Behind the Humorous Meaning of “One More Last Chance” by Vince Gill

Country is known for its raucous party songs. Most country artists have one or two such songs in their catalog. “One More Last Chance” plays that role in Vince Gill‘s discography. In this up-tempo anthem, Gill tries to convince his wife that his partying is all in good fun. We’re just some good ol’ boys, a makin’ noise / I ain’t a runnin’ ’round on you, he sings. Uncover the meaning behind this hit, below.

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[RELATED: Reba McEntire Always Regretted Never Telling Kenny Rogers That Vince Gill Was Chosen Over Him For Her 1993 Duet “The Heart Won’t Lie”]

Behind the Meaning of “One More Last Chance” by Vince Gill

“One More Last Chance” is a tongue-in-cheek reference to a famous story about George Jones riding his tractor to the liquor store. In the same spirit, Gill stops at nothing to get his party on–despite his wife’s insistence that he stay home.

She was standing at the front door
When I came home last night
A good book in her left hand
And a rollin’ pin in the right

He begs his wife to give him one more chance before calling it quits. I know I drive you crazy baby / It’s the best that I can do, he sings. He assures her that it’s nothing but a good time–aka no infidelity involved. Despite his plea for forgiveness, he gets back on the horse in the second verse.

She said you ain’t goin’ nowhere boy
‘Til you spend a little time with me
Then the boys called from the honky tonk
Said there’s a party goin’ on down here
Well she might’ve took my car keys
But she forgot about my old John Deere

Like Jones, Gill hops on the back of his tractor to head out to the Honky Tonk. In the chorus, he apologizes again: Give me just a one more last chance. Though we don’t know how much this story rings true in Gill’s life, it’s an unshakeable hit to be sure. Revisit the track, below.

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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