Don't Blame It On Whiskey
by Jon Pardi (featuring Lauren Alaina)

Album: Heartache Medication (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Don't Blame It On Whiskey" was written by Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Luke Laird and Michael Heeney for Church's 2011 Chief album. It didn't make the record, but another tune written by Church, Heeney and Laird the same week did: "Drink In My Hand," which became Church's first Top 40 pop hit.

    Pardi first heard "Whiskey" in 2010 and thought it was a great song. While recording Heartache Medication, the track returned to his radar after an A&R executive dug it out of hiding. He played it for the singer, who agreed to cut it after getting the blessings of Lambert and Church.
  • The original demo featured the voices of Lambert and Church. "It was very simple," Pardi recalled to Billboard. "It was just a drum track and a guitar lead and a guitar and vocal from Eric and Miranda. You could just hear the bus humming so it was just a work tape, but it sounded really good."
  • After Lauren Alaina and Jon Pardi co-hosted the 2018 ACM Honors ceremony, they sang a couple of songs together. Everybody said they sounded great, so Alaina was a natural choice for Pardi's duet partner on this cut.
  • Lyrically, the song is about a couple whose relationship is nearing a breaking point. They acknowledge that in order to fix it, they need to be honest about where they're going wrong and not to "blame it on the whiskey."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Concert Disasters

Concert DisastersFact or Fiction

Ozzy biting a dove? Alice Cooper causing mayhem with a chicken? Creed so bad they were sued? See if you can spot the real concert mishaps.

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"They're Playing My Song

Gramm co-wrote this gorgeous ballad and delivered an inspired vocal, but the song was the beginning of the end of his time with Foreigner.

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Bass Player Scott Edwards

Bass Player Scott EdwardsSong Writing

Scott was Stevie Wonder's bass player before becoming a top session player. Hits he played on include "I Will Survive," "Being With You" and "Sara Smile."

Tommy James

Tommy JamesSongwriter Interviews

"Mony Mony," "Crimson and Clover," "Draggin' The Line"... the hits kept coming for Tommy James, and in a plot line fit for a movie, his record company was controlled by the mafia.