Crafting the perfect country song is unlike any other form of songwriting. Country music has unshakeable conventions. One of our favorites of these conventions is the pervasive use of puns. Countless country hits make use of word play. The verses set the scene while the chorus reveals the punchline. It’s oh-so-satisfying when a songwriter gets its just right. Find three of our favorite country song puns, below.
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“Whiskey Glasses” – Morgan Wallen
There are plenty of country songs about drinking away the pain, but none of them have the expert pun that Morgan Wallen‘s “Whiskey Glasses” features. We’ve all heard of going through life with rose-colored glasses on, but what if your heartbreak is too strong to be hidden behind a sunny disposition? Well, that’s when it’s time to pop your whiskey glasses on. I’ma need some whiskey glasses ’cause I don’t wanna see the truth, Wallen sings in this country hit–a clever double meaning of actual whiskey drinking glasses and the crutch he’s leaning on in tough times.
“Space Cowboy” – Kacey Musgraves
In recent decades, space and western wear have become heavily conflated. We’re not sure what started this phenomenon, but we do know it has become impossible to shake. Kacey Musgraves made use of this familiar idea in “Space Cowboy”. You can have your space, cowboy / I ain’t gonna fence you in, Musgraves sings in this 2018 hit. This titular line in the chorus sees Musgraves make a little room in her relationship. She does so through the lens of a pop culture nod– a “space cowboy” reference. This country pun perfectly drives home the mix of ideas on this Musgraves record. Golden Hour is, at the same time, classically country and impressively current.
“On The Other Hand” (Randy Travis)
At the beginning of Randy Travis‘ “On The Other Hand”, it masquerades as just another country love song. The chorus, however, reveals a stickier situation. But on the other hand / There’s a golden band / To remind me of someone / Who would not understand, Travis sings, revealing that he is stringing along two lovers. The phrase “on the other hand” gets a whole new meaning, when it’s used to assess the situation between a cheating husband and the golden band he can’t fully forget about.
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