coolidge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just before the rain
A little like this quiet night
Before the cold winds came
She's a little bit like the weather
I never know when she's gonna change
She's a part of my heart
And a whole lot of my pain
[Chorus:]
Whiskey, whiskey my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Milk of mercy please be kind
Drive this feeling from my mind
Don't you know, somehow her smile
Can make the day begin
She'd take away this mask of grey
And let the sun shine in
Now I find I've been blinded
By the cold and wintery wind
She disguised behind her eyes
Oh what a fool I've been
[Chorus x 2]
In Rita Coolidge's song Whiskey Whiskey, the first verse introduces the image of a woman who is both comforting and unpredictable, much like the weather before a storm. The singer suggests that she is a part of his heart, yet also causes him much pain. This dichotomy is further explored in the chorus, where the singer turns to whiskey as a source of comfort and solace from his emotional turmoil. He is seeking the "milk of mercy" to dull the pain caused by this woman who is both his sunshine and his rain.
The second verse further explores this dichotomy, describing the woman's ability to brighten his day with her smile, while at the same time leaving him blind to the true nature of their relationship. He laments being fooled by her disguises, suggesting that he has been hurt by her actions or words. Overall, the song portrays a complicated emotional struggle, where the singer is torn between the happiness brought about by this woman and the pain she causes him, eventually leading him to seek refuge in whiskey.
Line by Line Meaning
She's a little bit of the sunshine
Just before the rain
She brings a glimmer of happiness before the inevitable sadness comes.
A little like this quiet night
Before the cold winds came
She's calm and peaceful, but that won't last long.
She's a little bit like the weather
I never know when she's gonna change
She's unpredictable, like the weather. I can't predict her mood or actions.
She's a part of my heart
And a whole lot of my pain
I care for her deeply, but she also causes me a lot of emotional turmoil.
Whiskey, whiskey my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Milk of mercy please be kind
Drive this feeling from my mind
I'm turning to alcohol to numb the pain she's causing me, hoping it will help me forget.
Don't you know, somehow her smile
Can make the day begin
She'd take away this mask of grey
And let the sun shine in
Her smile can brighten my day and make me feel better, despite everything else. I wish I could see her smile more often.
Now I find I've been blinded
By the cold and wintery wind
She disguised behind her eyes
Oh what a fool I've been
I realize that I've been blinded by my feelings and haven't truly seen who she is. She's been hiding her true self behind her eyes.
Whiskey, whiskey my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Milk of mercy please be kind
Drive this feeling from my mind
I'm still struggling to cope with my emotions and I'm turning to alcohol again to help me forget.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THOMAS GHENT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind