4 Country Songs About Drinking, Sung by Sober Singers

Country music is full of songs about drinking, a common theme woven throughout the last several decades. But just because an artist sings about drinking doesn’t mean they actually imbibe. We found four songs about drinking, sung by country singers who are proudly sober.

Videos by American Songwriter

“One Too Many” by Keith Urban with Pink

Keith Urban released “One Too Many” in 2020, as part of his The Speed of Now Part 1 record. The song begins with Urban singing, “I don’t remember much about last night / Woke up on a couch sunrise / Saw the living room / Through these bloodshot eyes of mine / Cold sober / You didn’t like that I come home late / 4 a.m. but it’s a Friday, babe / And I’ve been working hard / Can’t you give me some space / Instead of shouting out, ‘Oh my God.’”

Urban has been one of the most well-known sober singers since 2006, but he channeled his drinking days in recording the song.

“We did several of the takes as off-key and drunk-sounding as we could,” Urban recalls (via Songfacts).

“Paper Umbrellas” by Tim McGraw

McGraw first included “Paper Umbrellas” on his 2023 Standing Room Only album, later releasing a new version as a single with Parker McCollum. McGraw gave up drinking for good in 2008, but unashamedly sings about the joys of drinking in this song, written by Drake Milligan and Monty Criswell.

“Paper Umbrellas” says in part, “It’s gonna take a lot of Pina Coladas / If you’re gonna drink him off your mind / I’ll sit here a little longer and get us something stronger / Something that’ll work in half the time / ‘Cause when love don’t shine like you thought it would / Ain’t nothing quite like good tequila straight / To chase the clouds away / Yeah, girl, I’m here to tell ya paper umbrellas / Look good on top but they won’t stop the rain.”

“Bottoms Up” by Brantley Gilbert

Gilbert wrote “Bottoms Up” with Brett James and Justin Weaver, releasing it in 2013 on his Just As I Am album. The song became a No. 1 single for Gilbert, who quit drinking in 2011.

“Yeah, tonight is bottoms up, up,” Gilbert sings. “Throw it on down, rock this quiet, little country town, get up /  Drop a tailgate on your truck / Find a keg and fill your cup up / Kick it on back, pretty little mama looking at you like that / Make you wanna slide on in like, ‘Girl, what’s up?’”

“Tequila” by Dan + Shay

Dan + Shay released “Tequila” in 2018, five years before Shay Mooney quit drinking. But even though he no longer imbibes, he and his singing partner, Dan Smyers, still perform the song regularly, since it is one of the biggest hits of their career.

Smyers wrote “Tequila” with Nicolle Galyon and Jordan Reynolds. The nostalgic songs says, “When I taste tequila, baby I still see ya / Cutting up the floor in a sorority t-shirt / The same one you wore when we were / Sky high in Colorado, your lips pressed against the bottle / Swearing on a Bible, baby, I’d never leave ya / I remember how bad I need ya, when I taste tequila.”

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Grand Ole Opry