Sober

Album: Fresh Start (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • When Bailey Bryan appeared on the Songfacts Podcast, she said "Sober" is about "how being in love with the wrong person feels like being drunk."

    In the song, she asks her partner to "think of me when you're sober," which sounds like an alcohol-assisted encounter that at least one of them will regret in the morning.

    "You could listen to it and think it's about a drunk hookup," she explained, "but to me it's about being in the moment with somebody and being like, 'I love you,' but already knowing the reason it's not going to work. You know it might wreck you a little bit. Like being trashed, you know you'll feel it in the morning."
  • Released when she was just 22, "Sober" is part of Bryan's Fresh Start project, which came of a bad breakup that made her re-evaluate. "There were so many reasons why neither of us could commit," she said. "It was a year of my life being single but also being kind of in love with someone."
  • The music video takes place in the melancholy aftermath of a New Year's Eve celebration, with empty champagne glasses and deflated balloons, a metaphor for the come-down when an exciting relationship goes bad.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al YankovicFact or Fiction

Did Al play on a Beach Boys record? Did he have beef with George Lucas and Coolio? See if you can spot weird but true stories.

Rick Springfield

Rick SpringfieldSongwriter Interviews

Rick has a surprising dark side, a strong feminine side and, in a certain TV show, a naked backside. But he still hasn't found Jessie's Girl.

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Psychedelic Furs lead singer Richard Butler talks about their first album since 1991 and explains what's really going on in "Pretty In Pink."

Randy Houser

Randy HouserSongwriter Interviews

The "How Country Feels" singer talks Skynyrd and songwriting.

Mark Arm of Mudhoney

Mark Arm of MudhoneySongwriter Interviews

When he was asked to write a song for the Singles soundtrack, Mark thought the Seattle grunge scene was already overblown, so that's what he wrote about.