Drinkin' Man

Ben Foster of The 1-to-10 Country Music Review sums up "Drinkin' Man" as a "...sympathetic first-person portrayal of a man who grapples with alcoholism from his teen years onward, often dealing with the thoughtless remarks of those who underestimate the seriousness of his problem. The song emphasizes the struggle between willpower and weakness, summed up in the insightful hook “That’s a hell of a lot to ask of a drinkin’ man.”[1]

"Drinkin' Man" received critical acclaim. Billy Dukes of Taste of Country rates the song 4.5 stars out of 5. He states, "the dark ballad from an equally dark album can immediately go alongside songs like ‘I Saw God Today’ in terms of powerful messages from the second half of the singer’s career. Its weight is impossible to ignore." He also says, "‘Drinkin’ Man’ is a courageous choice for a third single from ‘Here for a Good Time’ — but a good one."[2]

Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A rating. Coyne says, "More than thirty years into his legendary career, George Strait has released the most compelling single of his career with “Drinkin’ Man.”" He goes on to say, "Strait isn’t known for dealing with such challenging subject matter, but his experience as a singer and remarkable growth as a songwriter have resulted in the genre’s best drinking song in recent memory. It’s something that Merle Haggard or George Jones would have produced at their peak." He ends with saying, "this is the finest single that George Strait has ever released."[3]

"Drinkin' Man" debuted at number 54 on the Hot Country Songs charts. It peaked at number 37 on the country charts in July 2012, becoming Strait's first single to miss the Top 10 since "Twang" in 2009.

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics