Drinkin' Smokin' Cheatin'

Album: Big Day in a Small Town (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the only track on Big Day in a Small Town that Brandy Clark wrote on her own. She recalled to Radio.com: "I started it at the very top, and it started with that groove. I just liked that groove, and I was playing my guitar, and I just sang that first line, 'I ain't been drinking, but if I was drinking, I think I'd be drinking bourbon.'"

    "And it sort of became a daydream, if you could just sort of kiss your reality goodbye and responsibilities goodbye, what you would do? And in my mind I had the characters figured out in my head, and they lived in a place where the dishes were stacked two sinks high, just kinda had it with each other."
  • Shane McAnally came in and sang on the song with Clark. The Washington songstress has a long history of collaboration with the Texan songwriter. McNally worked on much of her acclaimed debut, 12 Stories, and he also has a credit on Girl Next Door.

    According to Clark, McAnally didn't feel confident in his vocal. However, producer Jay Joyce only did two takes, as he wanted it to feel very real. Clark said: "Somebody mentioned to him, 'It sounds like you and Shane are singing to each other in that,' and I was like, that is so perfect."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.

Steely Dan

Steely DanFact or Fiction

Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?

In The Cards

In The CardsSong Writing

Songwriters have used cards and card games to make sense of heartache, togetherness, and even Gonorrhea.

Tom Waits Lyrics Quiz

Tom Waits Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

Pool balls, magpies and thorns without roses - how well do you know your Tom Waits lyrics?

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin Popoff

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin PopoffSong Writing

A talk with Martin Popoff about his latest book on Rush and how he assessed the thousands of albums he reviewed.