This song hits you in the heart each and every time.
“Good and Drunk” was released on Ward Davis’ 2020 album, Black Cats and Crows and is truly one of my all-time favorite songs from him.
It shares the raw emotions of heartbreak as someone goes through a divorce and the struggles of sharing the news with others that the partnership that once was is officially over, along with using some unhealthy coping mechanisms to push down the new reality.
Ward Davis does not shy away from heavy topics in his songwriting, but that is why his fans adore him. Heavy or not, they are the kind of real life topics that most people face in their life, making his songs easily relatable. And when you’re hurting, many people just want to know that they’re not alone.
When he sings the line:
“Called my sister, said the deed was done
And please don’t tell mama or anyone
When I’m ready, I’ll call and confess my sins
And with any luck, I’ll be good and drunk by then…”
The listener can hear the thoughts of a real person.
Outside of the songwriting genius that Davis is, he is one hell of a performer too.
This stripped-down version of the song is addictive to listen to. The simple strums on the guitar lets you hone in on his vocal talent, and really feel each and every word. The songwriting does the heavy lifting in this performance, and with a track like “Good And Drunk,” that’s what you want.
It’s an effortless outlaw country sound that I just cannot get enough of.
Ward Davis is a nugget of gold within the country music space that needs to be mined for more to hear.
And the studio version:
