Born in Taft, Texas, LaRue actually spent the majority of his adolescence north of the Red River, where he was raised in Southeastern Oklahoma . He never really pictured himself doing anything else but making good music, so LaRue eventually made his way to the state’s Red Dirt hotbed of Stillwater, where he began to develop his individualized style from a widespread range of influences.
From Willie Nelson to Ray Charles, to The Grateful Dead and Kris Kristofferson, LaRue’s emerging style impressively blends varied elements of country, blues, and soulful rock into cohesive, vocal driven performances. His abilities earned the immediate respect of then “up and coming” peers including Cody Canada, Mike McClure, Jason Boland, and other cohorts of the revitalizing Texas and Red Dirt circuits (now electrifying audiences nationwide.)
In 2002, both fans and industry took good notice of LaRue after he spearheaded The Organic Boogie Band and released ”Downtown,” which was recorded in private sessions at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa and mixed in a trailer on the side of a cliff in Bartlesville,OK. It was just the beginning, as the debut cemented LaRue’s following and inspired a move to New Braunfels, Texas, where a vibrant music community and a persistent touring schedule spawned a vast response.
Fans anxiously awaited the August 2005 release of Stoney LaRue-the Red Dirt Album, which hit the Billboard sales charts in its debut week. A far cry from the mixing trailer on the cliff, The Red Dirt Album was recorded with a tight circle of players and professionals in a studio setting. The record was a pinnacle effort for LaRue and has inarguably established his triple threat status as a truly gifted vocalist, player, and performer.
Armed with golden ear musicianship, an amusing wit, and soulful magnetism, LaRue’s shows are infused with an uplifting quality, a cathartic barroom brand of spirituality, where venues are complimented for good bar “feng shui,” and where time and dimension can be traversed via emotive lyrics and melodic riffs. A charismatic performer, LaRue’s flawless vocals can draw a crowd to a open mouth level of sonic mesmerization, and next have them singing “Forever Young” so loudly that you can’t hear anything else.
At 28 years old, Stoney LaRue now performs close to 300 dates a year at top festivals and venues across the nation and even the Caribbean, sharing bills with renowned acts like Lee Ann Womack, Gary Allan,Dierks Bentley, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Radney Foster, and others. With a newly assembled band that includes Jeremy Bryant (drums), Jesse Fritz (bass), Rodney Pyeatt (guitar), and Steve Littleton (keys), Stoney LaRue is poised for his upcoming addition to the famed Live at Billy Bob’s series and even greater horizons to come.
The music is undeniably inside of Stoney LaRue, but he’s the type of artist that doesn’t HAVE to point it out to you, his belief in the music is strong enough that it just powers through transparently. Stoney LaRue is not trying to be anybody but the artist that he is, and his sincerity just seeps out, spills off the stage, and overtakes any room.
Empty Glass
Stoney LaRue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a last cigarette
It's closin' time
And I'm drunk again
But somehow I'll make it home
I'll cry myself to sleep
Ya that's the way the day ends, every night for me
I'm throwin' whiskey on a heart that's on fire
Forgettin' you ain't no easy thing
And each night for me ends up the same
With an empty glass
And a last cigarette
It's closing time
And I'm drunk again
But somehow I'll make it home
I'll cry myself to sleep
Ya that's the way the day ends, every night for me
Every night, I'm in this bar
I'm throwin' whiskey on a heart that's on fire
Forgettin' you ain't no easy thing
And each night for me ends up the same
With an empty glass
And a last cigarette
It's closin' time
And I'm drunk again
But somehow I'll make it home,
I'll cry myself to sleep
But that's the way the day ends every night for me
Eh that's the way the day ends, every night for me
The lyrics of Stoney LaRue's Empty Glass paints a picture of a man drowning his sorrows and trying to forget the person he misses dearly. The singer sets the scene of a closing bar where he's left with an empty glass and a last cigarette. He's drunk again, but he somehow manages to make it home where he cries himself to sleep. The repetition of the lyrics, "every night for me" emphasizes the man's routine of going to the bar and drinking to forget his pain.
The line "I'm throwing whiskey on a heart that's on fire" shows how the man attempts to numb his feelings with alcohol but ends up feeling even more pain. "Forgetting you ain't no easy thing" indicates that the man is struggling to move on from his past relationship, and the repetition of the lines "every night for me ends up the same" emphasizes the man's inability to escape this pattern.
Overall, the song is a portrayal of heartbreak and addiction. The man cannot let go of his past love, and he's using alcohol as a coping mechanism. However, the last line of the song, "that's the way the day ends every night for me," shows how he's aware that his behavior isn't healthy but he's unable to break out of it.
Line by Line Meaning
With an empty glass
Starting the night with a depleted glass, symbolizing a lack of fulfillment or satisfaction in life
And a last cigarette
Smoking the last cigarette of the night, possibly signifying a self-destructive behavior pattern or addiction
It's closin' time
The bar is closing, suggesting the end of a period of indulgence and escape from reality
And I'm drunk again
Being inebriated once again, highlighting a possible issue with alcoholism or dependence on substances
But somehow I'll make it home
Determining to get home safely, despite being under the influence
I'll cry myself to sleep
Feeling emotional despair or pain, causing tears before finally drifting off to sleep
Ya that's the way the day ends, every night for me
This is the routine pattern for the singer, ending each day in a similar way
Every night I'm in some bar,
Going to bars every night, possibly as a way to numb or escape from personal struggles or heartache
I'm throwin' whiskey on a heart that's on fire
Using alcohol to soothe the intense emotional pain, which is compared to a heart on fire
Forgettin' you ain't no easy thing
Finding it difficult to let go and move on from a past loved one or relationship
And each night for me ends up the same
Continuing the same pattern every night, unable to break the cycle and move forward
Eh that's the way the day ends, every night for me
Sighing in resignation, acknowledging that this is the way the night always ends for the artist
Contributed by Claire A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
john clarke
OK. I just got to be me and be honest. Why the hell is this young man not on the top of the charts? 3 people on stage and produce this sound. This is talent. This is heart. This is what the fuck music is suppose to be.
Sabrina Lynn Pierson
+Dan Johns
RIGHT! These guys... Stoney.. They OWN MY HEART!
Ragnaroker
+Dan Johns damn straight.. idabel here. bass fishing is about all there is to me.
Austin Teutsch
+john clarke Man, you're so right on, fuck the money machine. This is pure talent...raw!
Dan Johns
+john clarke
Red dirt boys don't give a fuck about fame. They just wanna have a drink and make music.
cary allen
Mainstream country. But he is big on the Texas country charts at least
BEAR
having the awesome fotune to know gary as a friend ican confidently say he would have loved this. it brought tears to my eyes! growin up in dallas i never in a million yrs wouldve though id get to know the man whos soulful heartfelt music i listened to in the backyard as a kid when all my friends were into ledzep,nugent,hagar etc. it just seemed to be something real and relateable to in real life. this young man gets it too!Bravo!🐻
T
One of my favorites by far. Find myself singing along to this song all the time. I'm sure I'm no the only one.
Sabrina Lynn Pierson
PERFECTION! No one else could of pulled off this Gary Stewart cover so effortlessly.
Pure perfection.
I love you,
Sabrina ~
Tim Anderson
He’s ok. I’ve heard better.