Final Lyrical Analysis: Alcohol Use In Country Music

Final Lyrical Analysis

Jadyn Richmond

Olivet College

HHP 252

Professor Sherri Sherban

February 7, 2023

Word Count: 1667

Final Lyrical Analysis Throughout the lyrical analysis assignment, my common theme has been alcohol use in country music. As a country music fan, the close tie between the genre and alcoholic beverages is not a new connection. Typically, country artists sing about either beer or whiskey, and they are seen in a positive light, drinking is viewed as a way to get the party going, or just as a way to wind down after a long hard day of blue-collar work. It is not uncommon to see unhealthy alcohol use in country music, people using alcohol as a way to numb the pain from a recent heartbreak; however, the problematic

In my lyrical analyses, I wanted to find songs in the country music genre that focused on the negative sides of excessive alcohol consumption, without the typical glorification that is commonly seen today.

The glorification of alcohol in music, specifically country music, is dangerous. Although, Alcohol is not an illegal substance, there are many dangers associated with the unhealthy use of alcohol. The reality of unhealthy alcohol consumption can be surprising for some people, due to the perception of alcohol in our society. There are many way unhealthy alcohol consumption can negatively impact a person’s life, this can be seen in both physical and mental health. Alcohol is often used as an unhealthy coping mechanism and people can form dependency issues with this mood-altering substance. According to Howard Abadinsky’s “Drug Use and Abuse” (2018), Illnesses related to alcohol kill approximately eighty-thousand people annually. Although alcohol is not officially part of the Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) would classify it as a schedule two narcotic. One important distinction to make when discussing substance use is the differences between drug addiction, drug abuse, and

These are consequences that are not part of the normal discussion that surrounds alcohol in our society. Alcohol is a dangerous substance when not used correctly. Alcohol causes twice as many deaths as drug use, according to Howard Abadinsky’s “Drug Use and Abuse” (2018). It is beneficial to see unhealthy relationships with alcohol and their consequences displayed in popular parts of media. Especially, in country music where alcohol is constantly seen as a coping mechanism, which could impact listeners and cause them to have misuse alcohol, thinking it is a typical or even healthy thing to do. When analyzing these lyrics and the culture surrounding alcohol, I realized how many country songs are about unhealthy uses of alcohol. These are songs that I had grew up listening to, sometimes some of my favorites. This made me think, would I have been tempted to use alcohol as a coping mechanism in the future? Purely based on the influence of the songs I’ve listened to. The way alcohol is portrayed in society, through media outlets like music and movies, encourages the consumption and many times overconsumption of alcohol. It promotes unhealthy coping mechanisms and can reinforce dangerous