About The Song
- “If Drinkin’ Don’t Kill Me (Her Memory Will)” is a song written by Harlan Sanders and Rick Beresford, and recorded by American country music artist George Jones.
- It was released in January 1981 as the third single from his album I Am What I Am.
- By 1981, Jones’ career continued to thrive after the remarkable success of his #1 hit single “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”
- After experiencing a lull in his career in the late 1970s, the song reignited the singer’s career on the charts; in 1980, he scored a #2 hit with “Two Story House,” a duet with his ex-wife Tammy Wynette, and reached #2 again with his rendition of the Tom T. Hall classic “(I Was) Walking My Baby Back Home.”
- “If Drinkin’ Don’t Kill Me (Her Memory Will)” peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in March 1981.
- It also reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
- The song was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to solidify Jones’ status as one of the greatest country music singers of all time.
The song is a classic country ballad about a man who is struggling to cope with the loss of his love. He turns to alcohol to numb the pain, but he knows that it is only a temporary solution. The lyrics are full of despair and heartache, but they are also honest and relatable. Jones’s vocals are raw and emotional, and they perfectly capture the song’s message.
“If Drinkin’ Don’t Kill Me (Her Memory Will)” is a powerful and moving song that has resonated with listeners for decades. It is a must-listen for any fan of country music.
Video
Lyrics
Let’s sing along with the lyrics!
The bars are all closed
It’s four in the mornin’
I must have shut ’em all down
By the shape that I’m in
I lay my head on the wheel
And the horn begins honkin’
The whole neighborhood knows
That I’m home drunk again
If drinkin’ don’t kill me
Her memory will
I can’t hold out much longer
The way that I feel
With the blood from my body
I could start my own still
But if drinkin’ don’t kill me
Her memory will
These old bones, they move slow
But so sure of their footsteps
As I trip on the floor
And I lightly touch down
Lord, it’s been ten bottles
Since I tried to forget her
But the mem’ry still lingers
Lyin’ here on the ground
And if drinkin’ don’t kill me
Her memory will
I can’t hold out much longer
The way that I feel
With the blood from my body
I could start my own still
But if drinkin’ don’t kill me
Her memory will
