Smoke a Little Smoke

Album: Carolina (2009)
Charted: 78
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This ode to pot is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American Country music singer Eric Church. It is the third single from his second album, Carolina and the eighth single of his career. Church penned the tune with bandmates Driver Williams and Jeff Hyde.
  • The song's music video was directed by Peter Zavadil and shot at the Clarksville Speedway near Nashville. Church is seen driving vintage cars and both NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne and ESPN's NASCAR insider Marty Smith make cameo appearances.
  • According to People magazine, the song was inspired by a conversation Church had with guitar player Driver Williams on his tour bus after a 2008 show. "What's the rest of your evening look like?" Church asked him. Williams replied: "I'm just going to drink a little drink and smoke a little smoke." Church added that suddenly the football he'd been watching no longer held his attention. "I wanted to lie there and watch the game, but I kept hearing those words in my head," he recalled to People. "The longer I stayed there, I thought, 'Turn the quiet up, turn the noise down...' I didn't know what it was, but I knew it was interesting." So Church asked Williams and bandmate Jeff Hyde to see what else they could come up with and less than 30 minutes later, "Smoke" was born. It's an anthem to "escapism," said Church. "It's about getting away from your life and everything that's going on in your world. It's a party song."
  • Church told People magazine: "The line 'kick back, give the blues a spin, break out the wine and forget again,' that's very personal. To me there's nothing better on a Sunday evening than a glass of wine, turning the blues on and sitting back in a rocking chair."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

John Lee Hooker

John Lee HookerSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for Bruce Pollock's 1984 conversation with the esteemed bluesman. Hooker talks about transforming a Tony Bennett classic and why you don't have to be sad and lonely to write the blues.

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet SprocketSongwriter Interviews

The "All I Want" singer went through a long depression, playing some shows when he didn't want to be alive.

Jon Foreman of Switchfoot

Jon Foreman of SwitchfootSongwriter Interviews

Switchfoot's frontman and main songwriter on what inspires the songs and how he got the freedom to say exactly what he means.

Eric Burdon

Eric BurdonSongwriter Interviews

The renown rock singer talks about "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.