“She Turned the Whiskey into Water“
Written by Steve Robinson
Interview by American Songwriter
Steve Robinson scored 1st place in the Session Four 2026 American Songwriter Lyric Contest for his song “She Turned the Whiskey into Water.” American Songwriter caught up with him to get the scoop on the inspiration behind his lyrics and other musings.
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What made you decide to enter the American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest?
I had written these lyrics a while back and felt like they struck a nice balance between clever and commercial. I was curious to see if that combination would connect with other people as strongly as it had with me.
How did you feel when you learned you won?
Ecstatic! It was such wonderful validation that all the writing and rewriting (and more rewriting) was finally paying off.
What was the inspiration for your submission? Why did you want to write it?
So many of my favorite songs, especially in the country genre, take a phrase or concept and twist it in a clever or funny way that is unexpected. I like starting with that twist or idea or title and writing to it.
What’s the story behind “She Turned the Whiskey into Water”?
I love a good country breakup song (despite being very happily married for many years now). For whatever reason I was thinking about the story of Jesus turning water into wine, and my brain likes to flip things on their head, so I wondered: what about turning wine into water? Once I had that simple concept I started brainstorming scenarios and storylines that could apply to some variation of that phrase. One of my lyric mentors, Marty Dodson from SongTown, always talks about not taking the first exit off the interstate with a title, so by applying that I eventually landed on this poor guy who just can’t seem to drink his pain away no matter how hard he tries. I thought this was a fun twist on describing that scenario.
Have you written music for this lyric? If so, how would you describe it?
Not yet for this one. I enjoy writing melody too, but lyrics are usually where I feel most at home creatively. I often like to get the words locked in first and then bring in collaborators whose melodic instincts can push the song in directions I might not have found on my own.
How long have you been writing lyrics?
I have been making music and writing songs since I was very young and started messing around on an old piano that my parents briefly stored for a relative. I never got great at piano, but sometime around age 13 I got my hands on a guitar, and that was the instrument that sent me off and running. I played in a lot of local bands and wrote my own stuff throughout my youth and college years, but life made it harder to write and play regularly once I got older. Around 2020 I started taking the craft seriously again, studying songwriting, reading American Songwriter, joining groups like SongTown, and writing and co-writing as much as I could. Since then I’ve continued building a catalog of songs I’m proud of while working regularly with a handful of collaborators.
Since 1984, American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest has helped aspiring songwriters get noticed and have fun. Enter the 2026 Lyric Contest today before the deadline:
What keeps you motivated as a songwriter?
Finding and writing the next idea and trying to add that little element of surprise or a unique perspective or observation to each new song. I have been taught by so many great mentors to show up and do the work and not wait for inspiration, and also to always have my antenna up when I am out in the world to spur new ideas for titles and concepts. Like many songwriters, I have a ton of notes, song titles, and ideas that I have collected and sometimes I just open up the archives and pick something and write it.
Who are your all-time favorite songwriters, and why?
I listen to a lot of different genres but the songs that have stuck in my head over my lifetime are usually either country, Americana, or classic rock with country influences. John Fogerty, Tom Petty, and Gram Parsons have always been huge influences. On the country side, I’ve learned a lot from writers like Kim Williams, Pat Alger, Shane McAnally, Liz Rose, and Jessi Alexander. I love writers who can take a familiar idea and find a fresh angle on it.
What’s next for you?
I am always studying the craft and writing. Even when life gets too busy and I take a “break” from songwriting that usually just means I haven’t had time to pick up my guitar lately but I’m still collecting lines, titles, and ideas in my phone whenever inspiration strikes.
What would you tell other songwriters who are considering entering the Lyric Contest?
Do it! Too many creative people keep the art to themselves because they are either afraid it isn’t good enough or they are convinced that it is the best thing ever but people just won’t get it. Art is for sharing and especially songwriting is about connecting through words and music with other people. This contest is a way to share something with the world and even if your lyrics don’t win or get shown in the magazine at least you were brave enough to try. So much of this process is just about trying and then trying harder to write the best songs that you can write.