"Alcohol" is a song written and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

singer

Brad Paisley Brad Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His first success came in 1997 as the writer of David Kersh's "Another You (David Kersh song), Another You". After this, he signed with ...

. It was released on May 9, 2005, as the lead single from Paisley's album '' Time Well Wasted'' (2005), reaching number 4 on the ''

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Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...

charts. It also peaked at number 28 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It was nominated for two Grammys: Best Country Song and Best Country Male Vocal. Joseph Gordon-Levitt covered it in 2011.

Content

The song is a mid-tempo in 6/8

time signature A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates th ...

and the key of

C major C major is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and its parallel min ...

, but down tuned in the original recording. In the song, Paisley personifies alcoholic beverages in general, describing the various influences that the beverages have on certain people (such as "Helping white people dance"), and the effects it can have on one's life ("I can make you new friends, or get you fired from work"), ultimately stating "You'll have some of the best times you'll never remember, with me, Alcohol".

Critical reception

Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a positive rating. He says that Paisley pulls the song off with "good taste and great humor."

Music video

The music video was directed by Jim Shea. It features Little Jimmy Dickens, who puts a lampshade on his head. It was released in June 2005. A newer, 3D live version of the video, directed by Scott Scovill, was released in late 2010.

Chart performance

The song debuted at number 60 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week ending May 7, 2005.

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alcohol (Brad Paisley Song) 2005 singles 2005 songs Brad Paisley songs Songs written by Brad Paisley Songs about alcohol Song recordings produced by Frank Rogers (record producer) Arista Nashville singles Music videos directed by Jim Shea