This is a certified hit. This past Friday, Luke Combs released his new album The Way I Am, which was produced by Combs, Jonathan Singleton and Chip Matthews.
The tracklist features 22 songs, and it’s truly a great album. I’ve been loving his song with Alison Krauss, “Ever Mine,” as well as “Daytona 499,” and there’s another one I’ve had on repeat that sounds like it has big potential to be a radio hit called “Wish Upon a Whiskey.”
The lyrics tell the story of a man who didn’t do enough to keep his woman around, he paints a beautifully heartbreaking picture of how he’s tried everything, even “the back pew of that church” and reading “every chapter, every verse” of the Bible, though nothing seems to work.
So he decides to “pull that bottle out and wish upon a whiskey” instead. He opens by admitting that Jack Daniels has become his “last resort,” but it’s the only thing that seems to bring him what he thinks is peace:
“Jack Daniels, black label
Empty dining room table
Here we go again
Another last resort, so help me Jesus
The silence, so quiet
It’s filling my mind with everything we were that wasn’t
Once again, I fall to pieces
I gave up on a shooting star
To fix this kinda feeling that I’m feeling
I tried the back pew of that church
Read every chapter, every verse
But all my prayers, they always hit the ceiling
So I do the only thing that don’t make mе feel empty
Pull that bottle out and wish upon a whiskey”
Later in the song, he admits that the burn is something he “love[s] to hate,” but it’s all he has since he feels like nothing else is working to save him from his sadness. Most fans know that Luke is just so good at these kind of soul-crushingly sad ballads, and the story telling and lyricism here is just top notch.
In my humble opinion, it has all the makings of a radio hit while still being a solid country song, with the heartfelt, beautifully sad lyrics, and the piano arrangement, well, it’s just stunning, and of course Luke’s vocals are always perfect. To turn a phrase like “wish upon a star” into a sad country song about whiskey and struggling with alcohol… well, in theory, it has potential to be incredibly cheesy, but they dug so deep and really came out with a striking song that is a standout on The Way I Am to me.
So when the time comes for him to pick a new radio single, I think this one deserves a real good look… making country music that’s commercial enough to have a shot at mainstream radio, while remaining true to the elements of country and what makes it so unique, is genuinely a very hard thing to do and do well, and it’s what Luke is so great at and has made him such a huge success.
I think we need to hear this one on the radio… if you haven’t gotten to this one yet and are still listenting through the album, do yourself a favor and check it out:
“Wish Upon a Whiskey”
THE WAY I AM TRACKLIST
1. Back in the Saddle (written by Luke Combs, Dan Isbell, Jonathan Singleton)
2. My Kinda Saturday Night (written by Luke Combs, Randy Montana, Jonathan Singleton)
3. Days Like These (written by Luke Combs, Brent Cobb, Aaron Raitiere)
4. 15 Minutes (written by Luke Combs, Trey Pendley, Rob Pennington, Grant Vogel)
5. Alcohol of Fame (written by Luke Combs, Dalton Dover, Dan Isbell, Reid Isbell)
6. Daytona 499 (written by Luke Combs, Erik Dylan, Wyatt McCubbin, Drew Parker)
7. The Way I Am (written by Chris Gelbuda, Rob Snyder)
8. Wish Upon a Whiskey (written by Luke Combs, Dan Isbell, Drew Parker)
9. Soon As I Get Home (written by Luke Combs, Jessi Alexander, Tony Lane, Jonathan Singleton)
10. Rethink Some Things (written by Luke Combs, Jacob Davis, Dan Isbell, Reid Isbell)
11. Giving Her Away (written by Gary Garris, Josh Mirenda, Josh Phillips)
12. Seeing Someone (written by Luke Combs, Ray Fulcher, Lalo Guzman, Michael Tyler,
Allison Veltz-Cruz)
13. Sleepless in a Hotel Room (written by Luke Combs, Randy Montana, Jonathan Singleton)
14. I Ain’t No Cowboy (written by Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Jake Mears)
15. Ever Mine (feat. Alison Krauss) (written by Luke Combs, Hailey Whitters, Charlie Worsham)
16. Can’t Tell Me I’m Wrong (written by Luke Combs, Ray Fulcher, Pete Good, Lydia Vaughan)
17. Miss You Here (written by Luke Combs, Thomas Archer, Dan Isbell, Ben Stennis)
18. Tell ‘Em About Tonight (written by Luke Combs, Erik Dylan, Ray Fulcher, James McNair)
19. Be By You (written by Dan Alley, Sam Banks, Nick Walsh)
20. The Me Part of You (written by Luke Combs, Jason Gantt, Dan Isbell, Reid Isbell)
21. Rich Man (written by Luke Combs, Jacob Davis, Lori McKenna, Rob Snyder)
22. A Man Was Born (written by Luke Combs, Thomas Archer, Ray Fulcher, Jordan Rowe, Michael Tyler
